Episode 168 - Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1970)

Fancy a playdate that's to die for? Join Mumsy, Nanny, and their darling (if slightly overaged) Sonny and Girly! This charmingly unhinged family just adores making new friends and luring them back to their quaint estate for endless games. Just remember: follow the rules, or it's permanent naptime!

Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1970)

Get ready for a rollicking, if rather unnerving, trip to the countryside with Freddie Francis’s 1970 cult delight, "Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly"! Forget your typical family get-togethers; this aristocratic British clan, tucked away in their gloriously crumbling Gothic pile, has a very peculiar idea of fun, and it’s all part of their never-ending, ever-so-slightly lethal "Game."

Meet the players, won't you? There's Mumsy (Ursula Howells), the lady of the manor, whose honeyed tones could charm the birds from the trees – right before she plots their untimely demise. Then we have dear old Nanny (Pat Heywood), ever loyal, ever simmering, and a stickler for the family’s rather unique traditions. And who could forget the children? Sonny (Howard Trevor) and Girly (Vanessa Howard) are grown-ups who’ve hit the pause button on maturing, preferring school uniforms and a particularly sinister brand of playtime. Their favourite pastime? Inviting charming chaps, affectionately dubbed "New Friends," back to their secluded estate for a jolly good… well, let's just say it rarely ends with a polite thank-you note.

You see, these "New Friends" quickly discover that their weekend invitation comes with a few rather peculiar house rules. They're expected to join in the family’s whimsical, if decidedly menacing, games. Pop a clanger, try to leg it, or generally spoil the fun? Well, that’s a one-way ticket to "meeting the angels," a quaint family euphemism for a rather permanent departure, often captured on Sonny's home movie camera for a bit of fireside entertainment. The film wastes no time in showing us how previous guests have fared – it’s not pretty, but it’s frightfully inventive!

Now, the real sport begins when a particularly sharp "New Friend" (the rather dapper Michael Bryant) wanders into their web. Unlike the others, this chap’s got his wits about him. He starts to notice the little cracks in this picture of domestic bliss: the glint of jealousy between Mumsy and Nanny, the oddly chummy vibes between Sonny and Girly, and young Girly’s rather blossoming, if thoroughly confused, interest in him.

Our clever "New Friend" decides it’s time to shake things up a bit, playing the family members off against each other like a maestro of mischief. He turns on the charm, especially with the ladies, and watches the sparks fly! Girly’s head over heels, Mumsy sees a new star for her manipulative little shows, and Nanny? Well, Nanny’s green-eyed monster is having a field day. Sonny, bless his cotton socks, just wants things back to the way they were and gets increasingly tetchy.

As our "New Friend" pulls the strings, the once-sacred rules of "The Game" get hilariously, and then dangerously, twisted. It’s not the captive causing the chaos anymore; it's the captors themselves, all clamouring for his attention and a slice of the power pie. The previously united, if terrifyingly bonkers, family starts to come apart at the seams, tumbling towards a climax that’s as wildly entertaining as it is darkly satisfying.

"Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly" is a cheeky poke at the old stiff upper lip and the very idea of a 'proper' family, all wrapped up in a deliciously dark and witty package. It’s less about the blood and guts and more about the spine-tingling giggles and the sheer audacity of a household where innocence and insanity go hand-in-hand. So, if you fancy a film that’s truly one of a kind, step into their parlour – just be sure you know the rules of "The Game"!

"In a happy family, you must always have rules."

 

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Thanks for listening

 

Scott and Steven