The Plank (1979 film)


The Plank is a 30-minute, British slapstick comedy film for television from 1979, which was written and directed by Eric Sykes. This version, which is a remake of the earlier 1967 film The Plank, which was also written and directed by Sykes, was produced by Thames Television and broadcast on the ITV network.
Although not literally a silent film, it has little spoken dialogue. Instead the film is punctuated by grunts, other vocal noises and sound effects. The soundtrack was composed by Alan Braden and performed by Alan Braden and his orchestra.
SVT used to show the film several times around Christmas and New Year during the 1980s and 1990s.

Outline

When two builders find that a floorboard is missing, they buy a replacement floorboard and return with it through the streets, causing unexpected.
This was the third version of The Plank; the basic idea had originated in an episode called "Sykes and a Plank", which Eric Sykes had written for his BBC television comedy series, Sykes and A... in 1964. This 1979 television version won the prize at the 1980 Festival Rose d'Or, held in Montreux, Switzerland.

Cast