The Breaking of Bumbo

This mishy-mashy ordeal, based on a novel by Andrew Sinclair and subsequently adapted for the screen and directed by the same chap, never actually saw a cinema screen. Moviegoers should be grateful.

A poorly realised swinging ‘60s comedown, The Breaking of Bumbo depicts a collision of the whole free love, radical, “we can change the world!� ethic with the regimented pomp and circumstance of Her Majesty’s Fusilier guards. Falling into an officer and gentleman role is the titular Bumbo Bailey (Richard Warwick), a strapping young lad who seems just a little bit at sea in the knowing what he wishes to do with himself department. When he drunkenly stumbles into rich activist Susie (Joanna Lumley in a frightful wig that’s almost bigger than the big black dawgs on the heads of the guards) and falls for her somewhat renegade charms he begins to question his pompous, stiff upper lip, what-ho and all that existence, while he’s seen as a meal ticket to infiltrating and smashing the system from within.

Now, the novel upon which this is based was released in 1959, so unless Sinclair was phenomenally clairvoyant the whole groovy ‘60s thing was but an un-germinated seed in a yet-to-be commune somewhere. Obviously it underwent a rewrite, however unfortunately the results of this work don’t demonstrate much in the way of coherence, entertainment or talent in understanding the intending medium. Ludicrous, unintentionally laughable dialogue is coupled with a story which just takes seemingly random, tangential leaps on occasions into the realms of fantasy or just plain irrelevance, while the acting is more wooden than your average toy soldier. Still, at least the footage of the guards in action will appeal to any old-fashioned Anglophiles out there.

Lobbed at us in 4:3, the only hint that this ever may ever have existed in a different ratio is the opening credits, which appear to be in a shrunk-down ratio of around 1.66:1. Whatever, it makes little difference framing-wise. Looking very English and very late-‘60s, the transfer afforded to Bumbo isn’t great, exhibiting nothing in the way of shadow detail when called upon, and struck from a print that’s often riddled with little specks and occasionally giant, if fleeting, invaders. It has a tendency towards the fuzzies at times – most notably in its regular use of stock footage – and grain is a regular visitor.

A wholly unstartling mono mix is all we receive, with little else being realistically expected. Dialogue remains clear at all times, although synch does tend to wander ever so slightly on a couple of occasions. The music, credited to Brian Gascoigne, is remarkably of it’s time, as are the three generally laughable song type things included.

Dash and blast it all, there isn’t even a cut out and keep fuzzy bearskin hat!

Decidedly average vision, mediocre audio and not an English muffin as an extra hardly makes for an appealing start. Add to this a wishy-washy film which seems to try its hand at subversiveness but leaves it decidedly unclear as to whether it’s having a go at the snooty English aristocracy or the revolutionary vibe of the late ‘60s and The Breaking of Bumbo has all the radical air of inserting the word “bloody� into a sentence. Amateurish at best, it’s an ordeal to sit through; a bloody ordeal.