The second episode of the second season of Douglas Livingstone's 'Born & Bred'.
Molly Peglar ( Joan Sims ) is planning a special Parisian night - complete with fashion show - at her East End pub 'The Crown & Sceptre'. She hopes to impress enough people to give her a boost in her ambitions to chair the local Women's Committee. Ray and Marge Benge ( Gorden Kaye and Kate Williams ) are flattered to be asked to attend, only to then learn that she wants them only as domestic staff - her regular cook Mildred ( Mollie Maureen ) has walked out on her. Furthermore, as they are relatives, she does not intend paying them.
Elsewhere, Frank Benge ( James Grout ) is scouring railway stations in an effort to locate his missing son-in-law Paul Redstone. He bumps into an attractive middle-aged lady named Mrs.White ( Hilda Fenemore ) who is engaged on a search of her own, to find her absent husband Freddie and find out why he ran off with the Guide Dog money.
Frank likes her so much he suggests they have an affair, but she is not up for it.
Said missing husband ( Milton Johns ) is to be found in Molly's pub ( posing as 'Mr.Green' ) where he is painting the walls to resemble the Paris skyline. Molly becomes so fond of him she offers him the job of barman.
On the big night, Mrs.White learns from Tommy Tonsley ( Max Wall ) that her husband is at the pub. Determined to get him back, she goes there. Pam ( Suzie Blake ) is meant to be one of the fashion models, but she hates the clothes she has been given and won't go on. The occasion looks set to be a disaster...
One of the lovely things about this show was the naturalness of the humour. No out-of-place laugh lines, no big headed cast member trying to upstage the rest, and, best of all, no artificial sounding laugh track.
Molly's growing fondness for Freddie is mirrored by Frank's interest in Mrs.White. The railway station scene has a nice 'Brief Encounter' flavour to it. We are so used to seeing Hilda Fenemore as dowdy head-scarf wearing housewives it comes as a shock to see her, for once, playing a sexually desirable woman. As Frank, James Grout is, as ever, brilliant. Look at his pained expression when he comes home from work only to find newly-washed nappies all over the place. There appears to be little affection between him and his wife ( Gillian Raine ) hence his interest in the poetry spouting Mrs.White is entirely believable.
Funniest moment - the hatch to the dumb waiter in Molly's pub opens to reveal not the expected dinners, but an embarrassed looking Ray, who had been attempting to fix the thing.
Second funniest moment - Frank explaining to his baffled wife that 'Mr.Green' is in fact Mr.White.
Molly Peglar ( Joan Sims ) is planning a special Parisian night - complete with fashion show - at her East End pub 'The Crown & Sceptre'. She hopes to impress enough people to give her a boost in her ambitions to chair the local Women's Committee. Ray and Marge Benge ( Gorden Kaye and Kate Williams ) are flattered to be asked to attend, only to then learn that she wants them only as domestic staff - her regular cook Mildred ( Mollie Maureen ) has walked out on her. Furthermore, as they are relatives, she does not intend paying them.
Elsewhere, Frank Benge ( James Grout ) is scouring railway stations in an effort to locate his missing son-in-law Paul Redstone. He bumps into an attractive middle-aged lady named Mrs.White ( Hilda Fenemore ) who is engaged on a search of her own, to find her absent husband Freddie and find out why he ran off with the Guide Dog money.
Frank likes her so much he suggests they have an affair, but she is not up for it.
Said missing husband ( Milton Johns ) is to be found in Molly's pub ( posing as 'Mr.Green' ) where he is painting the walls to resemble the Paris skyline. Molly becomes so fond of him she offers him the job of barman.
On the big night, Mrs.White learns from Tommy Tonsley ( Max Wall ) that her husband is at the pub. Determined to get him back, she goes there. Pam ( Suzie Blake ) is meant to be one of the fashion models, but she hates the clothes she has been given and won't go on. The occasion looks set to be a disaster...
One of the lovely things about this show was the naturalness of the humour. No out-of-place laugh lines, no big headed cast member trying to upstage the rest, and, best of all, no artificial sounding laugh track.
Molly's growing fondness for Freddie is mirrored by Frank's interest in Mrs.White. The railway station scene has a nice 'Brief Encounter' flavour to it. We are so used to seeing Hilda Fenemore as dowdy head-scarf wearing housewives it comes as a shock to see her, for once, playing a sexually desirable woman. As Frank, James Grout is, as ever, brilliant. Look at his pained expression when he comes home from work only to find newly-washed nappies all over the place. There appears to be little affection between him and his wife ( Gillian Raine ) hence his interest in the poetry spouting Mrs.White is entirely believable.
Funniest moment - the hatch to the dumb waiter in Molly's pub opens to reveal not the expected dinners, but an embarrassed looking Ray, who had been attempting to fix the thing.
Second funniest moment - Frank explaining to his baffled wife that 'Mr.Green' is in fact Mr.White.