Not Now Darling (1973)

A madcap farce about mistresses, minks, mobsters, mistaken identities, misguided shoppers, suspicious wives and scantily clad women hiding in cupboards.

Gilbert Bodley (Leslie Phillips) – of the London fur salon of Bodley, Bodley, and Crouch – wants to buy his girlfriend, Janie (Julie Ege) an expensive mink coat but is worried about her mobster husband (Derren Nesbitt) finding out.

So he tries to sell the coat at a huge discount, hoping the husband will fall for it.

Instead of doing his own dirty work, Bodley gets his reluctant partner, Arnold Crouch (Ray Cooney), to do it for him.

Things go awry, though, when the mobster plans to buy it for his own mistress and soon the whole plan goes out the window – along with women’s clothing and a few other things.

The role of Arnold Crouch was originally intended for Dudley Moore but he was signed to a film in America. It was then offered to Terry Scott who developed an aneurysm and had to withdraw.

Director Ray Cooney then assumed the role himself, having been the original actor in the out-of-town preview, before it opened in the West End.

Make sure to watch the uncut version of the film. The UK cinema version edits out many of the best saucy lines and most of the nudity.

Miss Whittington
Geraldine Gardner
Bodley/Gilbert Bodley
Leslie Phillips
Crouch/Arnold Crouch
Ray Cooney
Janie McMichael
Julie Ege
Miss Tipdale
Joan Sims
Commissionaire Frank
Bill Fraser
Commander George Frencham
Jack Hulbert
Mrs Harriet Frencham
Cicely Courtneidge
Harry McMichael
Derren Nesbitt
Sue Lawson
Barbara Windsor
Maude Bodley
Moira Lister
Mr Lawson
Jackie Pallo

Director
Ray Cooney
David Croft

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