The Brits have a long tradition, going back to at least Shakespearian times, of skits and plays with guys in drag so this 1982 film about the SADUSEA (Song And Dance Unit South East Asia), a British cross-dressing military entertainment troupe in Malaysia in the late 1940s was probably considerably less daring in England than in the US at the time.  On stage, the men dress in women’s clothing, wear makeup and sing and dance prettily.   Quel theatre!  Off-stage, some are openly gay. Oooh-la-la.  And they get shot at by Malaysian insurgents. Quelle guerre!  Ouch.

John Cleese, reprising his stiff and proper bible-thumping British Major role from Monty Python, is sent in to be in charge.  Quelle surprise!   Cleese is at his Pythonesque best—befuddled and bewildered among the racy goings-on.

If you like Monty Python, this romp will delight you.  If, however, you are from Keokuk, Iowa and go to church every Sunday, this movie is not for you.  You have been warned. Swear words are used, the Lord’s name is taken in vain, Bruce wears nothing but a towel…Oops, sorry, that’s a warning for Bruce fans with weak hearts.  Hearts will race, we promise you because Bruce is totally adorable in his first movie role at the age of 21. 

Who would have thought that the future Jacob Kell could be so adorable, so pretty, so funny?  We have said it before and we say it again--Bruce Payne is a gifted comic actor and steals every scene he’s in, as he usually does.  We also have to say, even though we think Bruce Payne is the sexiest and most masculine actor we have ever seen, in this film, in drag and in makeup, he also makes one of the prettiest girls…(IWe hope he will forgive us for saying this, should he ever read it).  Look at the photos and see for yourself.

If you want to see a movie that will raise your spirits through sheer fun and daffy foolery, this one is for you.  If you want to see Bruce in a towel….oh, sorry, our minds drifted…Well, you get the idea.  C’est un film tres droll. Bruce est tres beau. Ooh-la-la. C’est formidable!