WHAT A WHOPPER

Publicity poster for What a Whopper (© Gilbert Gunn/Regal Films International/Viscount Films - reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

I can still fondly remember the first time that I ever saw the early 1960s British comedy movie What a Whopper. I was around 13 years old, and had been fascinated by the Loch Ness monster ever since I first read about it as a child in a wonderful book entitled Stranger Than People (click here to read on my ShukerNature blog all about how this fascinating volume greatly influenced my interests in mysteries in general and cryptozoology in particular). The movie was shown on TV one evening in England, and I watched it in absolute delight on our faithful old b/w television (as the movie itself was made in b/w, I lost nothing by not watching it on a colour TV), thoroughly engrossed and willing Nessie to appear asap. A few years later, it was reshown, and again I watched it avidly, despite knowing the plot this time. But after that – nothing.

Years and years went by, and never once did What a Whopper make an appearance in the TV schedules here in the UK, despite my scrutinizing them closely, especially when I eventually acquired my first video recorder, meaning that I could then tape it off the TV for my own personal rewatching as often as I liked thereafter. I think that its absence was due to the fact that it was a b/w movie – since the turn of this current century, b/w productions, even ones as cinematically significant as the classic Laurel and Hardy features and shorts, and the countless silent comedies starring the likes of Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Charlie Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd, are shown on British TV far less frequently than in the past. Happily, however, during the early 2000s, What a Whopper finally made a much-belated but very welcome return to the small screen here, and I was ready, armed with my newest VCR and a top-quality videocassette. Moreover, last year I treated myself to this movie's official DVD, released in 2011, adding it to my sizeable collection of cryptozoology-themed films.

Speaking of which: it may come as a surprise to learn that in spite of the longstanding, global interest in Nessie, particularly since the first major flourish of modern-day sightings occurring in 1933, only a single LNM-themed movie had been produced – Secret of the Loch, directed by Milton Rosmer and released in 1934 – prior to the release in 1961 of What a Whopper, directed by Gilbert Gunn. Moreover, even What a Whopper is less concerned with Nessie directly than with utilizing her celebrity to make some money by decidedly nefarious but hilarious means. Although its leading star is none other than 1960s British heart-throb singer Adam Faith (but who did become a well-respected full-time actor in his own right in later years), for the most part the cast list of What a Whopper reads like a who's who of classic British comedy stars – including Sid James, Spike Milligan, Wilfrid Brambell, Amanda Barrie, Charles Hawtrey, Clive Dunn, Lance Percival, Terry Scott, Molly Weir, Frank Forsyth, and Freddie Frinton, plus an appearance by famous Scottish journalist and broadcaster Fyfe Robertson playing himself.

Another publicity poster for What a Whopper (© Gilbert Gunn/Regal Films International/Viscount Films - reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

Written by screenwriter Terry Nation (who also created the Daleks for Doctor Who), reworking it from an original story by Jeremy Lloyd and Trevor Peacock, the plot saw Faith as perennially-unsuccessful would-be writer Tony Blake. After receiving yet another rejection from a publisher for his latest book, concerning the Loch Ness monster, but in dire need of some cash to avoid being evicted from his rented one-room flat in Chelsea, London, Tony hits upon the idea of faking a photograph of the selfsame monster and selling it to the media for a tidy little sum of money.

Travelling to Loch Ness with his friend Vernon, Vernon's girlfriend Charlotte, and pretty French hitch-hiker Marie whom they pick up along the way, Tony uses a hidden speaker to create a monstrous roaring sound that he convinces the locals living near the loch is none other than the cry of Nessie herself. He also attempts to create his planned phony photo using a fake monster – only to discover to his alarm and chagrin that several locals have come up with exactly the same idea, using their own equally faux LNM lookalikes. And when one of the locals finds his hidden speaker, Tony realizes that the game is not so much afoot as up – well and truly up, in fact.

Fleeing from a posse of enraged locals, Tony and Marie jump upon a rowing boat and row rapidly from shore out across the loch, but still facing the shore, and becoming increasingly puzzled as to why the locals standing there suddenly stop shouting angrily at them and instead begin gesticulating frantically to them. So when Tony and Marie then hear a loud roar behind them, they immediately look over their shoulder – and yes, you've guessed it, there is Nessie herself, all scaly vertical neck and grinning face, who turns to the camera and gives an extremely louche wink before rumbling: "What a whopper!" Wonderful! (Click here if you'd like to view this fantastic closing scene on YouTube.)

Nessie's long-awaited appearance in What a Whopper (© Gilbert Gunn/Regal Films International/Viscount Films - reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

Having said that, my other favourite scene from this movie sees Adam Faith's character Tony listening to the radio with Marie when who should come on but – yes indeed – Adam Faith! Under the name Eden Charity, he is performing his new song, 'The Time Has Come', much to the disgust of Tony, who calls him a nit and loudly bemoans to Marie that he can't stand him! It is of course noticeable that despite Tony's complaints, the radio just so happens to stay on long enough for Adam/Eden to sing the whole of his song, and Tony even croons along to it, barely suppressing a smile as he does so! Indeed, in real life Adam Faith did release this song as a single, which went on to achieve a very respectable #4 position in the UK Singles chart during 1961, while the movie was on general release in cinemas. Click here to view on YouTube the above-described scene from What a Whopper and hear this song.

Far superior in my opinion, however, was the eponymous theme song to What a Whopper – which can currently be heard here on YouTube – playing through this movie's opening scene, which depicts the beginning of the Swinging Sixties scene in London in a somewhat saucy manner. Incidentally, both songs were written by Laurie Johnson, a celebrated British bandleader and prolific writer of scores for countless films and TV shows.

As I noted earlier, What a Whopper is now available on DVD, so I heartily recommend all dedicated fans not only of vintage British comedy films but also of cryptozoological monster movies to add this very funny 86-minute rarity to their collection. Moreover, as it’s in Region 0 DVD format, it can be played on any DVD player anywhere in the world.

Finally: to view a complete listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE! 

The official DVD of What a Whopper, which I'm delighted to own after having sought out this movie on TV for such a long time (© Gilbert Gunn/Regal Films International/Viscount Films/Renown Pictures Ltd - reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)