One of the standout performances in the film is by Dora Bryan, who plays Mrs. Dora Crump, the gossip of the village. She is an accomplished comic actress and her portrayal of the nosy and pushy busybody is spot on. She steals every scene she is in, and her interactions with the other characters are some of the most amusing moments of the film. Rix, who is perhaps still best known for his roles as crooked bookies or harassed civil servants, was married for 64 years to actor and fellow campaigner Elspet Gray, who died in 2013. They appeared together on stage and screen several times during their long marriage. It's a set-up of craft and graft. 'Chippendale Charlie' forges the antiques. Cecil Gibson flogs 'em. There's only one flaw in the fiddle: they've no-one to carry the can if things go wrong. Until Bertie Skidmore joins the firm...

But Bertie's not squawking - he's off on his honeymoon! Additional details UK certificate A Duration 82 minutes UK release November 1960 Distributors The decision is easy. Achievement difficult. Until Bertie tangles with the law, and Mr. Warre-Monger, J.P., dispatches the parrot to the RSPCA. But there's still no honeymoon prospect for Bertie yet, because Wolfie Green has discovered he's been returned a fake substitute for the antique four-poster he sent in to Cecil for restoration. Furthermore, he's unwittingly sold the fake on - to Mr. Warre-Monger! Unhappily, my body seems to be constructed in such a way that it keeps me alive in great discomfort when all I want is to be allowed to slip into a sleep, peacefully, legally, and without any threat to the medical or nursing profession," he said in a letter that attempted to explain to his fellow peers in the House of Lords why he no longer opposed assisted dying legislation.Rix announced in 2016 that he was terminally ill and called for the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia for those dying in severe pain.

They began to take an active interest in the problems faced by people with learning disabilities when their daughter Shelley, the eldest of four, was born with Down's syndrome in 1951. At the time the condition was still referred to as mongolism and there was little support on offer. Rix became involved with Mencap (then the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults) to try to change this. The film was made at Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England, and on location. A collection of then-and-now location stills and corresponding contemporary photographs is hosted at reelstreets.com. [6] Critical reception [ edit ] A host of British comedy luminaries – including veteran farceur Sir Brian Rix and, in his last film role, actor and stand-up comedian Ronald Shiner – star in this good-natured comic caper charting the misadventures of a hapless bunch of Brighton-based petty crooks dogged by disaster at every turn. The Night We Got the Bird is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.When unscrupulous Brighton antiques dealer Cecil Gibson (Ronald Shiner) dies in a road accident, his widow Julie (Dora Bryan) remarries, and her new husband Bertie (Brian Rix) was Cecil's innocent but naive business partner. One of their wedding presents, from an unknown source, is a mouthy South American parrot, which appears to be a reincarnated Cecil whose aim is to make married life difficult for Bertie. As Bertie and Julie go off on their honeymoon, they are chased by a gangster because of a fake antique bed that the late Cecil substituted for the real thing which he then sold for a profit. [5] Cast [ edit ] It might have been a deliriously happy honeymoon. But a beady-eyed parrot - a wedding gift from an anonymous well-wisher - pole-axes Bertie by speaking to him during the reception. In the late Cecil's voice! Offstage, aside from his charitable work, Rix chaired the Arts Council of Great Britain's drama panel from 1986 to 1993 and was responsible for opening up grant funding for a wider mix of performers, more involvement for women and more funding for ethnic minority theatre companies. Throughout the film, the characters are constantly getting themselves into precarious situations, both comical and absurd. This is particularly true for Captain Ambrose, who is constantly trying to keep his cool and maintain his dignity, even as the chaos around him continues to escalate. His loyal servants are always trying to help, but they only seem to make things worse, leading to a brilliant and hilarious climax that will leave you in stitches. In the meantime, what's happened to the parrot? Among the objects orbiting in space is one that doesn't give out the familiar "bleep-bleep", just a raucous screech.