First shown on British television on Monday, 22
December 1980. Transmitted on BBC1 between
955pm- ll.3Opm.

The staff of Grace Brothers head for the sun, courtesy of Young Mr Grace. While the

store is closed for redecoration, everyone is offered a low-budget break. The ladies and menswear departments plump for the Don Bernardo Palace Hotel, on the Costa Plonka. Even before packing their bags, Mrs Slocombe has her heart set on Captain Peacock, particularly when she discovers his wife isn't coming; but Peacock, frosty
towards Mrs Slocombe's advances, fancies his chances with the shapely Miss Brahms.

Before their departure there's another day's business to attend to, while Mrs Slocombe places her pussy in the safe hands of Grace Brothers' Pussy Hotel, selects her favourite snaps for her passport and is finally inoculated - in the rear!

On the Med temperatures hit the nineties, and chelating in at the hotel meets with expected chaos,

Thanks to Carlos, the manager, getting confused as to why a booking for Grace Brothers can possibly include two females; but their problems deepen when ~it's discovered that rooms won't be available for another day, so there's no choice but for everyone to spend a night under canvas.
During the evening, Carlos receives an unexpected visitor: his brother Cesar, a terrorist who has killed with his bare hands. He's planning a bloody revolution, but not before he has satisfied his immediate needs: a bed for the night and a woman to share it - a role for which Carlos suggests Mrs Slocombe.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to woo Miss Brahms, Mr Lucas A sends a saucy letter to her during dinner, only to see it acid dentally end up in the hands of Mrs Slocombe, who wrongly believes its author is Captain Peacock. By the end of the evening, the much-travelled note has also left Peacock looking forward to a night of passion with Miss Brahms, and Mr Humphries expecting a visit from 'Sexy Y-fronts'!

The confusion continues when a large insect causes Miss Brahms, Mr Humphries and Mrs Sbcombe to partake in tent-swapping, with the limpwristed Mr Humphries receiving an unexpected visit from Cesar, mistaking him for the blue-rinsed Mrs Slocombe - certainly a holiday to remember!

When EMI approached David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd about making a big screen version of Are You Being Served?, they didn't have far to look for a story-line. 'We already had a good plot, rhanks to the stage show,' says David Croft, 'so using that as
the basis of the film seemed the logical thing to do, rather than develop a whole new scenario.
The job of directing the film went to Bob Kellett who had worked on numerous comedy pictures at Elstree Studios. At first the cast found it strange having someone intrude into their happy family says Bob. 'But they were a wonderful team and quickly got used to me as the director, particularly when they began realizing that working on a film requires a different discipline and I could help.'
Throughout the filming period, David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd were ever-present on the set, which Bob appreciated. 'I thought it was admit-able because it can't have been much fun standing around arching, particularly as it was a fait accept": the cast had already done the show on stage, so David and Jeremy knew how it would pan out.'One thing Bob Kellett regrets is that
the budget didn't stretch to a sunny Mediterranean location. 'Money was tight so we couldn't go abroad all the exteriors - apart from a quick trip to Heathrow for the airport scenes - were shot on the set at Elstree. Everything had to be completed in six weeks it was very frenetic getting it finished on time and within budget, but that's all part of the fun.'
The solitary day's filming at the airport made a welcome change from the confinement of the studio John Inman remembers the day well. 'We borrowed the training plane, where they coached the cabin staff It was a very windy day, so windy that my big white sun-hat had to be stuck to my head I even had to keep it on during lunch because
doing some reverse angle shots in the afternoon and it had to remain in the same position.'

During lunch, John and Mollie nipped across to the departure lounge for a quick drink. 'I was wearing this big white hat, fancy clothes and so much make-up, I couldn't believe it when a fella said:

"Hello, John, are you going lar~" He actually thought I was off on holiday - and dressed like that!'
Actor Frank Thornton also felt the film suffered under the tight budget. 'I didn't think it was very good; there wasn't enough money spent on it~ In the film the characters had to sleep in tents because all the rooms were full, but when you see the dining-room or the reception desk, the place is empty - there could at least have been a few other visitors strolling around making it look less deserted.'
The 1 970s was the decade when several popular TV shows were adapted for the movies, often with disappointing results. As many production companies found to their peril, small-screen popularity doesn't always translate to box-office success. Bob Kellert was well aware of this when he undertook the task of directing the Are You Being Served? movie.
'The British cinema was winding down so fast:
audiences were falling and studios were closing because no one was Investing money anymore. So 5 a last desperate fling to get people into cinemas, ompanies tried making films out of TV series. Many of them didn't work, but Are You Being Served? was good fun. It was made at the very end f this '70s whirl of TV spin-offs, and although it ill never be
regarded as a great movie, it was fairly successful.

'The artists missed the studio audience, though, partly because it's much more difficult timing the comedy without the reaction of the audience. But I as pleased with the results; it wasn't what you called ainstrearn movie-making because it was a stylized form of comedy - but there were lots of gags.'
John Inman was one of those who found it strange working without the audience. 'We'd ehearse a scene and the crew would howl with laughter, but then we'd do it for real and there was no reaction at all, complete silence. It was a weird experience.'
But despite the hectic schedules and lack of funds, Bob Kellett had a happy time on the film.

He recalls one memorable scene involving John Inman and an inflatable bra. john was dressed up and being pursued by the villain, played by Glyn Houston. The boobs were air-inflated, and there was a lovely moment during rehearsals when one grew bigger and bigger until it exploded and blew John's wig off If you rehearsed for ever you could never catch that sort of moment again.

It happened unexpectedly and, of course, everybody collapsed in laughter.'
Another incident occurred during the final scenes, but this time it was something be'd rather forget. just as we were about to shoot, one of the most important cameras started indicating we were running out of film. It was the end of the afternoon and everybody was waiting to go home. In those days, you couldn't just arbitrarily say, ~We'll all work until we finish," so we had to quickly get on with the filming. Reels of film were 400 feet and we were at the end of the footage counter; we were running on whatever extra, if any, was left on the roll Seconds alter the scene finished, the film ran out - it was a very fraught day.'

As well as the main cast, several guest stars were called in. Playing Carlos, the hotel manager, was Andrew Sachs, who had made his name as everyone's favourite Spanish waiter, Manuel, in Faulty Towers. ~I'd just finished the first series of Faulty Towers, so I presume that's the reason the casting director wanted me,' he says. 'Luckily, the character was different from Manuel because he brighter and much more precise.
It's the only time I've accepted a part that's come right off the back of another. I was rather green in those days and thought it would be nice doing a film.'

Andrew, who nowadays avoids Spanish roles, enjoyed working on the film. 'Everyone was so friendly and I got on well with thein all. But it's a shame it was done so cheaply. We didn't get anywhere near Spain; it's silly doing a film like that with such a restrictive budget. It's difficult transferring a successful show from the small screen in your living-room to a big screen in the cinema, and I don't think the film worked very well. In fact, I don't know of a TV show that's converted successfully to the cinema.'

David Croft, who wrote the script with Jeremy Lloyd, was also disappointed with the outcome. 'It made entirely in a studio and it shows. It didn't make much money, but if it had been handled differently, I believe it could have. I felt it was badly distributed. But even though it wasn't terribly well made, it was flunny.'
As for Jeremy, he was interested to see the TV series adapted for the cinema, even if the end product wasn't top-drawer material. 'When you're writing for a tightly-packed half-hour programme
-anything is fine, but when the jokes are spread thinly throughout a movie, it isn't the same.
But it was moderately successful, even if it didn't make us much money.' In their contracts, David and Jeremy opted to take a cut of the profits rather than a large initial fee; sadly, they haven't received a penny since that original fee.