Steptoe and Son Ride Again (1973) - film review

When the Steptoes put their faithful horse out to grass, they must buy a replacement if they are to stay in business as rag-and-bone men.  Instead of buying a new horse, Harold blows his father’s life savings on a greyhound, confident that they will earn a fortune on the racetrack.  Unfortunately, dog is half-blind and so cannot see the rabbit it has to chase.  Harold is not easily deterred, however.  After fitting the dog with contact lens, Harold is sure that he has a champion runner.  He bets everything he has on the greyhound winning its next race, and of course it loses.  Not only are the Steptoes now bankrupt, they also owe the racketeer who sold the dog to them over a hundred pounds.  If they do not pay up, they will be both be in need of intensive care.  When his father reveals he has a life insurance policy, Harold conceives a cunning plan.  It is time for Albert Steptoe to die...

After the success of their first film, Steptoe and Son (1972), it was inevitable that the Steptoes would be back for a second helping of acerbic comedy of the kind that had made their BBC television series such an enduring success.  Steptoe and Son Ride Again was well-received by the fans because it is much closer in spirit to the TV series than the first film, dropping the strained sentimentality in favour of black comedy which is far more appropriate and far more satisfying.   Needless to say, the film was a box office hit.  The British film industry may have been going to the dogs at the time, but went Steptoe and Son went to the dogs, the public just could not stay away.

Once again, Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett give great value as the father and son team, this time complemented by a superb supporting cast that includes Diana Dors (hilarious as a necrophiliac housewife), Frank Thornton and Yootha Joyce.  Writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson deliver a screenplay that is on a par with their best TV episodes and includes some of the funniest moments in the entire Steptoe saga.  The film is directed with panache by Peter Sykes, who is best known today for his work on the notorious Hammer horror To the Devil a Daughter (1976).  Of all the films made in the 1970s that had originated as British sitcoms, Steptoe and Son Ride Again is easily the most enjoyable.

© Alex Sullivan 2010

Write a review for this film...

What do you think of this film?