Let's Go Crazy

The Goons told the story of ‘The Building of the Suez Canal’ on 7 April 1953. Once again, page 24 of the Radio Times has the essential details.

While no recording exists, I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that this was based on the script from the first episode of series two, for which we do have a recording.

Pureheart: I am building a canal, and I’m afraid it’s going to run right through your house. Faroukh (Sellers): What? Do me a favour. You think I’m going to run downstairs and open the front door every time a ship wants to go through? Pureheart: Well, of course, you silly old thing, you don't have to do that, now. You can leave the key under the mat.

(from Series 2 Episode 1, broadcast 22 January 1952)

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One of Peter Sellers’ and Spike Milligan’s first appearances on film was Let’s Go Crazy, released in May 1951, according to IMDB. It featured Sellers in multiple roles – including as Groucho Marx.

According to the British Film Institute’s (BFI) ScreenOnline website, Let’s Go Crazy was hastily put together using leftover studio time from Penny Points to Paradise. Later edits of the latter film even spliced in the Groucho Marx scenes from Let’s Go Crazy to get even more Sellers content in.

It’s set in a nightclub and features a number of variety acts, with Sellers and Milligan semi-improvising linking sketches. As the BFI describes it, the short film is “not without a certain low-budget, anarchic charm” and “is a more characteristic vehicle for Milligan and Sellers’ absurdist talents than the more conventional Penny Points to Paradise”.

Among other members of its mostly uncredited cast was Wallas Eaton, one of the stars of Take It From Here, another successful 1950s radio comedy.