The Plank is a 30-minute, British slapstick comedy film for television from 1979, which was written and directed by Eric Sykes. This version, which is a remake of the 1967 film The Plank, also written and directed by Sykes, was produced by Thames Television and broadcast on the ITV network.

The Plank
Directed byEric Sykes
Written byEric Sykes
Produced byDennis Kirkland
StarringEric Sykes
Arthur Lowe
Edited byJohn Plummer
Music byAlan Braden
Release date
  • 1979 (1979)
Running time
27 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Although not literally a silent film, it has little spoken dialogue. Instead the film is punctuated by grunts, other vocal noises and sound effects. The soundtrack was composed by Alan Braden, and performed by Alan Braden and his orchestra.

Sveriges Television in Sweden used to show the film several times around Christmas and New Year during the 1980s and 1990s.[1]

Outline

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When two builders find that a floorboard is missing, they buy a replacement floorboard and return with it through the streets, causing unexpected chaos.

This was the third version of The Plank; the basic idea had originated in an episode called "Sykes and a Plank", which Eric Sykes had written for his BBC television comedy series, Sykes and a... in 1964. This 1979 television version won the prize at the 1980 Festival Rose d'Or, held in Montreux, Switzerland.

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ "Plankan" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
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