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Rhubarb is a 1969 British short film written and directed by Eric Sykes, starring Sykes, Harry Secombe and Jimmy Edwards.[1] The dialogue consisted entirely of repetitions of the word "rhubarb", all the characters last names were "Rhubarb", and even the number plates on vehicles were "RHU BAR B". A baby "spoke" by holding a sign with the word "Rhubarb" written on it.

Rhubarb
Directed by	Eric Sykes
Written by	Eric Sykes
Produced by	Jon Penington
Starring	Harry Secombe Eric Sykes Jimmy Edwards
Cinematography	Arthur Wooster
Edited by	Anthony B. Sloman
Music by	Brian Fahey
Production company	Avalon Productions Ltd
Distributed by	Warner-Pathé (UK)
Release date	1969 (1969)
Running time	37 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

"Rhubarb" is a radio idiom for unintelligible background speech. Typically extras would mutter the word over and over to provide ambience for a crowd or party scene. In The Goon Show the cast was usually only the three principals, who would pretend to try to sound like a larger group by repeating "rhubarb" very quickly but clearly, with outbreaks of "Custard!" for good measure. Sykes was a close collaborator and friend of the Goons. He remade the piece in 1980 for Thames Television, as Rhubarb Rhubarb.

Plot

A police inspector and a vicar play a round of golf. The inspector has a constable help him to cheat by removing his golf ball from awkward situations, and the vicar ultimately requests divine intervention.

Cast

• Harry Secombe ... Vicar Rhubarb
• Eric Sykes ... Police Inspector Rhubarb
• Jimmy Edwards ... Police Constable Rhubarb
• Kenneth Connor ... Mr Rhubarb
• Ann Lancaster ... Mrs Rhubarb
• Hattie Jacques ... Nurse Rhubarb
• Anastasia Penington ... Baby Rhubarb
• Graham Stark ... Golfer Rhubarb
• Sheree Winton ... Lady Pupil Rhubarb
• Gordon Rollings ... Artist Rhubarb
• Johnny Speight ... Gents Rhubarb

Critical reception

Allmovie wrote, "sight gags and pantomime dominate this engaging 37 minute feature."[2]

See also

• Walla
• Rhubarb Rhubarb, the 1980 remake of Rhubarb.

References

External links

• Rhubarb at IMDb
• Rhubarb at the BFI website

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