Main Cast: Barry Crocker, Barry Humphries, Barry Humphries, Barry Humphries, Donald Pleasence, Dick Bentley, Ed Devereaux
Release Year: 1974
Country: AU
Run Time: 120 minutes
Plot
Comedian, actor, and author Barry Humphries wrote and co-stars in this sequel to the surprise international hit The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, based on the comic-strip character created by Humphries. Well-meaning but dunderheaded über-Aussie Barry McKenzie (Barry Crocker) is escorting his aunt, self-proclaimed "housewife superstar" Edna Everage (Barry Humphries), on a trip to France, where they've learned Barry's twin brother, Ken McKenzie, a progressive priest, will be speaking as part of a seminar on "Christ and the Orgasm." En route, a pair of Transylvanian agents, working under the command of the evil Communist vampire Count Plasma (Donald Pleasance), become convinced that Edna is actually Queen Elizabeth II, and not long after arriving in Paris, they kidnap Edna and spirit her away to the count's castle. When Barry learns that his aunt has fallen victim to foul play, he and his mates, including transplanted Australian Colin the Frog (Dick Bentley), set out to find her -- when they're not busy chasing "Shelias," swilling Foster's Lager, or projectile vomiting. In addition to playing Edna Everage, Humphries takes on two other roles in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, and managed to persuade former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his wife to make a cameo appearance in the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
This sequel to The Adventures of Barry McKenzie is a substantial improvement on its predecessor in many ways. The humor is as raucous as in the previous entry but the script is much tighter and more skillfully plotted. It's also more ambitious, weaving in satire of spy-films, musicals, horror films and even an amusing swipe at kung-fu cinema. That said, there are more than just gags going on in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own: the film's underlying narrative thread is the relationship between Australians and other cultures of the world, particularly their tense relationship with the English. Bruce Beresford's direction is much more confident: he keeps the gags rolling at a breakneck clip, captures the action with a heightened degree of visual flair and successfully creates an anything-goes tone that makes the film unpredictable fun. The two stars of the first Barry McKenzie outing reprise their roles with great success: Barry Crocker continues to be an endearingly daft hero as the title character and co-writer Barry Humphries steals many a scene as the campy-granny heroine Edna Everage. However, the big surprise in terms of acting is a delightful turn from Donald Pleasance as Count Von Plasma: Pleasance digs into his horror-parody role with relish and sends up vampire clichés in a knowing, hilarious fashion. In short, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own is a wildly humorous delight from start to finish and worth a look for fans of cult comedies. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Tommy Trinder - Arthur McKenzie; Roy Kinnear - Bishop of Paris; John Le Mesurier - English Emigrant; Beatrice Aston - Cherylene McKenzie; Katya Wyeth - Germaine; Marcelle Jordine - Rhonda Cutforth-Jones; Louis Negin; Paul Humpoletz
Credit
Bruce Beresford - Director, William M. Anderson - Editor, Peter Best - Composer (Music Score), John Stoddart - Production Designer, Donald M. McAlpine - Cinematographer, Bruce Beresford - Producer, Bruce Beresford - Screenwriter, Barry Humphries - Screenwriter
Returning from the original film is Barry Crocker in the title role, as well as Barry Humphries in the role of Barry's aunt, Dame Edna. Also returning in the director's chair is Bruce Beresford. The then Prime Minister of Australia, Gough Whitlam, along with his wife, made cameo appearances as themselves.[1]
Barry Humphries contends that Barry McKenzie was an inspiration for the later film Crocodile Dundee.[2]
The film continues directly where The Adventures of Barry McKenzie ended with Barry McKenzie (Barry Crocker) and his aunt Dame Edna returning home to Australia from England.
During the flight two henchmen of Count von Plasma (Donald Pleasance) (a Dracula-type ruler of an isolated and unnamed Eastern European nation) mistake Dame Edna for the Queen of the United Kingdom and kidnap her during their brief stopover in Paris - believing that she will draw tourists to their country.
It is then up to Barry, his Parisian expatriate Aussie friend "Col the Frog" (Dick Bentley) and his other expatriate mates in France and England to team up and rescue Edna.
^Barry Humphries.. Barry Humphries Gives Us the Good Oil (included as an extra on the Barry McKenzie Holds His Own DVD). [DVD]. Australia: Umbrella Entertainment.
^Barry Humphries.. Barry Humphries Gives Us the Good Oil (included as an extra on the Barry McKenzie Holds His Own DVD). [DVD]. Australia: Umbrella Entertainment.
