ShadeGrenade Until recently, all you could see of 'For The Love Of Ada' on D.V.D. was this 1972 film version. Now the entire series is available, and a good thing too as its better in every way. One year on from their wedding, gravedigger Walter Bingley ( Wilfrid Pickles ) and talkative Ada ( Irene Handl ) are planning to celebrate their anniversary. Ada's daughter 'Ruth' ( Barbara Mitchell ) and her husband 'Leslie Politt ) are planning a surprise party later that evening, at which lots of pensioners will be present. Walter draws money out of the Post Office to buy Ada a locket containing photos of both him and her, but contrives to lose it. Luckily, a neighbour 'Mrs.Armitage' ( the wonderful Hilda Braid ) finds it, and so Walter gets the locket. Then, amazingly, he loses that too...Vince Powell and Harry Driver's gentle sitcom about a romance between old age pensioners was never going to look great on the big screen. Nothing much happens over the course of 88 minutes. Walter and Ada have a row when he does not like her new blonde hair ( luckily, its only a wig ), and he goes out and gets run over ( luckily, its not him ), and everyone lives happily ever after. Unlike, say, 'On The Buses', the scope for broadening the humour is very limited. The nearest the film comes to it is when Leslie visits a barber shop and encounters nymphomaniac hairdresser 'Sandra' ( Andria Lawrence ). Fortunately, this is the broadest the film gets. The television series cast is all and present and correct, and there are some interesting additions, such as Arthur English as Walter's friend 'Arthur' and Larry Martyn ( who went on to appear in Powell and Driver's 'Spring & Autumn' ) as Leslie's chum 'Brian'. If ever there was a case of a cast outshining the material, this is it.It was customary in these films to change the theme tune, not always for the better. Remember the horrible song used to open the 'Rising Damp' movie? Here Ron Grainer's delightful theme has been replaced by 'What Could Be Nicer?', written and sung by Gilbert O'Sullivan, not one of his better efforts.Funniest moment - when asked by the jeweller why he left his native Yorkshire to dig graves in London, Walter replies: "I like burying Southerners!".Things To Look Out For - an early film role for Gareth Hunt, shortly before he joined 'Upstairs, Downstairs' and became one-third of 'The New Avengers'.

backofthevan I'm a fan of the series, especially of the lead characters Ada (the wondrous Irene Handl) and Walter (Wilfred Pickles). They have a lot of charm and warmth and the day-to-day events in their lives take one back to simpler times when a good cup of tea solved every problem.I looked forward to seeing the film but have to say I was disappointed. Ada and Wilfred are still engaging, but the story is, for the most part, a pastiche of lines and events that have already appeared in the TV series. The writers must have thought: "That storyline went over well in the series, let's throw that in for old time's sake!". If you've seen the series, you've pretty much seen the film.There's a really unfortunate side story involving Ada's son-in-law Leslie (Jack Smethurst) and a barbershop employee that I won't say more about for fear of breaking the "spoiler rule", if such a thing could be a worry in a simple film like this. I suppose at the time the film was made, 1972, this type of carry on was seen as humorous or perhaps even a bit titillating, but it was tedious, silly and completely unnecessary. It certainly didn't advance the plot (what there was of it). Perhaps they were trying to give Leslie something more to do, as his main activity seems to be putting up with his priggish, judgemental wife, Ruth (Barbara Mitchell).The main theme of the film is a rehash of an episode in the series. It seems to me that putting For the Love of Ada onto the big screen was an attempt at making some quick cash with the minimum effort. There was certainly no thought put into creating something new or fresh. And I don't know what a viewer unfamiliar with the series would make of it. At least I knew who the characters were and their relationships with each other and was interested in seeing where the film would take them beyond the limitations of a television series. Not very far, obviously.I gave this film a generous 5 because I so like Ada and Walter and the actors playing them. They really are a delightful pair and a pleasure to watch.