The Plank

Full film from 1967

The Plank was written and acted by Eric Sykes who assembled a stellar cast of UK comedians and character actors. The film is a brisk 50 minutes and is perhaps influenced by the surrealist carry-ons of Jacques Tati over the channel. It is largely silent with bizarre interjections and sound design. The Plank comes from that golden age in the UK when comedy was funny.

Eric Sykes and Tommy Cooper play workmen whose individual ineptitude drives the narrative, such as it is. Chaotic scenes follow as they attempt to find the replacement plank which was burnt for firewood but provides the missing key to their reflooring job.

Written and directed by Eric Sykes who is also the protagonist.

Just look at this amazing cast of golden age comedians:

• The Plank as itself

• Eric Sykes as the smaller workman

• Tommy Cooper as the larger workman

• Dermot Kelly as the milkman

• Hattie Jacques as the woman with the rose

• Roy Castle as the delivery man (smelly man)

• Jimmy Edwards as the policeman

• Kenny Lynch as the dustbin lorry driver

• Jim Dale as the house painter

• Barney Gilbraith as the paint-covered house owner

• Rex Garner as the tourist

• Libby Morris as the tourist's wife

• Anna Carteret as the 'It's Paint' woman

• Johnny Speight as the pipe smoker in bus queue

• Joan Young as the woman in bus queue with fur coat

• Dennis Golding as the boy with cuffed ear

• Hyma Beckley as man in bus queue (uncredited)

• Howard Douglas as the old man

• Tricia De Dulin as the young lady helped across the road

• Thomas Gallagher as the man with beer

• Bill Oddie as the window cleaner

• Jimmy Tarbuck as the barman

• Ronnie Brody as the nude model carrier

• Clovissa Newcombe as the girl in the van

• Graham Stark as the amorous van driver

• Ian Wilson as the van driver's mate

• John Junkin as the lorry driver with the eye patch

• Dave Freeman as the UDC cement layer

• Stratford Johns as the station sergeant

• Oh... and The Cat