July 6, 2018

"Edwin (Bennett), an innocent and shy young man, is hit by a nude man falling from a high-rise building while carrying a chandelier."

"Edwin's penis is mutilated in the accident and has to be amputated; the falling man is killed. Edwin becomes the recipient of the world's first penis transplant: he receives the very large penis of the womanizer killed in the same accident. With his new bit of anatomy (which he names 'Percy'), Edwin follows the womanizer's footsteps, meeting all his women friends, before settling happily with the donor's mistreated widow."

The plot summary of the 1971 movie "Percy," which I happened upon because I was reading the Wikipedia entry for the singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock — "Hitchcock was born in Paddington, London, England, son of novelist Raymond Hitchcock (writer of Percy)." I was reading about Hitchcock because his is one of the names on the list of upcoming shows at the Stoughton Opera House. I've been there only twice — to see Taj Mahal and then Jim Kweskin with Geoff Muldaur — and I'd like to make a better effort to notice shows I might like to see.

Do you think having the name "Hitchcock" makes it more likely that you'd write a story about having a penis sewn on — hitching a cock?

Friday afternoon thoughts. Do you have any? I feel like watching "Percy." For one thing, it has Elke Sommer and Britt Ekland. I've pretty much always thought they were the same person — Elk/Ekl... For another thing, it has a soundtrack by The Kinks!

But, wait. Here's the trailer. It looks terrible...



But at least I learned — I couldn't tell from Wikipedia — which one of the 2 penis-havers was carrying the chandelier. (Why a chandelier? Did it provide occasions to make jokes on the word "hung"?)

Fortunately, you can listen to the entirety of The Kinks' "Percy" on YouTube.

51 comments:

rehajm said...

I only remember Elke Sommer from the Special K ads.

rehajm said...

Friday afternoon thoughts. Do you have any?

Not even the WSJ believes the WaPo Fact Checker anymore.\

Feel good story of the weekend: Woman shoots attempted hijacker in the head.

mockturtle said...

Althouse has an obsession with penises. Could Freud have been right? Penis envy? I know I've never wanted one [of my own].

rehajm said...

You remember Percy's Denholm Elliott from the movie Trading Places.

Darrell said...

If the falling man was carrying a tube of Crazy Glue and impaled Denholm Elliot in the bung hole, it would have been Ritmo PeePee's favorite movie.

Gilbert Pinfold said...

I would recommend concerts at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, IL (not too much of a drive from Mad City). I took a troupe of Japanese scientists there to see Bill Monroe and his group play bluegrass. If you're not familiar with the building itself, it was the "hotel" that Bill Murray stayed at in the movie "Groundhog Day".

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

A naked man fell from a high rise while carrying a chandelier?

rehajm said...

20 Great Soundtracks From Bad Movies

MikeD said...

Reason number infinity for why I read Althouse! Never know where her inquiring & inquisitive mind will take me. Don't always agree with Althouse's destinations, but do love the journeys. BTW, if I wasn't trapped in Mooonbeam's CA on a fixed income I'd happily support the blogging effort (I have gifted a book or two to our esteemed hostess, don't think she read any of them).

Jon Ericson said...

Terribly amusing.
Perhaps J. Farmer can add a couple of thousand words on the subject.

Ralph L said...

The nude guy was a swinger.
He was having sex while swinging on the chandelier but flubbed the dismount and went out the window.

Whatever happened to "given?"

Scott X said...

I've listened to Robyn Hitchcock on-and-off for the past 30+ years. Definitely not blessed with a great voice, but he writes beguiling, highly eccentric lyrics. I hadn't listened to him for quite a few years, but just recently I heard a really good cover version of "Love My Way" that Hitchcock released a couple of years ago that has me listening to his music again.

You should check out his music, Althouse; you might find him interesting/enjoyable.

FleetUSA said...

Elke & Britt in the same movie....a young man's wet dream.

Unknown said...

I'd strongly recommend the Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Dave Alvin show. Caveat: it's been years since I saw either one (Gilmore opening for Dylan, Alvin with The Blasters.)

Mark said...

Stoughton Opera House is a treat. Small, amazing sound ... just need to bring a nice seat cushion.

Jon Ericson said...

Not as funneh. It's Trump's fault. Fellate me. Detachable weiners.

fivewheels said...

"I have here, sitting in the studio next to me, an elk. Oh, I'm sorry, Anne Elk."

Jon Ericson said...

I can make a comment just as dumb as the post!

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

I think you’d like him, Althouse. Eccentric, with a 60’s pop vibe. I’ve been a fan since the early ‘80’s.

Heartless Aztec said...

Robin gives good show. Definitely be there then.

Jon Ericson said...

Dumber yet!

Jon Ericson said...

Perhaps instead of linking, I can just copy the dumbest parts and copy them here!

Quaestor said...

How did the cock respond to having its name changed? When it belonged to the womanizer surely it wasn't called "Percy". No self-respecting izer of women would give his organ a name like that. It's ridiculous. RE-DICK-yoo-lus. Did it go into a blue funk? I know I would after having my virile epithet forcibly changed to Percy. They'd have to tie me to the whipping post like Kunta Kinte.

Percy!
Quaestor.
WACK-AH!
Percy!
Quaestor.
WACK-AH!

If I were the type who gives names to his extremities I think I'd name my penis B-san, the nickname given by the Japanese to the B-29 Superfortress bomber. By giving that warplane the honorific suffix they were expressing admiration and respect for the instrument of their suffering. Japanese culture seems to have a pronounced masochistic streak. Besides liking the B-29, they also like Godzilla. Anyhoo, I'd name mine B-san. Pardon me, my love, whilst I whip out B-san. It's fitting. The B-29 was long, rigid, cylindrical, and delivered a tremendous BANG!

Jon Ericson said...

Long Live Snark King!

D 2 said...

We are the Britt Eklund Crap Movie Society
God bless Golden Gun, Wicker Man and now Percy

Churchy LaFemme: said...

Next post: Chatterbox!

Clyde said...

Denholm Elliott also played Marcus Brody in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Clyde said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Clyde said...

The movie's producer was Betty E. Box. Seriously.

wholelottasplainin said...

D 2 said...
We are the Britt Eklund Crap Movie Society
God bless Golden Gun, Wicker Man and now Percy

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

It wasn't even her ass in Wicker Man.

Look it up.

Jon Ericson said...

Come here for the gay references, stay for the Britt Eklund ass clarifications.

todd galle said...

I have a vinyl copy of the 1985 'Gotta Let This Hen Out'. Loved it then, need a stylus now to remember if I still love it. Just found it last week looking for a crate of 6.5 Swedish. Gosh, my basement....

Charlie Eklund said...

Britt Eklund would’ve been a good American, I imagine, if she hadn’t loused that up by being born in Sweden.

Jon Ericson said...

My Dad was born in Sweden.

Jon Ericson said...

Came here when he was 2.

Jon Ericson said...

Lucky me.

Jon Ericson said...

I think my dad blew all his savings betting on Ingemar Johansson.

Jon Ericson said...

Organized crime killed him for the debt he owed.

Jon Ericson said...

You could make an allusion out of that.

FIDO said...

Blink Blink.

For all the flaws I point out, Ms. Althouse, I have to say that you have a certain...inventiveness in what you link to. While I can't say that I have anything to say on this, it certainly reinforced the idea that the world in a lovely and weird place full of lovely and weird people.

FIDO said...

Althouse has an obsession with penises. Could Freud have been right? Penis envy? I know I've never wanted one [of my own].


That is okay. While I happen to own one, I have heard that one can find any number to borrow for as long as you may need one, frequently at no cost.

FIDO said...

Since we are on weird films, I wonder if Ms. Althouse or anyone else has seen "Phantom of the Paradise'?

MadisonMan said...

Denholm Elliot is in Percy. That makes it a good movie.

stlcdr said...

Cheap British 70's humor. It probably doesn't age well, but is fun nonetheless.

todd galle said...

Jon, my father's side is also from Sweden. His father died in early 1930s Chicago, perhaps organized crime? The family then moved to LA, and my great uncle made it big. Starred in The Beast from Yucca Flats and Plan 9. The late great Tore Johanson. My grandmother used to have to put two chairs in the corner of a room for him to sit on. Also did arm lifts with my mom hanging on his bicep. Never said much, his voice was too weak. My father told me that he is basically screaming his lines in the movies. Uncle Tore was good friends with Bela Lugosi for some reason never properly revealed, which is why Lugosi is in Plan 9 at the beginning. He died during filming, so a stand in played his character for the rest of the film, using his cape to disguise his face to hide the fact that it wasn't Lugosi.

Phil 314 said...

Jon,
Reading your series of comments I was expecting this:

A Møøse once bit my sister... No realli!

Randomizer said...

Britt and Elke? Percy is new to me, but I'm in. The movies from the 60's are fun because it was all so simple. I was a little young when they all came out, so I've only seen a few of them. We were at peak femininity and masculinity. This summer, I watched a bunch of the Beach Party movies. If you haven't seen "Ski Party", it clearly fits your dumb-movie-with-good-music theme. James Brown shows up at lodge and plays for the kids. All these movies are great fun, but I can't watch them like a movie. Having them on in the background as you clean the house or cook dinner is just about right.

Carter Wood said...

My Wife and My Dead Wife, by Robyn Hitchcock. Always liked Hitchcock, a little bit.

Leora said...

There are a lot of repulsive sexually themed movies with good casts from Britain in that period. I remember Can Heironomous Bosch Forget Mercy Humpe and Find True Happiness. It helps me remember why we all liked Star Wars so much.

Leora said...

Merkin not Bosch

Randolf said...

Britt Elkland, Elke Sommer and a Mini Moke! Clearly a must-see movie!