Mistress Pamela

Richardson's 18th century classic Pamela clearly dredged up for its bawdy possibilities. The self-satisfied and calculated middle class morality of his treatise on female virtue is transformed with much heavy-handed winking and nudging into an obsolete sitcom about the efforts of a beautiful servant (Michelle) to preserve her maidenhead from the insistent Lord Devenish (Barnes). A few wheezy jokes and some ripped clothing later, true love and a happy ending prevail. The supporting cast, notably Dudley Foster and Fred Emney, give some relief, but the two leading players offer little beyond their prettiness. About all the film has in common with the original is a notable lack of humour.