Ripping Yarns (TV Series) The Curse of the Claw (1977) User Reviews

"I was a very fit man...I only had malaria!"

[Yonilikka-22 · 10/10 · 14 March 2017]

Following the hugely disappointing 'Across The Andes By Frog', 'Ripping Yarns' was back on form with this cracking instalment, all about a cursed Burnese claw and the effects it has on those who come into contact with it. Palin plays two roles - naive 'Kevin Orr' and his grotesque 'Uncle Jack'. Since the latter acquired the claw, his life has been nothing but misfortune; he seems to have contracted every known disease in the medical book ( as well as a few no-one has ever heard of ). Kevin attempts to end the curse by taking the claw back to Burma, but the sea voyage is doomed, although there's some consolation when he learns that 'Chief Petty Officer Russell' ( Judy Loe ) is a woman and that most of the ship's crew are in fact women as well. Kevin loses the claw, and returns to England, knowing that one day it will return to inflict its terrible curse once again...

B-movie horror is the main target here, and the bulls-eye is well and truly hit. Palin is good as 'Kevin', but his 'Uncle Jack' is a superb comic creation, almost like something out of 'Monty Python'. He is disgusting in every sense of the word ( watching him clear the rats out of his drains requires a superhuman effort of stamina ), yet he becomes a childhood hero to young Kevin, who visits him to get away from his Victorian-mindset parents ( Tenniel Evans and Hilary Mason ). When Jack dies, people are gagging at his funeral because of the awful smell. The late Aubrey Morris gives good value in his few scenes as sex-mad butler 'Grosvenor'. Keith Smith, who plays explorer 'Captain Merson', was then appearing regularly in Spike Milligan's 'Q' shows. Nigel Rhodes a.k.a. 'Young Kevin' could be seen saving the universe in I.T.V.'s hit children's sci-fi series 'The Tomorrow People'.

Funniest moment - Kevin reminiscing about his late wife 'Lady Agatha' ( Bridget Armstrong ) when Grosvenor comments: "She had such a magnificent body. Will Sir be requiring the Naughty Books tonight?".

Fans had to hate until 1979 to see more Yarns, and then there would only be three. But 'Curse' saw the first season end on a high-note.

Kept me laughing for decades!

[chitara-69170 · 10/10 · 30 November 2020]

I still roar with laughter at every line, even after more than forty years! I would describe this story as a kind of Gilbert & Sullivan without music. The story begins with the glorious anachronism of a boy being named Kevin in the late nineteenth century when nobody in real life met a Kevin until the nineteen sixties. Kevin's parents are ludicrously repressed Victorians, but his Uncle Jack is a jolly fellow always on the look out for a new disease to catch. Uncle Jack was saved from death by an enchanted claw from Burma, but the claw has a curse on it, and Kevin's mission is to return the claw.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but look out for the small touches, which are just as amusing as the main story, a good example being, when smelly Uncle Jack has died & his funeral cortege leaves his crumbling home, a row of houseflies solemnly fly in single file behind his coffin.

Good performances all round from an excellent cast, who play it straight, adding to the hilarity of it all. The ending is a little fantastic, it would be nice if "The Curse of the Claw" could be considered if ever a new series is made of "The Outer Limits" & a light hearted story is required.

not as slow as preceding episodes but oh what a babe

[morlock-7 · 15 June 2009]

I do not understand why Judy Loe did not achieve much greater reknown beyond being Kate Beckindale's mom. This woman is incredibly hot in uniform and completely convincing in a throw away role. I checked her IMDb bio; apparently she had a strong TV career, but a gorgeous face like hers should have gotten big league film roles.

What a crime that so many Brit films and TV series aren't available on Netflix. As for this series, it's not bad for a M.Python spin-off. The location shots like the ship in this episode are interesting cultural oddities and its explosion is a great one. The gags tend to drag in other episodes, but, like J.Loe, the female leads all are far superior to the script.

The Curse of the Claw

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 21 March 2019]

Palin and Jones make another spoof. A country house, a randy butler and a curse.

Sir Kevin Orr and the butler both miss his late wife. When an expedition to India that has lots its way knock on his door late one rainy night. Orr sees that as a sign, the tribe from Naga Hills in Burma could lift a curse.

Orr received the Sacred Claw as a child by his uncle Jack who warned that unless it is returned to the Naga Hills before his sixtieth birthday, the curse will kill him.

This instalment has repressive parents who see sex in everything. A mucky uncle who carries all the diseases known to man and a ship's mate who has two lumps of fat growing in his chest. She had no idea what they were!

A humorous edition but not outstanding. The crew of the ship who were all 'men' were easy on the eye. There was a nice timey wimey twist at the end.