You Must Be Joking! (1965)

A British "treasure hunt" movie that makes use of a very entertaining ensemble cast, You Must Be Joking! is a fun time. It's just not really on a par with some other non-British movies that would otherwise match the same description.

The main reason for the treasure hunt here is a test of various military men. Five are selected (played by Michael Callan, Lionel Jeffries, Denholm Elliott, Lee Montague, and Bernard Cribbins), given a list of very British items that they have to collect, and are then asked to start their mission in the middle of a large hedge maze. Once the timer begins, the men have very different approaches to the mission. Some seem a bit more desperate, some are much calmer, and there's one who looks destined to remain stuck in the maze for the duration. Expected hijinks ensue.

Although most well-known for some very non-comedic movies nowadays, director Michael Winner still has an interesting and varied filmography that I would encourage people to check out, especially in the earlier part of his career (before he became known as "Mr. Death Wish", basically). The screenplay, written by Alan Hackney, based on Winner's story idea, may not be the best, but it does what is needed when it comes to stringing together a variety of little set-pieces that allow the cast to shine in their respective roles. And it allows Winner to show off his skill during moments that mix laughs and danger, thanks to some excellent stunt work and controlled vehicular madness that I hope was all executed a lot more safely than it appears onscreen.

Callan is the nominal lead, the cool and relaxed man who can charm and scheme his way around the many obstacles. He's not the most appealing though, especially for British audiences, but he absolutely delivers in a wonderful sequence that has him unexpectedly performing an energetic dance routine in a TV studio. Elliott is wonderfully dry and quintessentially "keep calm and carry on" in his approach, and his nonchalance really works well juxtaposed alongside the others. Jeffries is the most fun though, always ready to stand to attention and delivering his dialogue in a decent approximation of a fine Scottish brogue. Montague feels like he's making up the numbers, but at least he gets to do more than poor Cribbins, who is involved in a great running gag about his failed attempts to extricate himself from the hedge maze. Patricia Viterbo plays a European pop starlet, The Cherokees appear onscreen in lieu of a better-known hit band from the era, and there's fun to be had from the likes of Wilfrid Hyde-White, Terry-Thomas, James Robertson Justice, Leslie Phillips, Irene Handl, Clive Dunn, and Arthur Lowe.

This may not be a forgotten classic, but it's good enough to recommend to fans of lesser-known comedies. The cast alone make it worth your time, but there are also some genuinely inventive and enjoyable escapades, as well as a comforting warmth from the symbols that are earmarked as being quintessentially British. Some of the groovier aspects weren't great, admittedly, but that would only be a big problem if the laughs weren't there. Thankfully, the laughs are there. They were for me anyway. 

7/10

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Prime Time: Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

There are some titles that just grab you. Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? is one of them. When I saw this during some time spent once again browsing the internet for my next viewing choice, I knew I had to check it out. Seeing the cast also helped, with roles here for Shelley Winters, Ralph Richardson, and Lionel Jeffries, as well as quite a few other familiar faces.

Winters plays the titular character, although her name is actually Mrs. Forrest. Having survived both her husband and her young daughter, Mrs. Forrest isn’t in possession of every single one of her marbles, but that doesn’t stop her from doing some good deeds, with an annual tradition being her meal and party for a group of randomly-selected orphans from a nearby home. But the latest visitors feature a young girl (Katy, played by Chloe Franks) who seems to resemble Mrs. Forrest’s daughter, which ensures that Mrs. Forrest keeps trying to give her extra attention. Something doesn’t seem right, and Katy’s bother, Christopher (Mark Lester), suspects that Mrs. Forrest is a witch who means to harm the children.

Directed by Curtis Harrington, who seemed to spend the ‘60s and ‘70s helming many films in this vein (his previous feature is titled What’s The Matter With Helen?), and written by David Osborn, Robert Blees, and Jimmy Sangster, this is a mix of character study, melodrama, and psychological thriller that manages to do a good job with every individual aspect being blended into the narrative. It’s also quite different from what you might expect, with viewers being wrong-footed by the first half of the movie before realising exactly who might end up being painted as heroes and villains.

Winters is very good in her role, playing a typically warm-hearted and loving matriarchal figure. She gets to overact occasionally, but that really helps with what is sometimes a twisted panto atmosphere. Lester and Franks are both very good, making great use of their angelic little faces as they scheme to escape someone they view as a major threat, and both Richardson and Jeffries excel in small roles that still give them enough time to make their usual strong impressions. The other person to mention is Michael Gothard, a member of the household staff who plans to get himself a much bigger payday than usual from his vulnerable employer.

There are many other ways this could have gone. The whole thing could have been much darker, it could have been played comedically, it could have been a more straightforward game of cat and mouse (and it’s worth noting the extra satisfaction of seeing Winters cast in a central role in something that seems to subvert The Night Of The Hunter), but I am pleased with the strange delight that we got. I may not recommend it to many people, but I hope others give it a try, and some may enjoy it as much as I did.

7/10

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Filmstruck Friday: The Wrong Arm Of The Law (1963)

With a fine British cast, an enjoyable crime caper at the heart of the plot, and plenty of gentle humour throughout, you would be forgiven for assuming that this 1963 movie was one of the many small gems produced by the Ealing Studios. It wasn't. Ealing had passed it's peak by this time, leaving a gap in the British cinematic landscape that I don't think anyone has ever really filled in since (despite the wonderful filmography of Hammer, Amicus, and a few others).

Anyway, let's get back to the actual film. Peter Sellers plays Pearly Gates, a smooth criminal boss who helps to front his operations with his role as a purveyor of fine dresses for women. All seems to be going well for him and the other crime bosses, including Nervous O'Toole (Bernard Cribbins), until a trio of Australian crooks get the bright idea of impersonation police officers and taking their rewards from criminals they catch at just the right time. They seem to have a lot of inside information, causing all of the crime gangs to lose out on a good chunk of change, which puts the likes of Pearly and Nervous in the uncomfortable situation of having to work with the police, mainly Inspector "Nosey" Parker (Lionel Jeffries) and his Assistant Commissioner (John Le Mesurier).

Constantly amusing throughout, The Wrong Arm Of The Law is not a film planned around belly-laughs or big set-pieces (although the finale piles on the satisfying payoffs and breakneck chase scenes). It instead relies on a quality cast delivering great performances.

The direction from Cliff Owen pitches the material exactly how it should play out, and the script (by John Antrobus and the famous duo of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, working from a screenplay by John Warren and Len Heath) manages to keep everything moving along speedily enough while allowing the performers to play to their strengths.

Sellers gets to put on a couple of different voices, and there's some amusement to be had when he switches between his refined persona and his more uncouth natural style, Cribbins is one of the nicest and politest criminal bosses ever to be seen onscreen, and Jeffries is excellent as the main character being taken for a fool by everyone around him, including his superior (Le Mesurier, giving one of his characteristically unflappable and calm turns - that's how I always think of him anyway).

It may not be up there with the very best of the classic British comedies but I think The Wrong Arm Of The Law is a film that deserves to be seen by more people. Will it become your new favourite? That's highly unlikely. Will you enjoy yourself while the film is on? I think so, even if you don't end up liking it as much as I did.

8/10

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First Men In The Moon (1964)

Based on a story by H. G. Wells (though I'm not sure how faithful it is to the source material), First Men In The Moon is a fantastical sci-fi movie that also proves to be very family-friendly. There are one or two moments of possible tension, but they're easily offset by the character interactions and enjoyably silly plot.

Things begin with some folk landing on the moon, only to find that there have been others there before them. This news is, of course, pretty shocking and people want to know just who was on the moon previously and what happened. They end up meeting Arnold Bedford (Edward Judd), who proceeds to tell them a tale that involves himself, the lovely Kate Callender (Martha Hyer) and an inventor named Joseph Cavor (Lionel Jeffries). It turns out that, many years ago, Cavor created a substance that could be used to coat things and make them defy gravity. He then used the substance to coat a vehicle that he'd created for space travel and the three main characters ended up being the first people to land on the moon. But why didn't they tell anyone about their adventures, and what happened when they were up there?

Jan Read and Nigel Kneale are the people responsible for the script, and those familiar with Kneale's other works will find that this is much more lightweight and fantastical than his more celebrated stuff. It's very childish throughout, in a sweet way, and director Nathan Juran keeps everything simple and entertaining enough (with the first half of the movie being all about the inventor and his attempts to get things just right and the second half showing viewers the wonders to be found on the moon).

The cast all do a good enough job. Jeffries can do the amusing eccentric in his sleep and is, unsurprisingly, the highlight, while Judd steps up to the mark when required and Hyer gets to play a woman with a strong will and a good heart. There are a few other people onscreen, but most of the runtime leaves viewers with these three characters, and they are good company.

It may not be his very best work, but the special effects by Ray Harryhausen are also enjoyable enough, and also childish in a cute way (though that may just be my own mind connecting things to The Clangers). The movie is far from his best showcase, but it's also far from his worst.

You may need to get yourself into the right frame of mind to enjoy First Men In The Moon, but it's worth it for a one-time watch. Just empty your mind, reclaim a sense of innocent wonder and remember what it felt like to be carried away by the sights and adventures passing in front of your eyes.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Men-Moon-Edward-Judd/dp/B00005UWUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369605319&sr=8-1&keywords=first+men+in+the+moon