Too Many Crooks (1959)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Mario Zampi

Writers:

Jean Nery (story)
Michael Pertwee (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 March 1959 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Plot:

Accident-prone Fingers runs a pretty unsuccessful gang. They try and rob wealthy but tricky Billy Gordon...

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Jaguar Car | Fur Coat | Ransom | Fake Accent

Cast

Terry-Thomas	...	William Delany 'Billy' Gordon
George Cole	...	Fingers
Brenda De Banzie	...	Lucy Gordon
Bernard Bresslaw	...	Snowdrop
Sid James	...	Sid
Vera Day	...	Charmaine Gordon
Delphi Lawrence	...	Beryl
John Le Mesurier	...	Magistrate
Sydney Tafler	...	Solicitor
Rosalie Ashley	...	Angela
Nicholas Parsons	...	Tommy Weston
Terry Scott	...	Fire Policeman James Smith
Vilma Ann Leslie	...	Girl Journalist
Edie Martin	...	Gordon's Mother
Tutte Lemkow	...	Swarthy Man

Runtime:

UK:87 min | USA:85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:U | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Mario Zampi Productions

Trivia:

The last feature film of Gibb McLaughlin.

Quotes:

Billy Gordon: Guten tag.
Swarthy Man: Bonjour.
Billy Gordon: Oh! You're French.
Swarthy Man: No! I am Finnish.
Billy Gordon: Oh, why do you speak French?
Swarthy Man: Finnish is too difficult.

A great B-Movie which contains some extremely good acting and a classy script.

I definitely do not agree that this film is a bit of a let down (as another commenter suggested).

Although this is considered to be a "B-movie", it possibly contains Bernard Bresslaw's finest ever performance. He is absolutely brilliant as Snowdrop. Another class act is John Le Mesurier as the judge when Billy Gordon (Terry-Thomas) goes to court. On top of that you've got Sid James being one of his best known characters (i.e. the down at heel crook he played in Hancock's Half Hour on radio and TV and in the film Father Brown), George Cole as an early Arthur Daley, but a bit more on the wrong side of the law than Arfur ever was, and a supporting cast containing the likes of Nicholas Parsons (a great B-movie actor, unfortunately now better known as a game show host), Brenda de Banzie,Vera Day and Joe Melia. The plot was later used to provide the basis for the American film Ruthless People. As usual, a British B-movie shows incredible attention to detail (the "Keep Death Off The Road" gag and the van they finally arrive at St Albans with Gordon's kidnapped wife spring to mind). The scene where Gordon's wife returns is worth watching the rest of the film for, even if you aren't too keen on it (although I personally think this is one of the best films ever made, so I know I'm biased!).