Invasion Quartet (1961)

Spike Milligan and his friends decide to go to occupied France to silence a large German gun that is firing across the channel. They bumble though encounters with Germans and the French ... See full summary »

Director:

Jay Lewis

Writers:

Jack Trevor Story (screenplay), John Briley (screenplay),

Stars:

Bill Travers, Spike Milligan, Grégoire Aslan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Travers	...	Freddie Oppenheimer
Spike Milligan	...	Godfrey Pringle
Grégoire Aslan	...	Debrie
John Le Mesurier	...	Colonel
Thorley Walters	...	Cummings
Maurice Denham	...	Dr. Barker
Thelma Ruby	...	Matron
Millicent Martin	...	Kay
Cyril Luckham	...	Col. Harbottle
William Mervyn	...	Naval Officer (as Bill Mervyn)
John Wood	...	Duty Officer - War Office
Alexander Archdale	...	Brigadier - War Office
Bernard Hunter	...	Coding Officer - War Office
Peter Swanwick	...	Gun Commander
Ernst Ulman	...	German Sergeant

Storyline

Spike Milligan and his friends decide to go to occupied France to silence a large German gun that is firing across the channel. They bumble though encounters with Germans and the French resistance fighters, travelling around by train and bicycle.

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Taglines:

The Funniest Foursome That Ever Fouled Up Der Fuhrer!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1961 (UK)

Also Known As:

Kanonerna vid Calais

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Colonel: It's all your fault, it's you who wanted to die for France.
Debrie: Yes, but I didn't want to be shot by Frenchmen, I wanted to be shot by Germans.

User Reviews

Lame.

At it's best, vintage British movie comedy knocks all other countries' humour into a cocked hat. Unfortunately, for the most part, this farce about a pair of wounded soldiers undertaking a mission into German-occupied France to prove their fitness for active service, falls far short of being a vintage comedy. There's nothing wrong with the story – superior comedies to this have been crafted from much weaker material – but the casting is curious to say the least. Bill Travers is not a strong enough comedy presence to lead the cast, and John le Mesurier is miscast as the leader of the Home Guard (although, in hindsight, this may be due to the fact that he is so familiar to us now as the effete Sergeant Wilson in DAD'S ARMY). Gregoire Aslan, as Travers' French sidekick, adds nothing whatsoever to the film. Only Spike Milligan, as the shell-shocked Godfrey Pringle, manages to reap a few meagre laughs from the threadbare script.