The Jokers (I) (1967)

Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford play two brothers who are always trying to find some way to succeed with cleverness rather than simple drudgery. Crawford is constantly living in his ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Winner

Writers:

Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais,

Stars:

Michael Crawford, Oliver Reed, Harry Andrews

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Crawford	...	Michael Tremayne
Oliver Reed	...	David Tremayne
Harry Andrews	...	Insp. Marryatt
James Donald	...	Col. Gurney-Simms
Daniel Massey	...	Riggs
Michael Hordern	...	Sir Matthew
Gabriella Licudi	...	Eve
Lotte Tarp	...	Inge
Frank Finlay	...	Harrassed man
Warren Mitchell	...	Lennie
Rachel Kempson	...	Mrs. Tremayne
Peter Graves	...	Mr. Tremayne
Ingrid Boulting	...	Sarah (as Ingrid Brett)
Brian Wilde	...	Sgt. Catchpole
Edward Fox	...	Lt. Sprague

Storyline

Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford play two brothers who are always trying to find some way to succeed with cleverness rather than simple drudgery. Crawford is constantly living in his brother's shadow as the one who gets caught. After Crawford is forced to resign from the army after an episode of unappreciated cleverness, the two decide their careers would go better if there was a large amount of publicity, so they decide to steal the crown jewels from the tower of London. Bombs, misdirection, disguises and acting allow them to enter the tower with all of the alarms turned off.

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Plot Keywords:

brother | crown | crown jewels | tower of london | police | 

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Taglines:

The Robbery of the Century... it would be a Crime to miss it!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 May 1967 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Atraco a la inglesa

Filming Locations:

Albert Memorial, Kensington Gardens, Kensington, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Adastra, Gildor Productions, Scimitar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first of three Michael Winner films that James Donald would feature in.

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Connections

Referenced in Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Hailing Dance"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Erik Hansen

User Reviews

A razor sharp early shot from a much maligned director

As the remains of Michael Winner's already tarnished reputation as a film maker stagger bloodied and battered from the wreckage of his latest debacle "Parting Shots", it is difficult to believe that he was once a genuinely promising director. A director who in the sixties had proved his worth largely with hip and swinging comedies such as "The Jokers". In this picture we follow the exploits of two well off brothers, with far too much time on their hands,as they set out to steal the crown jewels, not for financial gain or any political reason but just for the sheer hell of it. The script is razor sharp, Winner's direction is crisp, and the perfectly cast Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford both shine as the two scheming siblings. The fact that the establishment figures are not stereotypically portrayed as buffoons but as highly competent officials makes it more of a delight to see the brothers run such rings round them. With a couple of brilliant twists along the way the only let down is seeing the film run out of steam towards the very end. Its a shame Dick Clements and Ian La Frenais, who penned this film, could have not come up with a climax as inventive as what had come before in this remarkable movie.