The Jokers (1967/I)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Michael Winner

Writers:

Dick Clement (writer)
Ian La Frenais (writer)

Release Date:

19 May 1967 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

An Outrageous film!

Plot:

Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford play two brothers who are always trying to find some way to succeed with cleverness rather than simple drudgery...

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Crown | Crown Jewels | Tower Of London | Police

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

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

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Adastra

Trivia:

Gabriella Licudi was dubbed by Nikki Van der Zyl.

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.