This is a daft film in its story, plot, characters and actors, but that's the whole point after all it is a comedy.
It's great to see people who are normally only the extras, playing the lead characters. It's hard to remember now but Dave King was around a lot in the 50s and 60s almost ubiquitous, as a comic and an all round entertainer. But I just can't recollect anything specific off the top of my head, more of a general feeling of remembrance. I tend to think in terms of TV appearances when it comes to entertainers, and all that stands out is that he was on the box a lot. I missed his other work in films when they were made, and its good to be able to catch up with them now.
There are some very funny moments with well known character actors, playing amusing vignettes.
The ever popular Miles Malleson is hilarious as the fire engine salesman, when he takes exception to the crooks description of the vintage engine. He delights in leaping aboard it shouting enthusiastically "I used to drive one of these" his performance is a sheer joy.
Derek Nimmo is priceless as the distraught householder whose flat is flooded, and he mistakenly imagines that the crooks are actual firemen.
Robert Morely is wonderful as the pyromaniac cohort, he desperately attempts to set fire to the clothes salon, with no luck at all while the manageress managed it by accident.
Maggie Smith is one of my absolutely all time favourite actresses, she is simply gorgeous it's perfectly understandable that Harry can't resist her.
I loved the scenes in Wales when the crooks take the scrap fire engine to nick the newer one. A young Dudley Sutton has a cameo role with one of the worst Welsh accents I've heard.
Hugh Lloyd makes a barely recognisable appearance as a fireman. As does Arthur Lowe as a Warden. John Le Mesurier is quite literally thrown in as a fisherman.
It has a rather daft but nonetheless funny scene when they are called to a fire in a kids tree house, but they should have been more careful where they stashed the loot.
They were still scheming about the next big scheme over the "only car in England that everyone stops for" I would have loved to see what they got up to around that.
It's great to see people who are normally only the extras, playing the lead characters. It's hard to remember now but Dave King was around a lot in the 50s and 60s almost ubiquitous, as a comic and an all round entertainer. But I just can't recollect anything specific off the top of my head, more of a general feeling of remembrance. I tend to think in terms of TV appearances when it comes to entertainers, and all that stands out is that he was on the box a lot. I missed his other work in films when they were made, and its good to be able to catch up with them now.
There are some very funny moments with well known character actors, playing amusing vignettes.
The ever popular Miles Malleson is hilarious as the fire engine salesman, when he takes exception to the crooks description of the vintage engine. He delights in leaping aboard it shouting enthusiastically "I used to drive one of these" his performance is a sheer joy.
Derek Nimmo is priceless as the distraught householder whose flat is flooded, and he mistakenly imagines that the crooks are actual firemen.
Robert Morely is wonderful as the pyromaniac cohort, he desperately attempts to set fire to the clothes salon, with no luck at all while the manageress managed it by accident.
Maggie Smith is one of my absolutely all time favourite actresses, she is simply gorgeous it's perfectly understandable that Harry can't resist her.
I loved the scenes in Wales when the crooks take the scrap fire engine to nick the newer one. A young Dudley Sutton has a cameo role with one of the worst Welsh accents I've heard.
Hugh Lloyd makes a barely recognisable appearance as a fireman. As does Arthur Lowe as a Warden. John Le Mesurier is quite literally thrown in as a fisherman.
It has a rather daft but nonetheless funny scene when they are called to a fire in a kids tree house, but they should have been more careful where they stashed the loot.
They were still scheming about the next big scheme over the "only car in England that everyone stops for" I would have loved to see what they got up to around that.