Otley (1969)

Gerald Otley, wannabe antiques dealer, is kicked out of his flat for failing to pay rent, sleeps at a friend's home for the night, wakes up two days later in an airport field, and finds himself entangled in international espionage.

Director:

Dick Clement

Writers:

Dick Clement (screenplay), Ian La Frenais (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Courtenay, Romy Schneider, Alan Badel

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Courtenay	...	Gerald Arthur Otley
Romy Schneider	...	Imogen
Alan Badel	...	Alec Hadrian
James Villiers	...	Hendrickson
Leonard Rossiter	...	Johnston
James Bolam	...	Albert
Fiona Lewis	...	Lin
Freddie Jones	...	Philip Proudfoot
James Cossins	...	Jeffcock
James Maxwell	...	Rollo
Edward Hardwicke	...	Lambert
Ronald Lacey	...	Curtis
Phyllida Law	...	Jean
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Superintendent Hewitt
Frank Middlemass	...	Bruce

Storyline

Gerald Otley, a petty thief and garbage rummager, wakes up one morning, after a drunken night on the town, and finds that he is wanted by the police for murder. And that is only the beginning. While being pursued for a crime he did not commit, he is kidnapped by a group of criminals who suspect him of being involved with double agents. Otley manages to escape, but cannot avoid getting into one near-fatal crisis after another, as police and foreign agents chase after him. It is a wild week of misadventures which Otley will never forget!

---

Plot Keywords:

thief | london england | espionage | time bomb | murder | 

---

Taglines:

Everybody loves Otley...well, almost everybody

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

M/PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1969 (UK)

Also Known As:

Banditák hálójában

Filming Locations:

Denbigh Road Ecumenical Centre, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bruce Cohn Curtis Films Ltd., Open Road Films (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both movies that actor Tom Courtenay appeared in in 1968 were both espionage films, this spy comedy and the more serious A Dandy in Aspic (1968).

---

Quotes

Gerald Arthur Otley: [trying to dissuade his captors from torturing him] Do what you like with my mind, just leave my precious body alone!

---

Connections

References The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)

---

Soundtracks

Homeless Bones
Written by Stanley Myers and Don Partridge

User Reviews

spy spoof with a 60s feel

'Otley' is a definite film of its time, showing swinging 60s London and presenting Tom Courtenay in one of his defining but less-known roles, as someone who wants to be a spy but wonders what he's got into when he gets his wish. Otley is an inept spy, and was probably an even more inept drifter.

Full of colour, with a great score, and many fruity cameos, this film should be better known as it is a lot of fun, with a great central performance and the chance to get really engrossed in the period. Courtenay and Romy Schneider are charming, while character greats such as Leonard Rossiter, Alan Badel, and Freddie Jones add to the overall spoof feel.