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Up the Front

  • 1972
  • Unrated
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
4.5/10
336
YOUR RATING
Up the Front (1972)
Comedy

Frankie Howerd stars in this comedy as a lowly boot-boy who is a terrible coward. He only goes to war in 1914 after he has been hypnotised to 'save England'. With the German master plan tatt... Read allFrankie Howerd stars in this comedy as a lowly boot-boy who is a terrible coward. He only goes to war in 1914 after he has been hypnotised to 'save England'. With the German master plan tattooed on his backside (this is the only way he could get the plan back to the British), he ... Read allFrankie Howerd stars in this comedy as a lowly boot-boy who is a terrible coward. He only goes to war in 1914 after he has been hypnotised to 'save England'. With the German master plan tattooed on his backside (this is the only way he could get the plan back to the British), he goes to the British headquarters, with the Germans in hot pursuit, to try and 'hand over t... Read all

  • Director
    • Bob Kellett
  • Writers
    • Sid Colin
    • Eddie Braben
    • Roy Tuvey
  • Stars
    • Frankie Howerd
    • Bill Fraser
    • William Mervyn
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    4.5/10
    336
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Bob Kellett
    • Writers
      • Sid Colin
      • Eddie Braben
      • Roy Tuvey
    • Stars
      • Frankie Howerd
      • Bill Fraser
      • William Mervyn
    • 8User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos9

    Zsa Zsa Gabor in Up the Front (1972)
    Up the Front (1972)
    Up the Front (1972)
    Zsa Zsa Gabor and Frankie Howerd in Up the Front (1972)
    Bill Fraser and Madeline Smith in Up the Front (1972)
    Hermione Baddeley and Frankie Howerd in Up the Front (1972)
    Up the Front (1972)
    Julie Ege and Frankie Howerd in Up Pompeii (1971)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Frankie Howerd
    Frankie Howerd
    • Lurk
    Bill Fraser
    • Groping
    William Mervyn
    • Lord Twithampton
    Linda Gray
    • Lady Twithampton
    Jonathan Cecil
    Jonathan Cecil
    • Nigel…
    Madeline Smith
    Madeline Smith
    • Fanny
    Nicholas Bennett
    • Mallett
    Mike Grady
    Mike Grady
    • Newsboy
    Dora Bryan
    Dora Bryan
    • Cora Crumpington
    Stanley Holloway
    Stanley Holloway
    • The Great Vincento…
    Veronica Clifford
    • Velma
    Peter Greenwell
    • Pianist…
    Barrie Gosney
    Barrie Gosney
    • Stage Manager
    Bob Hoskins
    Bob Hoskins
    • Recruiting Sgt.
    Lance Percival
    • Von Gutz
    Peter Bull
    Peter Bull
    • Von Kobler…
    Vernon Dobtcheff
    Vernon Dobtcheff
    • Muller
    Ingo Mogendorf
    • Captain Hamburger
    • Director
      • Bob Kellett
    • Writers
      • Sid Colin(screenplay)
      • Eddie Braben(screenplay)
      • Roy Tuvey(additional material)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Apart from Frankie Howard, Lance Percival is the only other actor to appear in all three "up" films.
    • Goofs
      When the sign at Monique's is splattered by mud the N is only partially covered, but in the next shot the N is completely covered.
    • Quotes

      Vincento: [drunkenly] I will take your breath away.

      Lurk: [recoiling] I wish you'd take yours away!

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: LONDON 1914
    • Connections
      Follows Up Pompeii (1971)
    • Soundtracks
      Up The Front
      (Title Song) (uncredited)

      Music by Peter Greenwell

      Lyrics by Sid Colin and Ned Sherrin (uncredited)

    User reviews8

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Totally wastes a great comedy talent
    Lurk is working as a dogsbody in a rich English household when WW1 is declared. In order to impress a girl he accompanies his boss to a recruiting show where he is hypnotised to think he needs to save England. Before the spell can be lifted he recruits and is shipped out to the front. Once there he finds himself drawn into a plot involving the German's secret plan for the way and a tattoo.

    This is a very poor vehicle for a man of Frankie Howerd's talents. The first half of the film is the closest we get to his humour and even that isn't very funny. I'm a big fan of Howerd and think he's very funny but this doesn't do anything to use him. The plot is unimportant, but suffice to say it's very silly and doesn't hold the interest. That makes the comedy even more important and as I said already, in fails in that respect, with only a handful of funny lines and relies on smutting jokes and slapstick humour.

    Howerd doesn't look convinced by the material himself, he delivers it all in his own indomitable style but it's all below his usual quality. The other actors only mug along, all playing the straight men to Howerd's comments.

    Overall an unfunny, smutty comedy that wastes the talents of it's lead star.
    helpful•5
    4
    • bob the moo
    • Jan 4, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 14, 1972 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Kommandosache 'Nackter Po'
    • Filming locations
      • Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Anglo-EMI
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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