Monte Carlo or Bust! (AKA Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies)
Dir: Ken Annakin
1969
*****
After the success of Ken Annakin's 1965 mad-cap comedy Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, a sequel seemed like a good idea. Monte Carlo or Bust! or Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies as it was known in the USA (to make clear which film it was a sequel to) took the same idea of the original and fast-forwarded it a decade or so to the age of the motorcar. The car comedy chase/race genre was in full swing during the 60s with classics such as The Great Race, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Herbie's first outing, The Love Bug being among the best but I've always felt that Monte Carlo or Bust has been rather overlooked. The original film was a huge success, I believe the follow up is very different and should be looked as a very loose sequel but it is every bit as good, if not better. A few cast members return but are either new characters or the offspring of characters from the first film. It's an incredible cast that is hard to resist, including; Tony Curtis, Terry-Thomas, Eric Sykes, Gert Frobe, Susan Hampshire, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, with the great Jack Hawkins, Hattie Jacques, Willie Rushton and Richard Wattis in supporting roles and starring European favorites Bourvil, Lando Buzzanca, Walter Chiari and Peer Schmidt. The structure is very clever in that it follows the rules of the race, whereby competitors from around the world are timed and start from four different corners of Europe, which opens the story to various humorous situations in various different locations that leads to a creative and masterful exercise in hijinks. The main story sees Tony Curtis and Terry-Thomas settle a wager as to who would win a race, TT's car of choice being the 'Nifty Nine' and Curtis' being 'An overgrown roller-skate'. Eric Sykes is TT's long suffering assistant and Tony Curtis picks up the beautiful Susan Hampshire along route. In Italy, two traffic police Brothers (Lando Buzzanca and Walter Chiari) spend their life savings on a Lancia Lambda, one wanting to be the greatest Italian racing driver in the world, the other wanting to be the greatest Italian lover in the world. In Germany, ex-army inventors Major Digby Dawlish and Lt. Kit Barrington (Peter Cook and Dudley Moore) enter the race to test out their contraption heavy Lea-Frances O-Type alongside Gert Frobe and Peer Schmidt, escaped convicts forced to enter the race as a cover for a diamond smuggling attempt. Each car contains a wonderful double-act, with no pair letting the side down. Each story-arch leads to a climactic finish when all competitors meet in Monte Carlo for the last leg of the race. It's a fantastic comedy, consistently funny and also rather exciting. The performances are wonderful, the car chases and stunts spectacular and it's a lovely example of various elements of European humor coming together and working. An absolute classic and one of my favorite films of all time. If that weren't enough, the great Jimmy Durante provides one of the best theme songs ever.

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
Dir: Ken Annakin
1965
*****
A comedy classic, very much of its time, full of slap-stick and silly humour. The cast is brilliant too, an eclectic mix of European favourites but mainly British comedic masters. I love the story, I love the actors and the humour, Ken Annakin is a great British director, often overlooked but more than often his films are universally enjoyed without anyone knowing much about him. For me though, the only fault I have with this film is that the sequel is much better (if that is even possible), so if you liked this, please watch Monte Carlo or Bust (AKA Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies). Fans of The Great Race and It's a Mad mad mad mad World will know what I'm on about! (It also continues the fantastic partnership of Eric Sykes and Terry Thomas, both playing their characters sons). A classic and one of my all time favorites.

Crooks Anonymous
Dir: Ken Annakin
1962
***
Crooks Anonymous is classic British light entertainment. The story is somewhat similar to the far superior School For Scoundrels that came out two year before and the changing of character by Stanley Baxter is something Peter Sellers did better ten year prior and what Alec Guinness excelled at ten years before that (see The Mouse That Roared and Kind Hearts and Coronets). Originality aside, you're left with a nice story and wonderful performances from some of England's best loved legends. Leslie Phillips plays the likable cad better than anyone and the brief James Robertson Justice performance is worth watching the film for alone. Add the brilliant Stanley Baxter and Wilfrid Hyde-White and you're laughing. Julie Christie was a great addition to the cast too but she's never really given enough to work with, she is either dancing on stage or undressing in every scene she's in which is a shame as she is so much more than just something nice to look at. I love Ken Annakin films though, I could happily watch nothing but his all day long.