In 1910, aviation was the new frontier. British newspaper magnate Lord Rawnsley (Morley) sponsors an international air race from London to Paris, with a sizable cash prize. The race garners international attention and competitors from around the world, but Rawnsley hopes an Englishman will win, specifically his future son-in-law Richard Mays (Fox).
The competitors gather in London to practice with their planes, under the watchful eye of Fire Chief Perkins (Hill), and gain airplane knowledge from each other. There are 14 entries, including Mays, representing at least 7 nations. There is incompetent airplane engineer Harry Popperwell (Hancock), who flies backwards. Sir Percy Ware-Armitage (Thomas), a Brit, who "never leaves anything to chance" and forces his servant Courtney (Sykes) to help him cheat. Count Emilio Ponticelli (Sordi) from Italy brings his large family and worried wife (Zena Marshall), and strives to find a good way to land without crashing. Japanese naval officer Yamamoto (Ishihara, voiced by Villiers), is the most civilized and experienced. German Colonel Manfred von Holstein (Frobe) does everything by the book, including flying. The Colonel is mocked at every turn by the French team, led by ladies man Pierre Dubois (Cassel). And Orvil Newton (Whitman) is the American entry, who needs to win the cash prize to keep his plane, but is more interested in chasing Lord Rawnsley's feminist daughter Patricia (Miles). Will anyone make it across the English channel? Will the German and French teams stop fighting long enough to get their planes in the air? Who will Patricia chose, Mays or Newton?
Two years after the success of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Hollywood decided to once again unleash a cast of well-known comedians on a high stakes race. This time they tackle an air race, when planes were still a little shaky. The film opens with a history of flying, acted by comedian Red Skelton. The rest of the film focuses on the race and the contestants.
The casting is excellent, bringing various types of comedians together for a greater film. Yes, the characters are cultural stereotypes, but somehow the characters emerge from that. Gert Frobe is excellent as the strict German, who is always outsmarted by the French. Frobe had a gift for playing villainous characters (see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Goldfinger). Jean-Pierre Cassel is a great foil for Frobe. You want to see what else he has up his sleeves (or behind that mischievous wink). The other standout performance is Terry-Thomas. Thomas had a knack for playing snooty characters, and here is no exception. He is the obvious villain, but you still root for him. He has great chemistry with Eric Sykes, which makes their exchanges all the more valuable. Thomas, Sykes, and Frobe all appear in the "sequel" to this film Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies (which is currently in my Netflix queue).
An excellent comedy for the whole family... and when the film is over just try to get the theme song out of your head (it plays over the opening credits, the end of the intermission, and the closing credits, so you will know the tune and all the words by the end of the film). It may not be as well-known as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World or The Great Race (made the same year), but it is still a beloved classic comedy. Definitely recommended!
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes (1965) 138 minutes
Director: Ken Annakin
Starring: Stuart Whitman as Orvil Newton
Sarah Miles as Patricia Rawnsley
James Fox as Richard Mays
Tony Hancock as Harry Popperwell
Alberto Sordi as Count Emilio Ponticelli
Robert Morley as Lord Rawnsley
Gert Frobe as Colonel Manfred von Holstein
Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre Dubois
Eric Sykes as Courtney
Terry-Thomas as Sir Percy Ware-Armitage
Benny Hill as Fire Chief Perkins
Yujiro Ishihara as Yamamoto (voiced by James Villiers)
Karl Michael Vogler as Captain Rumpelstoss
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