This film popped up on TCM last week and I'm glad I caught it. I'm a fan of British comedies, from Ealing to Carry On, but this one had somehow escaped my radar. It's a delightful cast, and they make the most of scriptwriter Pertwee's gags (even the tired ones). There are little bits of plots from elsewhere, such as O Henry's RANSOM OF RED CHIEF (the unlovable kidnap victim) or the original LADYKILLERS (banknotes in the breeze). An upbeat, jazzy 50s score adds to the merriment, and George Cole is a stand-out for the many different characters he portrays throughout the film. Terry-Thomas, Bernard Bresslaw & Sid James, and Brenda De Banzie also deserve special mention. If you recall that Ms De Banzie played a very sinister villain just three years earlier in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, you'll appreciate her acting range. You might even want to watch twice so you don't miss some of the more subtle verbal gags.
30 Reviews
Laugh-ou-loud funny
MOscarbradley6 August 2018
One of the better British farces of the late fifties, the plot of Mario Zampi's "Too Many Crooks" was later used for the Bette Midler vehicle "Ruthless People". The humour here is broad and decidedly British and is often laugh-out-loud funny. The cast comprises of some of the best British comedy actors of the time, (Terry-Thomas, George Cole, Bernard Bresslaw, Sidney James), as well as that wonderful character actress Brenda De Banzie as the kidnap victim whose husband, (the sublime Terry-Thomas), refuses to pay the ransom to get her back. What happens next may be predictable but thanks to Michael Pertwee's screenplay is also hugely enjoyable and on its own simple level, Zampi's direction is just about perfect.
Hollywood Gangster flick, through Ealing, with Carry On....
tim-764-29185611 August 2012
The look and feel - and the influence, no doubt - at the start of this crime-caper could easily have Bogart and Cagney concocting a devious plan, such is the lighting and sinister mood of this film, part of the Terry-Thomas Collection.
However, as soon as the Cor-Blimey's emanate from these London cockney's the illusion is shattered and we feel reassured that this is going to be a who-who of British acting talent, mostly being really rather funny, or stupid. The caper itself is a devilish affair, a sort of film-noir since Brenda de Banzie gets kidnapped but her millionaire wheeler-dealer hubby Terry Thomas refuses to pay up as he's glad to be rid of her!
She then sets out get her own back on him and steal the ransom for herself, by persuading the crooks holding her that they'll each receive a share. In some ways, the plot matters little; it's scenes such as the Courtroom, with the always great John Le Messieur as magistrate, totally unable to control his subjects and of course, Terry Thomas himself, who is the epitome of OTT, rather vulgar and haughty - and sneering, mustn't forget sneering - sort of braggart that we know him so well for.
Production values, from Italian director Mario Zampi are well up on any Carry On's and probably on-par with the best Ealings, but slicker, which oddly doesn't suit rough-and-tumble comedy that well. That said, a minor but enjoyable British comedy, which mainly remains wholly watchable through our fondness for its many so-familiar stars.
However, as soon as the Cor-Blimey's emanate from these London cockney's the illusion is shattered and we feel reassured that this is going to be a who-who of British acting talent, mostly being really rather funny, or stupid. The caper itself is a devilish affair, a sort of film-noir since Brenda de Banzie gets kidnapped but her millionaire wheeler-dealer hubby Terry Thomas refuses to pay up as he's glad to be rid of her!
She then sets out get her own back on him and steal the ransom for herself, by persuading the crooks holding her that they'll each receive a share. In some ways, the plot matters little; it's scenes such as the Courtroom, with the always great John Le Messieur as magistrate, totally unable to control his subjects and of course, Terry Thomas himself, who is the epitome of OTT, rather vulgar and haughty - and sneering, mustn't forget sneering - sort of braggart that we know him so well for.
Production values, from Italian director Mario Zampi are well up on any Carry On's and probably on-par with the best Ealings, but slicker, which oddly doesn't suit rough-and-tumble comedy that well. That said, a minor but enjoyable British comedy, which mainly remains wholly watchable through our fondness for its many so-familiar stars.
Worth the Money
vox-sane15 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
An group of inept crooks (including Sid "Carry On" James and headed by George Cole, whose work is too little known in the States) decides, after a dismal record of failure, to kidnap the daughter of wealthy William Delaney Gordon (Terry-Thomas). Inadvertently kidnapping his wife instead, they try to squeeze the ransom out of him nevertheless -- and he declines to pay. While Gordon thinks the gang is bluffing (as he bluffed them earlier in the show), word of Gordon's refusal to pony up reaches his wife, who decides to take charge of the inept gang herself and focus on stealing all her husband's money.
Terry-Thomas, in his prime, is the very model of a philandering, playboy husband who involves himself in hilariously absurd, shady business dealings. The middle part of the movie -- dealing with the slighted wife in a sympathetic way, and George Cole's pitiable attempts to retain control of his gang -- sags a bit; and a good courtroom scene that might've been a classic is diluted by someone's peculiar decision to let the audience in the courtroom laugh at absurdity, whereas a stony silence on their part would've been funnier (absurdity on-screen is invariably funnier when observed in all seriousness, yet when an on-screen audience laughs at it, there's no reason for the audience in the theatre to).
"Too Many Crooks", has a solid plot, but it unfolds in a series of comic scenes, some of which are more effective than others (there is a very funny scene, for instance, where Terry-Thomas' character repeatedly tries to enter a burning house to retrieve hidden money.) The movie winds up with an ending that isn't a classic; but the movie has a lot of fun getting there.
Terry-Thomas, in his prime, is the very model of a philandering, playboy husband who involves himself in hilariously absurd, shady business dealings. The middle part of the movie -- dealing with the slighted wife in a sympathetic way, and George Cole's pitiable attempts to retain control of his gang -- sags a bit; and a good courtroom scene that might've been a classic is diluted by someone's peculiar decision to let the audience in the courtroom laugh at absurdity, whereas a stony silence on their part would've been funnier (absurdity on-screen is invariably funnier when observed in all seriousness, yet when an on-screen audience laughs at it, there's no reason for the audience in the theatre to).
"Too Many Crooks", has a solid plot, but it unfolds in a series of comic scenes, some of which are more effective than others (there is a very funny scene, for instance, where Terry-Thomas' character repeatedly tries to enter a burning house to retrieve hidden money.) The movie winds up with an ending that isn't a classic; but the movie has a lot of fun getting there.
High-standard Ealing comedy with all-star cast
thehumanduvet2 May 2001
A mix of future Carry-On regulars (Sid James, Bernard Bresslaw, a moment of Terry Scott) and greats of the Ealing scene (Terry-Thomas, George Cole, John Le Mesurier) get down to some serious fun in this typically good British comedy. Crime is always the best setting for Ealing comedy and this one features all the necessary bits ? Thomas' cad-about-town, Cole's bungling would-be criminal mastermind, James' surly crook, even a bit part for a young Nicholas Parsons as Thomas' daughter's suspicious taxman fiance. As usual, our cast get themselves caught up in some shenanigans trying to rob Thomas of his dodgy cash and get themselves sorted in the end through a mix of ingenuity and outrageous fortune, stopping to pile on the laughs at regular intervals. I loved it, but then I'd be quite happy just watching Terry-Thomas grinning for two hours. Fun.
The house of Ealing delivers another rewarding comedy.
hitchcockthelegend20 April 2008
A group of bumbling crooks led by the accident prone Fingers, fail in their attempt to rob mega rich miser Billy Gordon, they reconvene to hatch a plan where they will kidnap Gordon's daughter and hold her to ransom. But instead of kidnapping the pretty daughter they mistakingly in the night snatch the wife Lucy, who upon finding out that Billy is not prepared to pay to get her back, plots her revenge with the aid of her captors.
That this film is above average is purely down to its fine cast list, carry on stalwarts Sid James & Bernard Bresslaw join George Cole to form the nucleus of the lovable rogue gang. Taking in his stride the role of playboy scallywag miser Billy, is Terry-Thomas, who gives his usual masterful show of devilish twitches and one line gruff deliveries. Taking lead female duties is the always wonderful Brenda De Banzie as Lucy Gordon, and on reflection she is the glue that binds the picture together.
Some wonderful scenes in this one linger long in the memory, the bumbled kidnap by way of a fake funeral is simply marvellous, but par for the course is that Thomas invariably steals the show with a series of great sequences. Witness his repeated attempts at recovering his hidden loot from a burning house, and his appearance in court in front of the ever incredulous John Le Mesurier. Too Many Crooks delivers for those after a good honest British comedy backed up by a sterling cast who know what it takes to make the Michael Pertwee screenplay work. 7/10
That this film is above average is purely down to its fine cast list, carry on stalwarts Sid James & Bernard Bresslaw join George Cole to form the nucleus of the lovable rogue gang. Taking in his stride the role of playboy scallywag miser Billy, is Terry-Thomas, who gives his usual masterful show of devilish twitches and one line gruff deliveries. Taking lead female duties is the always wonderful Brenda De Banzie as Lucy Gordon, and on reflection she is the glue that binds the picture together.
Some wonderful scenes in this one linger long in the memory, the bumbled kidnap by way of a fake funeral is simply marvellous, but par for the course is that Thomas invariably steals the show with a series of great sequences. Witness his repeated attempts at recovering his hidden loot from a burning house, and his appearance in court in front of the ever incredulous John Le Mesurier. Too Many Crooks delivers for those after a good honest British comedy backed up by a sterling cast who know what it takes to make the Michael Pertwee screenplay work. 7/10
If you've never watched a British comedy film, watch this one.
johnson505 December 2003
If you've never watched a British comedy film, watch this one - it has everything! A superb cast, an extremely silly plot and wonderfully stereotypical characters. The plot has pace and develops delightfully, if somewhat predictably, with some lovely little quirks along the way.
The matchless Terry-Thomas plays Billy Gordon, self made millionaire, serial philanderer, tightwad and general, all-around cheat. A gang of 'master criminals' played by mastermind George Cole, a very pithy Sid James and the incomparable Bernard Bresslaw set out to rob him by various means. Eventually, they kidnap his wife and from here on the comedy level just escalates madly.
If you like '60's British comedy, then you'll love this because it don't come much better!
The matchless Terry-Thomas plays Billy Gordon, self made millionaire, serial philanderer, tightwad and general, all-around cheat. A gang of 'master criminals' played by mastermind George Cole, a very pithy Sid James and the incomparable Bernard Bresslaw set out to rob him by various means. Eventually, they kidnap his wife and from here on the comedy level just escalates madly.
If you like '60's British comedy, then you'll love this because it don't come much better!
A woman scorned
bkoganbing25 November 2014
I'm sure that a few American moviegoers who saw this Terry-Thomas comedy when it made it across the pond recognized that a great deal of this plot comes from O'Henry's The Ransom Of Red Chief. Only it's not an obstreperous little boy that's been kidnapped, it's one scorned and angry wife.
Too Many Crooks casts Carry On regulars Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw as two members of a gang that also consists of George Cole and Joe Melia who really ought to get into another line of work. After bungling another break-in robbery, the guys hit on the idea to rob one of the wealthiest men in the United Kingdom, Terry-Thomas a man known for not trusting banks and keeping his assets in cash and well hidden from robbers and the prying eyes of the Inland Revenue, Great Britain's IRS.
Terry-Thomas took miser lessons from Jack Benny, but he should have had a vault like Benny's. When the guys mess up robbing him they hit on the idea of kidnapping his daughter. Only they bungle that and grab his shrewish wife Brenda DaBanzie.
When Terry-Thomas shows considerable reluctance to pay her ransom, DaBanzie turns on him. She joins the crooks and they plan quite a few schemes to take her husband for as much as they can.
It's a pretty funny comedy with DaBanzie taking charge and for the first time this gang that couldn't shoot straight if the British crooks carried guns is starting to taste success. But it can't last as we know.
Terry-Thomas and Brenda DaBanzie are a matched pair of adversaries. And the gang is very funny as well. Bernard Bresslaw especially as the dim bulb of the outfit.
Too Many Crooks is a great example of Terry-Thomas's comedy and you'll become a fan when you see this.
Too Many Crooks casts Carry On regulars Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw as two members of a gang that also consists of George Cole and Joe Melia who really ought to get into another line of work. After bungling another break-in robbery, the guys hit on the idea to rob one of the wealthiest men in the United Kingdom, Terry-Thomas a man known for not trusting banks and keeping his assets in cash and well hidden from robbers and the prying eyes of the Inland Revenue, Great Britain's IRS.
Terry-Thomas took miser lessons from Jack Benny, but he should have had a vault like Benny's. When the guys mess up robbing him they hit on the idea of kidnapping his daughter. Only they bungle that and grab his shrewish wife Brenda DaBanzie.
When Terry-Thomas shows considerable reluctance to pay her ransom, DaBanzie turns on him. She joins the crooks and they plan quite a few schemes to take her husband for as much as they can.
It's a pretty funny comedy with DaBanzie taking charge and for the first time this gang that couldn't shoot straight if the British crooks carried guns is starting to taste success. But it can't last as we know.
Terry-Thomas and Brenda DaBanzie are a matched pair of adversaries. And the gang is very funny as well. Bernard Bresslaw especially as the dim bulb of the outfit.
Too Many Crooks is a great example of Terry-Thomas's comedy and you'll become a fan when you see this.
A great B-Movie which contains some extremely good acting and a classy script.
jancyclops26 October 2003
I definitely do not agree that this film is a bit of a let down (as another commenter suggested).
Although this is considered to be a "B-movie", it possibly contains Bernard Bresslaw's finest ever performance. He is absolutely brilliant as Snowdrop. Another class act is John Le Mesurier as the judge when Billy Gordon (Terry-Thomas) goes to court. On top of that you've got Sid James being one of his best known characters (i.e. the down at heel crook he played in Hancock's Half Hour on radio and TV and in the film Father Brown), George Cole as an early Arthur Daley, but a bit more on the wrong side of the law than Arfur ever was, and a supporting cast containing the likes of Nicholas Parsons (a great B-movie actor, unfortunately now better known as a game show host), Brenda de Banzie,Vera Day and Joe Melia. The plot was later used to provide the basis for the American film Ruthless People. As usual, a British B-movie shows incredible attention to detail (the "Keep Death Off The Road" gag and the van they finally arrive at St Albans with Gordon's kidnapped wife spring to mind). The scene where Gordon's wife returns is worth watching the rest of the film for, even if you aren't too keen on it (although I personally think this is one of the best films ever made, so I know I'm biased!).
Although this is considered to be a "B-movie", it possibly contains Bernard Bresslaw's finest ever performance. He is absolutely brilliant as Snowdrop. Another class act is John Le Mesurier as the judge when Billy Gordon (Terry-Thomas) goes to court. On top of that you've got Sid James being one of his best known characters (i.e. the down at heel crook he played in Hancock's Half Hour on radio and TV and in the film Father Brown), George Cole as an early Arthur Daley, but a bit more on the wrong side of the law than Arfur ever was, and a supporting cast containing the likes of Nicholas Parsons (a great B-movie actor, unfortunately now better known as a game show host), Brenda de Banzie,Vera Day and Joe Melia. The plot was later used to provide the basis for the American film Ruthless People. As usual, a British B-movie shows incredible attention to detail (the "Keep Death Off The Road" gag and the van they finally arrive at St Albans with Gordon's kidnapped wife spring to mind). The scene where Gordon's wife returns is worth watching the rest of the film for, even if you aren't too keen on it (although I personally think this is one of the best films ever made, so I know I'm biased!).
Sterling cast, great plot, rushed direction
intelearts9 October 2008
This is my favourite genre: you show a comedy from Britain in the 50s and I'll like it - however Too Many Crooks fails to hit the really high standard of the best of British: in places it is laugh out loud funny, in others it resorts to too much farce.
It is entertaining and is best viewed on a rainy day with a nice cup of tea. HTe plot of Terry-Thomas' rich caddish rake who finds his life turned upside down when his wife discovers his philandering ways and sides with the criminals who have kidnapped her by mistake is well-handled; there are some great moments, and good character acting by some of the future Carry-On team.
My gripe, and it's really a small one, is that we never feel enough sympathy for any character - so we never quite get the satisfaction that some of the best of British comedies deliver.
That aside, this is classic British comedy: incompetent thieves, a dastartdly Terry-Thomas, and some dim coppers....
Happy days, indeed...
It is entertaining and is best viewed on a rainy day with a nice cup of tea. HTe plot of Terry-Thomas' rich caddish rake who finds his life turned upside down when his wife discovers his philandering ways and sides with the criminals who have kidnapped her by mistake is well-handled; there are some great moments, and good character acting by some of the future Carry-On team.
My gripe, and it's really a small one, is that we never feel enough sympathy for any character - so we never quite get the satisfaction that some of the best of British comedies deliver.
That aside, this is classic British comedy: incompetent thieves, a dastartdly Terry-Thomas, and some dim coppers....
Happy days, indeed...
Staggeringly undervalued British comedy
michael-heathcote319 June 2008
Just watched this again and I am a bit bemused to say the least as to why this film is so overlooked in the catalogue of British comedies of the period, or any period. It is sensationally scripted for a start, this has to be one of the sharpest British screenplays of all time. It is as dark as any of the more celebrated Brit-coms, such as Ladykillers, but unlike that film it doesn't take itself so seriously, being directed and played as a light comedy, almost a theatrical farce. And it is possibly this lightness of touch that has left it sidelined against the others. Terry-Thomas is at his slimiest as the womanising miser who's amassed a fortune by avoiding the dreaded taxman, and George Cole is very nearly as good as the bungling self styled Mr. Big of a hapless criminal gang. The busy plot turns this way and that and has some really funny scenes in it, but the best thing about this film is in the cleverness of the screenplay and the subtle nuances of comedy that are handled very slickly by the cast of expert comedy character actors.
Not as funny as the cast deserves but Terry-Thomas is on superb form
bob the moo30 August 2002
A group of criminals, led by the incompetent Fingers devise a plot to rob the safe of Billy Gordon. Gordon is wealthy and a tax evader so he'll have lots in his safe. When their first attempt fails the gang decide to kidnap Gordon's daughter and demand a ransom. However they grab Gordon's wife by mistake which is a shame as he then refuses to even pay a pittance to get her back and shacks up with his secretary. However as he finds out hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
.
With a cast like this it's either going to be brilliant or fell like a little bit of a let down. Sadly it's a little bit of a let down but still worth watching. The plot is good even if it's a little unbelievable to see Mrs Gordon's transformation. The jokes are quite good but are never as inspired as the cast deserves. However if you like the 1950's British mini-caper movie then this should be good. I enjoyed it despite it not being as funny as I expected.
The cast however, is a thing to behold! It's worth watching just for a who's who of British comedy at the time and also several superb turns. Cole is OK but has no strong lines expect the fact that he's useless. Likewise James almost has a straight role here. Bresslaw is amusing in a clumsy sort of way. However Terry-Thomas not only steals the show he makes a totally clean get away with it! He has all the best lines and his character's lecherous side is well suited. Witness him diving into danger to save his money and try not to laugh out loud. An early role for Parsons and a minor but funny bit for Terry Scott also are OK. John Le Mesurier is brilliant as the judge in one extended cameo but really this is Terry-Thomas's show all the way!
Overall it's not as funny as this superb cast deserves but it is still well worth watching. Every second that Terry-Thomas is on the screen is a second that you'll almost be sure of laughing.
With a cast like this it's either going to be brilliant or fell like a little bit of a let down. Sadly it's a little bit of a let down but still worth watching. The plot is good even if it's a little unbelievable to see Mrs Gordon's transformation. The jokes are quite good but are never as inspired as the cast deserves. However if you like the 1950's British mini-caper movie then this should be good. I enjoyed it despite it not being as funny as I expected.
The cast however, is a thing to behold! It's worth watching just for a who's who of British comedy at the time and also several superb turns. Cole is OK but has no strong lines expect the fact that he's useless. Likewise James almost has a straight role here. Bresslaw is amusing in a clumsy sort of way. However Terry-Thomas not only steals the show he makes a totally clean get away with it! He has all the best lines and his character's lecherous side is well suited. Witness him diving into danger to save his money and try not to laugh out loud. An early role for Parsons and a minor but funny bit for Terry Scott also are OK. John Le Mesurier is brilliant as the judge in one extended cameo but really this is Terry-Thomas's show all the way!
Overall it's not as funny as this superb cast deserves but it is still well worth watching. Every second that Terry-Thomas is on the screen is a second that you'll almost be sure of laughing.
Fine ingredients but a little under-done
Welly-229 July 1999
With Sid James, Bernard Bresslaw, George Cole and the legendary Terry-Thomas (not to mention John LeMesurier and Terry Scott) this film has the cast to die for. Sadly it doesn't quite have the plot or script to do them justice. It warms up towards the end but I couldn't help thinking that some of these talents were wasted. Terry-Thomas could brighten up any film, however, and the whole show is worth watching just to see John LeMesurier do his brief stint as the world weary magistrate. Not quite full marks for this but it beats watching clumsy copies like Ruthless People.
Ho-hum with prescient splashes of Bunuel. (possible spoiler)
alice liddell29 March 2000
Warning: Spoilers
There are, of course, plenty of reasons for watching this. Terry-Thomas, along with Alistair Sim and Peter Sellers the funniest man who ever lived, is the star, and he gives good value as a callous, adulterous, miserly tax-evader. He is supported by the sort of extraordinary casts casually thrown together with unnerving regularity by impecunious English producers of the time, including the usual, mighty, suspects (Sid James, George Cole, John le Mesurier), the plain bizarre (Brenda de Banzie, matron of the thee-ay-tur), the odd journeyman (Nicholas Parsons (!), Terry Scott).
There were hundreds of films like this made in Britain during the 1950s, undemanding, forgettable, generic fare which today help pass a Saturday afternoon more agreeably than many a prestigious Hollywood epic. Script, originality, directorial inventiveness and production values were always modest, so any pleasure comes from the sheer professionalism of expert players trying not to betray too much eagerness for the cheque.
In the 1950s, there was, what one might almost call a subgenre, in which the audience was invited to laugh at, yet cheer on, a gang of incompetent criminals, who eventually triumph against the odds, only to blow the reward. This film doesn't raise too many expectations with its dreadful pun title, but begins strangely in noir fashion, as various hoodlums and their moll go through the carefully choreographed motions of a plan for a robbery, only for their idiotic boss to foul it up.
It's not the first time he's done it, and his dim minions are getting restless. He suggests a grand plan to rob Billy Gordon, a hugely wealthy businessman, and enemy of banks and tax inspectors, but he sees them off easily. They then plan to kidnap his beloved daughter, but bungle even this, and scarper with his much put-upon wife. Gordon is delighted with this, and refuses to pay even a much reduced ransom fee (from £25000 to £200), preferring instead to indulge his mistress. When his wife learns of this, she abandons her meek servility, and marshalls her abductees to plan an elaborate revenge.
It would be dishonest to suggest the film is great fun - the plot is predictable, the mechanics of farce never create the required urgency, the dialogue merely serviceable. With the exception of an hilarious court-room sequence, where Gordon must lie his way through successive charges, there is nothing really laugh-out-loud, none of the dark misanthropic danger that can make a seemingly unambitious film like THE GREEN MAN turn truly, thrillingly, alarming. Terry-Thomas is a joy, though, his sublime indifference to his wife's peril, contrasting with his raging passion for money (he leaps three times into a burning house, with heroic zeal, to rescue some burning loot).
These are the kind of parochial films that academics like to cite to reveal the ideology of the times. Along with the predictable obsession with money, the film seems to be progressive in mocking capitalist greed in favour of the little man (the thieves work so hard to make money, they are almost like labourers), and in charting the rise of a strong woman, who sheds her domestic shackles to head a criminal organisation, reduce her husband to a penniless wreck, and, in restoring their marriage, changing the balance of power, but the cosiness of the whole enterprise suggest pantomime rather than satire.
What is surprising, is the odd, startling shard of surrealism that breaks through. On some occasions, the film seems to prefigure Bunuel's late films, in its portrayal of a bourgeois confounded by desire and greed, who reduces his wife to the status of a maid, goes insane trying to conceal his wealth that he can never enjoy it, and gets pleasure from the possibility of her murder. Like Fernando Rey, in THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE, Gordon's prestige is based on gun-running, an activity that brilliantly is never explained. Meanwhile, the gang's abduction plan is to dress up as undertakers and carry their victim in a coffin - this extraordinary sequence culminates in the thieves running after their hearse in a manner reminiscent of Rene Clair's ENTR'ACTE.
There were hundreds of films like this made in Britain during the 1950s, undemanding, forgettable, generic fare which today help pass a Saturday afternoon more agreeably than many a prestigious Hollywood epic. Script, originality, directorial inventiveness and production values were always modest, so any pleasure comes from the sheer professionalism of expert players trying not to betray too much eagerness for the cheque.
In the 1950s, there was, what one might almost call a subgenre, in which the audience was invited to laugh at, yet cheer on, a gang of incompetent criminals, who eventually triumph against the odds, only to blow the reward. This film doesn't raise too many expectations with its dreadful pun title, but begins strangely in noir fashion, as various hoodlums and their moll go through the carefully choreographed motions of a plan for a robbery, only for their idiotic boss to foul it up.
It's not the first time he's done it, and his dim minions are getting restless. He suggests a grand plan to rob Billy Gordon, a hugely wealthy businessman, and enemy of banks and tax inspectors, but he sees them off easily. They then plan to kidnap his beloved daughter, but bungle even this, and scarper with his much put-upon wife. Gordon is delighted with this, and refuses to pay even a much reduced ransom fee (from £25000 to £200), preferring instead to indulge his mistress. When his wife learns of this, she abandons her meek servility, and marshalls her abductees to plan an elaborate revenge.
It would be dishonest to suggest the film is great fun - the plot is predictable, the mechanics of farce never create the required urgency, the dialogue merely serviceable. With the exception of an hilarious court-room sequence, where Gordon must lie his way through successive charges, there is nothing really laugh-out-loud, none of the dark misanthropic danger that can make a seemingly unambitious film like THE GREEN MAN turn truly, thrillingly, alarming. Terry-Thomas is a joy, though, his sublime indifference to his wife's peril, contrasting with his raging passion for money (he leaps three times into a burning house, with heroic zeal, to rescue some burning loot).
These are the kind of parochial films that academics like to cite to reveal the ideology of the times. Along with the predictable obsession with money, the film seems to be progressive in mocking capitalist greed in favour of the little man (the thieves work so hard to make money, they are almost like labourers), and in charting the rise of a strong woman, who sheds her domestic shackles to head a criminal organisation, reduce her husband to a penniless wreck, and, in restoring their marriage, changing the balance of power, but the cosiness of the whole enterprise suggest pantomime rather than satire.
What is surprising, is the odd, startling shard of surrealism that breaks through. On some occasions, the film seems to prefigure Bunuel's late films, in its portrayal of a bourgeois confounded by desire and greed, who reduces his wife to the status of a maid, goes insane trying to conceal his wealth that he can never enjoy it, and gets pleasure from the possibility of her murder. Like Fernando Rey, in THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE, Gordon's prestige is based on gun-running, an activity that brilliantly is never explained. Meanwhile, the gang's abduction plan is to dress up as undertakers and carry their victim in a coffin - this extraordinary sequence culminates in the thieves running after their hearse in a manner reminiscent of Rene Clair's ENTR'ACTE.
Stolen Selves
tedg13 January 2006
Is there anything more puzzling than comedy? Anything that could tell us more about how we think and feel?
And is there anything more transparent than British comedy? At least the "Ealing" type British comedy that started just before the war and sputtered on until 1960 or so. I guess this would be one of the last.
Jokes about language, and similar jokes about the larger context of class abound in these things. Woven in is the notion of incompetence, usually the incompetence of typical Brits.
Here we have a rich man in the America tradition, meaning he has "privileges" but doesn't have class. And we have an incompetent bunch of "true" lowlifes. The story simply weaves the two in such a way that roles are reversed.
And, it IS funny, in a gently amusing way, at least for this American, viewing it 45 years later.
But it isn't funny enough for me to recommend it to you. It may be interesting if you want to kidnap some ideas about who you are. But beware, it may turn the tables on you.
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
And is there anything more transparent than British comedy? At least the "Ealing" type British comedy that started just before the war and sputtered on until 1960 or so. I guess this would be one of the last.
Jokes about language, and similar jokes about the larger context of class abound in these things. Woven in is the notion of incompetence, usually the incompetence of typical Brits.
Here we have a rich man in the America tradition, meaning he has "privileges" but doesn't have class. And we have an incompetent bunch of "true" lowlifes. The story simply weaves the two in such a way that roles are reversed.
And, it IS funny, in a gently amusing way, at least for this American, viewing it 45 years later.
But it isn't funny enough for me to recommend it to you. It may be interesting if you want to kidnap some ideas about who you are. But beware, it may turn the tables on you.
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
mediocre Brit comedy
blitzebill16 March 2009
well other than the bosomy shapes in this "comedy" of errors and slapstick, this film has shades of RUTHLESS PEOPLE (DeVito/Midler),1986.
I wouldn't be at all surprised by the connection between these two films.
Brenda De Banzie gives the expected good performance. She always did.
the predictable physical and comedic effects in this movie don't help the situation.
Terry Thomas had a decent acting career, but I wouldn't say this film helped it.
I wouldn't be at all surprised by the connection between these two films.
Brenda De Banzie gives the expected good performance. She always did.
the predictable physical and comedic effects in this movie don't help the situation.
Terry Thomas had a decent acting career, but I wouldn't say this film helped it.
Typical of the era
Leofwine_draca30 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A fun comedy with an ensemble cast from the era. Plenty of likeable faces in this one with the stand out being Terry-Thomas in a typical role. Of the assembled crew, the only annoyance is Bernard Bresslaw who goes way over the top as the irritating buffon. Otherwise the standard crime plot draws in romance, kidnapping and feisty women and works well for the era.
Worth Seeing Once. Once.
aramis-112-8048805 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Superb premise. A group of bumbling crooks (George Cole, Sid James, Bernard Bresslaw, Joe Melia and the remarkably lovely Vera Day--where has she been all my life?) decide to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy businessman (Terry-Thomas, typically hilarious). Instead, they snatch his wife . . . And he refuses to pay the ransom as he's been looking for ways to get rid of her anyway.
Bright comedy descends here and there into stereotypical weepiness at times. And at the end they do the worst possible thing: while Terry-Thomas's character is being tried (repeatedly, a very good notion) they have the rest of the court laughing. In a comedy it's deadly to have anyone laugh at what's going on. All involved should have kept the courtroom as silent as an episode of "Perry Mason." It simply doesn't pay to have spectators laughing, and a promising scene flops dead.
Things to look out for: Tutte Lemkow, in one of his patented smarmy guest shots as an arms dealer. Terry-Thomas (or, actually, his stunt man) repeatedly trying to rescue money from a burning house.
"The Ladykillers" it's not. Neither the writers, the director nor the actors ever heard of droll. But it has a first-rank (no pun intended) cast and what works, works well.
Bright comedy descends here and there into stereotypical weepiness at times. And at the end they do the worst possible thing: while Terry-Thomas's character is being tried (repeatedly, a very good notion) they have the rest of the court laughing. In a comedy it's deadly to have anyone laugh at what's going on. All involved should have kept the courtroom as silent as an episode of "Perry Mason." It simply doesn't pay to have spectators laughing, and a promising scene flops dead.
Things to look out for: Tutte Lemkow, in one of his patented smarmy guest shots as an arms dealer. Terry-Thomas (or, actually, his stunt man) repeatedly trying to rescue money from a burning house.
"The Ladykillers" it's not. Neither the writers, the director nor the actors ever heard of droll. But it has a first-rank (no pun intended) cast and what works, works well.
Cracking Comedy!
ronevickers15 July 2008
For any fans of British comedy films of the 50's/60's, this is one of the best. It has a calvacade of British comic character actors, who all turn in well-honed performances, with the icing on the cake provided by Terry-Thomas, at the top of his form. His rapid fire delivery, clever mugging and sheer enthusiasm in the lead role is a joy to behold. I can't think of any other actor who could have carried off this characterisation half as well. The whole film simply bristles with that unique joie-de-vivre that was inherent in the very best of the British comedies at that time. An undoubted treat for all comedy-loving film buffs.
brit caper film
ksf-224 September 2019
Right at the open, we hear cartoon, caper music, so we know this is going to be a fun one. GONG. a Rank film. so it's from England. the Zampi brothers. Terry Thomas stars as the very rich Gordon, who the crooks are going to try to rob. Zampi also used Terry Thomas in Your Past is Showing, another clever brit film. In Too Many Crooks, the bumbling gang keeps tripping over their own feet. but manage to cause chaos, and even burn down his house. a funny court-room scene when Gordon tries to explain why he kept running back into the burning house to save something. was it his bunny, his mummy... or his money? and to make things worse, his daughter has fallen for an Inland Revenue guy! Can Roger get himself out of this mess? It's quite good! Some surprises along the way. shows on Turner Classics. starts slow, but gets better.
Finnish is too difficult...
matthewmercy12 July 2010
A wonderful British caper comedy from 1959, this film, along with School for Scoundrels (made the same year), probably stands as the most perfect vehicle for the caddish comic talent of Terry-Thomas. He plays wide boy entrepreneur Billy Gordon, who is targeted by the incompetent Fingers, or 'Mr X' (George Cole) and his criminal gang. When robbing the safe at Gordon's office proves unsuccessful, Fingers instead decides to kidnap Gordon's daughter, but things don't go according to plan... Too Many Crooks is a hilarious film, stylishly directed by Mario Zampi and featuring a wonderful script from Michael Pertwee. But it is the performances that really make it work, none more so than Terry-Thomas, who is a full-on tornado of one-liners, indignant snorts, impatient outbursts, and caddish cackles. Cole is also brilliant as a sort of proto-Arthur Daley, a bumbling no-mark with a taste for the lifestyle of a criminal mastermind, but almost no idea how to make it a reality. Further down the cast list, Bernard Bresslaw is memorably gormless as ex-wrestler Snowdrop (I love his Spike Milligan-style line 'I never heard of anything more precious than money. Except dollars.'), whilst Sidney James (a year away from achieving leading-man status with his first Carry On film) is as good as always as the frustrated professional crook fed up with Cole's fiascos; as is usual with James, his character is of course called Sid. The stunning Vera Day (who also appeared with Sidney James in the classic thriller Hell Drivers and Hammer's movie adaptation of the TV serial Quatermass II) plays Fingers' moll (or his 'nice little bit of X-certificate'), whilst such familiar faces as John Le Mesurier, Sidney Tafler, and Terry Scott have very funny cameos. About the only performance that doesn't quite work is that of Brenda De Banzie as Gordon's wife; a actress more noted for her dramatic turns in films like Hobson's Choice and The Entertainer, De Banzie does a good job as the meek housewife in the early scenes, but quite fails to convince as the re-invented crime boss and glamour puss later on; she plays these later scenes totally straight, and oddly, the script doesn't give her a single funny line. My favourite scene in the film has to be the one in which Fingers and Sid go to Gordon's office in the guise of police officers, which includes Cole's truly insane comic line 'A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse. That's an old Latin quotation and it means 'is this your old woman's nightie?'', as well as Gordon's incandescent rage when the real police subsequently turn up and Gordon accuses the entire force of trying to blackmail him. The film is full of such wonderful episodes (the first attempted robbery and Gordon's appearance in court are also stand-outs), and it is a great reminder of a time when Britain used to make better comedy movies than any other country in the world.
Too Many Crooks
henry8-311 April 2024
After a group of thieves led by an incompetent George Cole mess up robbing corrupt business man Terry Thomas, they kidnap who they think is his daughter. It turns out to be his wife, played by Brenda de Banzie and TT refuses to pay for her return. Upset, de Banzie takes over the gang and devises more cunning plans to relieve her husband if his money.
Immensely enjoyable / silly comedy with lots of laughs thanks to a great British cast of comics. Standouts are certainly Terry Thomas in usual devilish cad mode, devoting his time to avoiding the tax man and at the top of the pile the legendary Sid James as the only one of the gang with a brain cell. Good fun.
Immensely enjoyable / silly comedy with lots of laughs thanks to a great British cast of comics. Standouts are certainly Terry Thomas in usual devilish cad mode, devoting his time to avoiding the tax man and at the top of the pile the legendary Sid James as the only one of the gang with a brain cell. Good fun.
This film was later remade as "Ruthless People".
planktonrules4 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Many years ago, I saw and loved "Ruthless People". It seemed amazingly fresh and clever. However, just a few minutes ago, I saw "Too Many Crooks" and realize now that "Ruthless People" is a remake and slight reworking of this 1959 British comedy. In many ways, this original film is better and deserves to be recognized for being so original.
The first portion of the film really isn't in "Ruthless People". It consists of the world's most incompetent gang following their completely incompetent boss in a string of failed heists. After blowing it again and again, the boss decides that they should try kidnapping. They plan on kidnapping Terry-Thomas' daughter, as they know he's devoted to her AND he allegedly keeps huge sums of cash hidden somewhere.
For once, their plan seems to have worked out when they actually succeed in the kidnapping. However, when they look inside the coffin in which she is concealed, they find it's not the daughter but her mother. Well, this isn't quite as good, but they know Terry-Thomas will still pay dearly for his beloved wife....or not. In fact, this philandering husband is thrilled that they have her and refuses to pay the 25,000 pound ransom. So, the crooks begin lowering the price...still he will not pay! Eventually, he's offered her return for 200 pounds and he responds by laughing and going out partying with his secretary! All this seems to have burst their plans...that is until the victim herself learns what has transpired. Now, in a funny turn of events, she takes over leadership of the gang and they spend the rest of the film ruining Terry-Thomas' life--and bleeding him of all his money. Again and again, you think things can't get any worse for the guy--but they do!! It's a very dark and funny film from start to finish. What makes it work so well is the exquisite writing as well as some of the performances. I particularly liked watching the inept gang leader as well as the transformation that occurred in creating the new boss! Clever and satisfying.
The first portion of the film really isn't in "Ruthless People". It consists of the world's most incompetent gang following their completely incompetent boss in a string of failed heists. After blowing it again and again, the boss decides that they should try kidnapping. They plan on kidnapping Terry-Thomas' daughter, as they know he's devoted to her AND he allegedly keeps huge sums of cash hidden somewhere.
For once, their plan seems to have worked out when they actually succeed in the kidnapping. However, when they look inside the coffin in which she is concealed, they find it's not the daughter but her mother. Well, this isn't quite as good, but they know Terry-Thomas will still pay dearly for his beloved wife....or not. In fact, this philandering husband is thrilled that they have her and refuses to pay the 25,000 pound ransom. So, the crooks begin lowering the price...still he will not pay! Eventually, he's offered her return for 200 pounds and he responds by laughing and going out partying with his secretary! All this seems to have burst their plans...that is until the victim herself learns what has transpired. Now, in a funny turn of events, she takes over leadership of the gang and they spend the rest of the film ruining Terry-Thomas' life--and bleeding him of all his money. Again and again, you think things can't get any worse for the guy--but they do!! It's a very dark and funny film from start to finish. What makes it work so well is the exquisite writing as well as some of the performances. I particularly liked watching the inept gang leader as well as the transformation that occurred in creating the new boss! Clever and satisfying.
So unfunny it's just not funny
chaswe-284021 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This disc came in a package of three, all featuring Terry-Thomas. This one, TMC, was the silliest and the least good. I wonder why this was.
Terry-Thomas was certainly a unique and compelling screen presence, instantly recognisable; and it was difficult not to smile simply by looking at him. For the more elderly among us he was the perfect personification of Beachcomber's Captain Foulenough, the ultimate cad of worthless cads, a type which has today vanished from British shores. More's the pity.
However, and I hate to say this, Terry-Thomas was slightly one-note, and therefore at his best in supporting roles. His contribution to "The Green Man" was just perfect. That film was also the perfect vehicle for George Cole, who is utterly miscast and wasted in TMC.
In fact, the whole bunch of character actors in TMC is misused and miscast. I had a great struggle to sit through the ridiculous performances, clumsy pratfalls, and the whole idiotic story, and the only good thing about it was what happened to the stolen banknotes at the very end.
"The Green Man" took twenty years, 1937-1956, to achieve its perfection. "Too Many Crooks" could have done with another twenty years of polishing.
Terry-Thomas was certainly a unique and compelling screen presence, instantly recognisable; and it was difficult not to smile simply by looking at him. For the more elderly among us he was the perfect personification of Beachcomber's Captain Foulenough, the ultimate cad of worthless cads, a type which has today vanished from British shores. More's the pity.
However, and I hate to say this, Terry-Thomas was slightly one-note, and therefore at his best in supporting roles. His contribution to "The Green Man" was just perfect. That film was also the perfect vehicle for George Cole, who is utterly miscast and wasted in TMC.
In fact, the whole bunch of character actors in TMC is misused and miscast. I had a great struggle to sit through the ridiculous performances, clumsy pratfalls, and the whole idiotic story, and the only good thing about it was what happened to the stolen banknotes at the very end.
"The Green Man" took twenty years, 1937-1956, to achieve its perfection. "Too Many Crooks" could have done with another twenty years of polishing.
Monty Python prequel?
inframan6 June 2007
Absolutely hysterical! I have never forgotten any of the Mario Zampi comedies I first saw as a teenager in the 1950s, especially this one & Laughter in Paradise. George Cole was in both (he's still around & working, lucky for us) & gives a brilliantly funny performance. Terry-Thomas has never been funnier. In this film he's like a broader version of Rex Harrison. Many of the set pieces (such as the undertakers in top hats pulling a criminal caper) & performances (especially by George Cole) seem like predecessors of Monty Python. The entire cast is perfect & includes Sid James & Bernard Bresslaw from the Carry On movies. One of the funniest films I've ever seen.
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