Make Mine a Double (1959) User Reviews

pleasant but slight

[myriamlenys · 5/10 · 28 May 2018]

During World War II, England is shaken by the discovery of what seems like a new invention by the Nazi's : some kind of unmanned, flying bomb. An ace intelligence agent, who is a rather dashing officer, is tasked with a crucial assignment : he needs to find out the truth behind this diabolical machine. In order to provide cover, it is decided to give him a "double", to wit some hapless soul who, from a military viewpoint, isn't worth the price of the uniform on his back. Who will survive ? And who will gain immortal laurels ?

The book "I was Monty's double" must have hit public imagination with all the stopping power of a well-aimed brick, since it gave birth not only to a serious movie adaptation (which I never saw) but also to numerous jokes and spoofs. Here we've got one of these spoofs, in the shape of a pleasant but tepid and unremarkable comedy. Sadly, it is not what one could call a classic for the ages, even though it raises an important point about rank and class : the gallant and dashing hero is greeted with fawning admiration - "What a brave, brave man !" - while the Everyman anti-hero is expected to die for King and Country as a matter of course.

The movie's main asset is a solid performance by Brian Rix, who plays both the hero and the anti-hero.

Still, I may be unjust in my comments, since it is entirely possible that the jokes get funnier if the viewer read the original book or saw the "straight" movie adaptation.

Average type of comedy

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 30 June 2016]

THE NIGHT WE DROPPED A CLANGER is a WW2-era comedy featuring a star turn for music hall personality Brian Rix, the guy well known for dropping his trousers and the like in various routines. Rix takes on the dual role of a leading wing commander and the incompetent aircraftsman who just so happens to be his double. One is due to be sent into occupied France on a secret mission and the other will be his decoy on a mission to North Africa. What could possibly go wrong?

The answer is everything, but THE NIGHT WE DROPPED A CLANGER is really only a film for die-hard fans of British comedy of the era. This film feels like it was made in the 1940s, not 1961. The humour is quite weak and tame and not as funny as the rival CARRY ON films from the same time. Rix is something of an acquired taste and although some of his slapstick routines are funny, his weak-willed character is more irritating than amusing.

Still, there's a solid supporting cast to enjoy, including William Hartnell once again playing up the stern role he ended up typecast with. Leslie Phillips enjoys a little womanising but is rather underutilised, it has to be said, although there's a nice part for Liz Fraser who gives something of an eye-popping performance as a nightclub singer. Hattie Jacques has a good cameo as does Irene Handl, but they're all too brief unfortunately.

The title tells it all

[malcolmgsw · 4/10 · 12 December 2009]

Once upon a time Brian Rix held sway at the Whitehall Theatre.He had one infallible trick to make people laugh which was to take down his trousers.He doesn't do it in this film so maybe that is why it is so hopelessly unfunny.This despite having the talents of Leslie Phillips and Cecil Parker in the cast.The first quarter of an hour is bearable but perhaps that is because Rix is trying to play it straight.After that it is all downhill.In fact this is a lame take off of "I Was Montys Double" so much that Clifton James who played Montys double in that film also has a brief cameo in this.Just compare this with say Some Like It Hot which came out about the same time and you will see just how far Hollywood the British film industry was trailing.

A bygone England worth watching.

[rxelex · 4/10 · 31 March 2020]

I was surprised to see this made in 1959 as the premise would better fit 1949. However despite all the cringemaking low humour the film is worth watching to see how 'backward' England was in those days. The V1 star seems very realistic as did the farn setting. The pomp, idocy and waste of the military show why so many names are on war memorials. All the soldiers wore thoser stupid little forage caps - what idiot designed them! I'm watching while on 2020 COVID lockdown and in happier times the film may lose its appeal.

Hasn't aged well

[malcp · 4/10 · 7 May 2022]

Although you can still find amusement in this farce (The misheard "Hitler is in his bunker" still seems outrageously near the knuckle for such a family film), It's difficult to appreciate how successful this film was when it was originally released. The situations all seem rather tame or childish and exploit scenarios and interplay between characters that may strike anyone under the age of fifty as peculiarly obtuse. The slapstick just seems needlessly timid. All that siad, audiences loved it when it was released, perhaps you will too.

" well, his friends ought to tell him...."

[Brucey_D · 8/10 · 20 November 2017]

As a new type of V-1 type doodle-bug starts to fall on southern England during WW2, Brian Rix plays a secret agent and his incompetent double to good effect here, under orders from 'Bukpasser' and 'Spendal' of the Air Ministry.

There is a very good supporting cast, and some other good performances, especially from Cecil Parker. It is the first screen role for Andrew Sachs, too.

The idea that an important military man should be impersonated (and appear to be in the wrong country) for the benefit of the Germans is based on fact; General Montgomery was impersonated in exactly this way during WW2, more or less as depicted in the film 'I was Monty's double'.

Yes in this film the humour is mostly broad, but in the context of British comedy films made at this time, I think it is a pretty good effort. I started watching this film with low expectations and found myself chuckling quite unexpectedly; there are many deftly-performed sight gags that you might miss if you are not paying attention.

Fun British Comedy

[nova-63 · 8/10 · 10 January 2010]

Brian Rix stars in dual roles as a celebrated RAF officer and a hopelessly incompetent airman. When RAF Intelligence notices how similar the two men look they propose to use the incompetent as a decoy on a secret mission. Needless to say, the plans get mixed up and the incompetent leads the secret mission, while the real agent is used as a decoy. I was unfamiliar with Brian Rix before I viewed the film and I must admit I quite enjoyed his work here. Other familiar faces include Cecil Parker, Leslie Phillips and William Hartnell. Not a classic of the standard of Ealing's best, but few good laughs during the 90 minutes.

The print I saw had the title, Make Mine A Double.

A Great Disappointment

[harvey580 · 10/10 · 7 May 2013]

As a young schoolboy growing up in Manchester during the late 1950's I always looked forward to the screening of a Brian Rix farce on television. My father was a great fan of his and we both loved to watch Brian and his wife Elspet Gray in any "Whitehall Farce" the BBC screened, usually at Christmas.

Consequently, I was looking forward to watching this film very much. Sadly, I was greatly disappointed by this particular effort. The film had very little humour and an even poorer storyline.

The production values were bad and the comedic talents of comedians such as Hattie Jacques, Cecil Parker and Leslie Phillips utterly wasted.

Worth watching only if you are a die-hard fan of Mr.Rix. Perhaps, his other films are better ... let us hope so.