Producer: Henry Halsted. Made at New Elstree Studios, England, by Byron Film Productions. Photographed in black-and-white Hammerscope.
Copyright 1958 by Byron Film Productions. U.S. release through Dominant Pictures Corporation. New York opening at the 55th Street Playhouse: 10 November 1958. U.S. release: August 1959 (sic). U.K. release through Warner Bros Pictures: 15 June 1958. Australian release through Warner Bros: 4 June 1959 (sic). 7,478 feet. 83 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: British Naval officer Humphrey Fairweather has an uncontrollable passion for building guided missiles. Unfortunately, they are constantly going off at the wrong time and causing considerable damage. Finally, as a last resort, the Admiralty places him in command of an ancient destroyer, H. M. S. Berkeley, the oldest member of the "Mothball Fleet." The ship's crew, for two years without a skipper, becomes somewhat alarmed at the news for they have built up a highly profitable business with the local village. "Berkeley Enterprises" runs a laundry service, sells eggs hatched by chickens kept on the bridge, and offers ship's paint at cut rates, etc.
NOTES: Although it did little business in Africa, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and was lucky to earn an extremely modest profit in the U.S.A., the film was such a big box-office hit in Britain that it earned a sequel: "Further Up the Creek" (1959).
VIEWERS' GUIDE: The British censor has classified this film as suitable for everyone. Admittedly, the film does condone immoral behavior in the forms of contempt for authority and the miss-use of public funds and property. It's true also that children rarely understand or appreciate satiric exaggeration, but often accept these situations as perfectly "normal". So, despite the censor's commendation, a word of warning.
COMMENT: An amiable farce which keeps its amusing situations bubbling through the collective efforts of a large and gifted group of comic players. The director has seen to it that just about all have their opportunities to provide entertainment. And he uses the wide anamorphic screen capably to re-enforce the many delightful near-misses of slapstick action.
Presumably Hammer had some money in this movie (the sequel is officially Hammer), which accounts for the high standard of technical and production values.
Copyright 1958 by Byron Film Productions. U.S. release through Dominant Pictures Corporation. New York opening at the 55th Street Playhouse: 10 November 1958. U.S. release: August 1959 (sic). U.K. release through Warner Bros Pictures: 15 June 1958. Australian release through Warner Bros: 4 June 1959 (sic). 7,478 feet. 83 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: British Naval officer Humphrey Fairweather has an uncontrollable passion for building guided missiles. Unfortunately, they are constantly going off at the wrong time and causing considerable damage. Finally, as a last resort, the Admiralty places him in command of an ancient destroyer, H. M. S. Berkeley, the oldest member of the "Mothball Fleet." The ship's crew, for two years without a skipper, becomes somewhat alarmed at the news for they have built up a highly profitable business with the local village. "Berkeley Enterprises" runs a laundry service, sells eggs hatched by chickens kept on the bridge, and offers ship's paint at cut rates, etc.
NOTES: Although it did little business in Africa, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and was lucky to earn an extremely modest profit in the U.S.A., the film was such a big box-office hit in Britain that it earned a sequel: "Further Up the Creek" (1959).
VIEWERS' GUIDE: The British censor has classified this film as suitable for everyone. Admittedly, the film does condone immoral behavior in the forms of contempt for authority and the miss-use of public funds and property. It's true also that children rarely understand or appreciate satiric exaggeration, but often accept these situations as perfectly "normal". So, despite the censor's commendation, a word of warning.
COMMENT: An amiable farce which keeps its amusing situations bubbling through the collective efforts of a large and gifted group of comic players. The director has seen to it that just about all have their opportunities to provide entertainment. And he uses the wide anamorphic screen capably to re-enforce the many delightful near-misses of slapstick action.
Presumably Hammer had some money in this movie (the sequel is officially Hammer), which accounts for the high standard of technical and production values.