The Intelligence Men (1965)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Robert Asher

Writers:

Peter Blackmore (story)
Sidney Green (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 January 1968 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery

Plot:

A chance meeting with a Schlecht agent forces a humble coffee shop manager into the secret world of spies in Swinging London...

Plot Keywords:

Ballet | Slapstick | Drag | Crossbow | Counter Espionage

Cast

Eric Morecambe	...	Eric Morecambe
Ernie Wise	...	Ernie Sage
William Franklyn	...	Colonel Grant
April Olrich	...	Madame Petrovna
Gloria Paul	...	Gina Carlotti
Richard Vernon	...	Sir Edward Seabrook
David Lodge	...	Stage Manager
Jacqueline Jones	...	Karin
Terence Alexander	...	Reed
Francis Matthews	...	Thomas
Warren Mitchell	...	Prozoroff
Brian Oulton	...	Laundry Basket Man
Michael Peake	...	Sinister Stranger
Peter Bull	...	Philippe
Tutte Lemkow	...	Seedy Schlecht Agent

Also Known As:

Spylarks
The Intelligence Men or M.I.5 Plus 2 Equals 0 (UK) (long title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

Eric and Ernie perform the famous "Danse des petits cygnes" from "Swan Lake" during the Covent Garden-set opera finale.

Quotes:

Eric Morecambe: [on seeing that Phillipe, who is sitting next to him, has just collapsed into his soup after being poisoned] Waiter!
Ernie Sage: Yes?
Eric Morecambe: I have a complaint to make.
Ernie Sage: What?
Eric Morecambe: There's a dead man in this soup.

Movie Connections:

References From Russia with Love (1963)

Soundtrack:

Swan Lake, Op.20

An enjoyable spy spoof from the great comic duo

I love Morecambe and Wise so I enjoyed this film. They are on top form as bumbling British agents who are trying to stop the bad guys who are "on their side" from doing their bad deeds. There are some really funny scenes and some great lines ("waiter there's a dead man in this soup") and a reasonable cast. Yet though this film is very much enjoyable, it is not as good as their next film "That Riviera Touch", because it begins to get a bit unfunny at times. Nevertheless it's worth watching just for the fantastic opera scene at the end of the film which recalls Danny Kaye's equally hilarious opera performance at the end of his film "Wonder Man". It is also interesting to see how young Morecambe and Wise were when they made the film. Enjoy! 8/10