THE WRONG ARM OF THE LAW

UK, 1962, 94 minutes, Black and white.
Peter Sellers, Lionel Jeffries, Bernard Cribbins, Davy Kaye, Nanette Newman.
Directed by Cliff Owen.

The Wrong Arm of the Law is a Peter Sellers’ vehicle from the 1960s when he was at the height of his comedy talent. Sellers was noted for his versatility. In The Mouse that Roared he had an opportunity to portray various characters, including the Grand Duchess. In 1963, he played three central roles in Dr Strangelove.

Here he has a Cockney accent and style altered for a very suave British manner when he goes to work in the shop.

The basic plot is one of those comedy capers that were very popular in the 60s and can be linked with another Sellers’ film, Two Way Stretch.

1. What was the meaning of the play on words in the title? Did it pinpoint some of the satirical features of the film?

2. Was this a good comedy? What were its best comic features?

3. What points was the comedy making? What aspects of British life were being satirised?

4. Comment on the nature of the common criminals: their pretending as at Pearly Gates' shop, his real self; Nervous O’Toole?, the Gangs; their organisation in the Welfare State of England; their being, menaced by the outsiders, the Australians.

5. What kind of crooks were the Australians? Why were they successful? What did they represent in contrast to the English crooks?

6. The role of Valerie in the film? Girlfriend, betrayer?

7. Nosey Parker: what aspects of the police did he represent? Was be too much of a caricature? Was he a funny character in himself? How was this illustrated?

8. The scene of the meeting between the gangs, and its parallel to the union meetings, and their fraternity? How well done was this? What was being made fun of?

9. The irony of the collaboration of the English crooks with the police? Why were they prepared to unite against the Australians, a menace to their peaceful way of life?

10. The satirical comment on the ineptness of the robbery plan, the breakdowns, the mistakes, the disguise of the police officials?

11. The irony of the escape, and the choice necessary for Nosey Parker? Why did Nosey join the crooks? What comment on the British police and their conditions did this make?

12. There were tricks all round, on the part of the crooks, on the part of the police and the counterfeit money. How ironical were the final sequences of the fashions in the South Seas?