TOO MANY CROOKS

UK, 1958, 87 minutes, Black and white.
Terry- Thomas, George Cole, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Bresslaw, Sid James, Vera Day.
Directed by Mario Zampi.

Too Many Crooks is typical of the kind of British comedy of the late 1950s – especially with Terry- Thomas, from Carlton-Browne? of the FO to Tom Thumb.

George Cole, often a bumbling crook (from The Belles of St Trinian’s and other similar features) is an incompetent crook with an incompetent gang. While they try to rob Terry- Thomas, he outwits them and they decide to abduct his daughter. They finish up with his something of a harridan wife, Brenda de Banzie who played this kind of role in a number of films (seriously in The Man Who Knew Too Much, comically in Hobson’s Choice).

The gang is made up of such characters as the tall and awkward Bernard Bresslaw, the talkative Sid James. There are many other character actors of the period like John le Mesurier who appears as a magistrate.

The film belongs to its period, the British able to joke about themselves as incompetent as well as showing some sneering and cunning villains like Terry- Thomas.

Italian-born director, Mario Zampi, worked in the United Kingdom as a director and producer. He made the classic Laughter in Paradise and the entertaining fantasy Happy Ever After. He worked with Terry- Thomas and Peter Sellers in a rather severe comedy-drama, The Naked Truth.

1. An example of British comedy of the fifties and sixties: situations, characters, satire, types, British humour? What are the qualities of this kind of British comedy? How well exemplified here?

2. The tone and implication of the title, its satire?

3. The setting, the rich and poor, marriage, deals and money, crime and police?

4. How much satire on the world of crime? How effective? On the courts?

5. Gordon and Fingers as types of bad characters, villains? How effectively portrayed?

6. The portrait of the wife and her background, her being hurt, her taking over the gang? The satire in her character and behaviour? Her revenge on her husband?

7. Comment on the odd collection of crooks: the bumbling leader, Sid, the irony in Snowdrop? The effect of satire in this portrayal of a comic rogues' gallery?

8. The contribution of the minor characters, the girls, secretaries, judge, police?

9. How effective an example of ordinary British comedy?