TWO WAY STRETCH

UK, 1960, 85 minutes, Black and white.
Peter Sellers, Lionel Jeffries, Wilfrid Hyde White, Bernard Cribbins, David Lodge, Maurice Denham, Beryl Reid, Liz Frazer, Irene Handl, George Woodbridge.
Directed by Robert Day.

Two Way Stretch is one of the many very entertaining Peter Sellers comedies of the early '60s. Here he doesn't do any particular impersonation - but rather creates a comic character by understatement and the 'typical English' style. He is well-matched by Bernard Cribbins as the naive criminal and Wilfrid Hyde White wily and smooth impersonating a clergyman. There is, as usual, an excellent supporting cast which includes Lionel Jeffries as the obsessed warder.


Maurice Denham is the absent-minded, garden-loving Governor of the prison as well as Irene Handl and Liz Frazer as mother and daughter. The film shows prison life in a humorous way, shows us an expert robbery (at the time of the British Great Train Robbery).
This was the period in which Peter Sellers made such comedies as Only Two Can Play, Waltz of the Toreadors, Heavens Above and The Wrong Arm of the Law. He also made his classics Lolita and Dr Strangelove.

1. An entertaining British comedy? Peter Sellers vehicle? The strong supporting cast?

2. Black and white photography, prison, London locations? The editing and pace for the comedy? For the robbery? Jaunty musical score?

3. The humour of the title, the perfect alibi?

4. The parody of prison films? The comfortable life of the prisoners? Relationship with the authorities? With the Chief and his help? The absent-minded Governor and his reform programs? The contrast with Grout and his trying to change things back to the stereotype of prisons? The robbery?

5. Peter Sellers as Dodger: a more ordinary comic style, being waited on by Jelly and Lennie? His influence in the prison? Relied on by the Governor? The tour of the ladies and their concern? The various dodges in the prison? His relationship with the other prisoners? Soapy Stevens' arrival. the prospect of a robbery? Using the Chief to get out? The arrival of Crout and the change of plan? In the quarry? Trying to outwit Crout? The plan, its execution? The humour of the robbery? The irony of their getting out from prison, going in the bus, losing the jewels? The final attempt? Dodger and his relationship with Ethel? A Peter Sellers comic character?

6. Jelly and Lennie and their serving Dodger? His using them? Jelly and his skills with safes? Lennie and his naivety? Their work in the prison, relationship with the Chief, the easy life? The plan, Soapy Stevens, the escape from prison, the robbery? Lennie's mother and her visit, the gift of the cake with the file, the tool kit? Her urging him to escape like his father? The finale and the loss of the jewels?

7. The Chief and his genial nature, help with the meals, the cat? The presentation of the gold watch - and it being the Governor's? The transition to Grout, seeing him in the quarries, his hard style, knowing dodger and the others, his militaristic style, obsessions? Rigorous, the ruining of the Governor's roses and marrow? The episode with the wooden horse? His going in the bus when they were leaving? His seeing Soapy Stevens? The clash with the clergy? Comic presentation of warders?

8. The Governor and his absentmindedness, with the ladies and their concern? His marrow, his roses? The various projects? The clash with Crout? The friendliness with the vicar?

9. Wilfed Hyde White and his smooth style as a criminal, as vicar, the parody of the unctuous vicar? His plans with Dodger and co? His cover? The participation in the escape, driving the Black Maria, as a policeman Curing the robbery? His being chased by Crout and finishing up in prison?

10. Ethel and her sexy style, comic style? Wanting to marry Dodger? As a decoy during the robbery? The contrast with Irene Handl's comic touch as her mother?

11. The gallery of characters including Warren Mitchell's tailor with his perfection of style? The ladies and Beryl Reld and her satire on the~ concerned committee?

12. The military and their escort for the jewels? Pomposity, the detailed nature of the plan, the detailed nature of the robbery?

13. British comedy, satire? Characters and style? Authority and mockery? British enterprise?