Watch The Runaway Bus For Free

Wonderful Movie

Good start, but then it gets ruined

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Must watch again to get all the intricacies of this very clever comedy/thriller, saved from being dull by Frankie Howerd's unique persona. Must see more Val Guest films!

I cannot imagine what people saw in this film. Frankie Howerd is irritating to me, not because he was more gay than Liberace (no problem there) but because the movie is not about him being gay. His character is supposed to be straight, but he was such a bad actor that he behaved all the time like a drag queen. The first few minutes of him --coming in and out of a window while complaining like Jim Parsons on steroids-- painfully last forever. Clumsy Howerd wasn't even capable to decently imitate driving; the mimic he does with the bus' steering wheel is incredibly idiotic. And throughout the film he keeps playing his one-note supposedly funny character, which manages to ruin the other film-noir plot the producers threw in. If forgiveness is granted to Howerd on the argument of his not being an actor but a comedian, then he should have been a comedian (i.e. funny). He wasn't. At some point the screen writers seem to find hilarious to make him fall in a ditch of dirty water. It is clear this type of pie-in-the-face humor is strictly for blue collar types. This is not what we foreigners have in mind when we praise British humour. Margaret Rutherford adds another insufferably rude character to the screen. The sole redeeming factor here is the beauty of an unrecognizable young Petula Clark as the stewardess, and Belinda Lee's sex appeal. Regrettably not reasons enough to like the film.

British comedian Frankie Howerd, best known to TV fans as the star of the historical satire Up Pompeii, makes his feature film debut alongside Margaret Rutherford, George Coulouris, Belinda Lee and English songstress Petula Clark. Howerd plays Percy Lamb, a novice bus driver, who, as London is submerged in thick fog, is assigned to drive the number "13" coach from London airport to another a couple of hours away. With his half dozen or so passengers along for company, Percy promptly gets lost! But that's not the worst of their worries. For in the boot is a load of stolen gold bullion and the master criminal known as "The Banker" is amongst them and will do anything to get their hands on the loot. But just who is "The Banker?". It's written and directed by Val Guest whose writing work for the likes of Will Hay, Arthur Askey and The Crazy Gang puts him firmly on the list of classic British comedy writers.Safe and inoffensive fun is The Runaway Bus, very much along the lines of Walter Forde's The Ghost Train (Guest writing there too), it zips along apace and is awash with gags both visually and orally. Maybe somewhat surprising, considering all those involved with it, it's probably with its "who is it" core where the film is at its best. Blending comedy with mystery thriller elements can often be a tricky task for some film makers, but thankfully here Guest and his team play it right. There's no obvious hints to who the "baddie" is, thus the element of surprise is high, and the staging of the second half of the movie at a fog enveloped army training range makes for a nice atmospheric feel. There's no great shakes in the acting, but they all are safe and doing what is required. Rutherford of course is the standout performer, while Howerd is only hinting at the ability that would in the years to come make him a much loved comedian in the United Kingdom.Widely available on DVD now, it will be annoying to some that the transfer is rough and not afforded a clean up. Full of snap, crackle and pop, it does carry a bit of old fashioned value in that respect. But those interested in the DVD should stay away if scratchy old transfers are to be an issue. 7/10

I taped this probably about 15 years or so ago, and I enjoyed it very much then. A young Frankie Howerd is hilarious, as is the interplay between Margaret Rutherford and Toke Townley. The young female airhead who keeps saying stupid things gets a bit annoying very quickly, but that's the only drawback. I must confess I have never recognized Petula Clark as the stewardess - she's a relatively good actress whatever else she is. And its so nostalgic that it all takes place in a fog...it's been so long that I've been in England that I miss it! It's an enjoyable film and I recommend it to anyone who likes mystery stories or British comedy.