Watch Orders Are Orders For Free

Such a frustrating disappointment

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Best movie ever!

Blistering performances.

ORDERS ARE ORDERS is another army-focused British comedy from the 1950s and another let down. CARRY ON SERGEANT is still the best that I've seen from this era while all others feel somewhat strained and clumsy, not to mention dated. This film has a good story but not many good jokes unless exaggerated character humour is your idea of a good time.The story is about a film crew who arrive at an army barracks to shoot a science fiction movie and have various run-ins with the soldiers there. The wobbly special effects we see them filming with are funny and reminiscent of an Ed Wood movie. There's a lot of skirt-chasing and various encounters on and off the base between the characters. One of my main problems is that the film crew characters are exaggerated buffoons while the soldiers, in particular the officers, are all prim and proper and dull. The ensuing situations simply aren't all that funny in the face of it.While the likes of Margot Grahame and Raymond Huntley bag the dull lead roles, it's the supporting players who are the most interesting. Tony Hancock bags an 'introducing' credit and is his typical world-weary character. Sid James is the brash film director but struggles with his unconvincing American accent throughout. Peter Sellers plays his usual part in this and the best I can say about him is that he's better than he was in DOWN AMONG THE Z MEN. There are nice cameos for young 'uns like Donald Pleasence and Eric Sykes. The best participant is the gorgeous Maureen Swanson whose eye-popping introduction scene is the highlight of the whole movie.

This a fairly unremarkable film from the era except for the presence of the two (later) major stars - but well worth seeing for the jewel of a performance from Sellers. Both went on to make their names in comedy but this meeting on film was to be the one and only. Did each or either sense that the other was a potential rival? Their parts here are completely without interaction. Thereafter their paths diverged, Sellers became a bigger and bigger name in cinema and Hancock instead found success on television. Very interesting to compare and contrast the two performers and performances. Both had had success on radio playing a wide range of characters (voices). Sellers though excelled as comic character actor of chameleon like abilities as can be seen here but was never a comedian with his own comic personna. Hancock however was more comedian than character actor other than briefly burlesqueing a range of (much) earlier British film star performers. With the aid of comedy writers Alan Simpson and Ray Galton Hancock did go on to establish a comic personna - not apparently too far away from his real self - but in time became uncomfortable surrounded by a regular cast and finally - but most memorably and successfully - became the sole star of his show. The demons however did not stop, he became dissatisfied with the character and format but was tragically unable to find a successor. Hancock was an acknowledged genius but with an elusive ill-definable talent. Here he looks uncomfortable and uncertain unsupported by a hit and miss script. He was never to find his feet in films, perhaps the validation of a live audience had been essential to calm his insecurities.In contrast Seller's performance was as complete and brilliant as it ever was, unsurprisingly he became a film star in his own right within a few short years. Few could have failed to notice his talent here as half of a crafty fiddling duo of barrack orderlies (the other half the excellent comic character actor Bill Fraser). Their short scene together about 50 minutes in, with Brian Reece as the amorous Captain, is a jewel and as complete, self-assured and accomplished as anything Sellers subsequently did for Ealing, with this part of the script at least fitting like a glove.Some reviewers scoff at the threadbare nature of the supposedly big American Sci-Fi feature shot at the barracks but this is to misunderstand almost everything. Clearly the fictional production was a very very budget affair, actual manned space flight was then still 3 years away. And Britain itself in 1954 was threadbare - rationing had only finished 2 years earlier and the film markets and actual budgets were around 10% of their American equivalents. That being said, the biggest grandest pre-war science fiction film of all "The Shape of Things to Come", was British, born apparently of a highly advantageous tax arrangement. Again, oddly, American budget sci-fi and pot-boiler feature films of this era were very adept at looking far grander than their actual budgets.For fans, watch this film to see the earliest appearance of the mega-star Sellers was to become. Either sit through or skip through the mainly "chaotic and shouty" parts another reviewer nicely describes.*Sellers had made 3 earlier films, zany unsuccessful very low budget affairs with his then {radio) "Goonshow" comrades, remembered now more for their names than the merits of the films.

Fancy a good old fashioned British comedy about army life? Don't bother with this. If 'Orders Are Orders' is remembered for any reason at all, its for bringing together Tony Hancock ( whose first film this was ), Sid James, Eric Sykes, and Peter Sellers. Unfortunately, it manages to squander their talents. The script is completely lacking in humour. Hancock tried to see this at his local cinema one afternoon. A request for a front row seat was met with: "You can have the first fifteen rows if you like!".Directed by David Paltenghi, it tells the less-than hilarious story of a British army base which is invaded by an American film company wishing to make a low budget science fiction epic. Sid James is 'Ed Waggermeyer' the producer, and is chiefly responsible for what few laughs there are ( his American accent is very good ). He later called the film "a bit of a stinker!". The main role though is taken by Brian Reece, a charmless actor who exhibits no comic talent whatever.Things To Look Out For - the robot was later reused in an 'Avengers' episode called 'The See Through Man'.One of the writers, Geoffrey Orme, later wrote 'The Underwater Menace' for Patrick Troughton's 'Dr.Who', a story often regarded as the very worst ever ( though it made far more sense than the recently transmitted 'A Good Man Goes To War'! ).I love old British comedies, but this is impossible to recommend. Try the Boulting Brothers' 'Private's Progress' ( 1956 ) instead.

A run of the mill army barracks in Bilchester is overrun by a film company planning to make a Z grade science fiction movie. All seems to being going well as the pretty lady actors have the barracks in a tizzy and get the soldiers to play a part. That is until the Divisional Commander turns up for one of his inspections.Tho far from being at the top of the cast list, this sub-standard remake of a 1933 film of the same name is of interest to see the names Peter Sellers, Sid James & Tony Hancock in the same movie. However, the truth is is that it's a poor movie that is directed badly by David Paltenghi and the source material really doesn't transfer well to the screen. Based on a play written by Ian Hay in 1932, the makers seems to think that by weaving chaotic scenes with chaotic shouty dialogue that that is going to make for a mirthful movie. It doesn't.Released to DVD in 2007 as part of a collection called Long Lost Comedy Classics, this is easily the weakest of the set. Other titles in the collection are Miss Robin Hood, John & Julie, Make Me An Offer, The Love Match and the quite brilliant Time Gentlemen Please!. Orders Are Orders smacks of being a "set filler" and exists purely because of the names attached to it (Brian Reece, Margot Grahame & Raymond Huntley also star). 3/10 for Huntley's efforts and James' bizarre American accent