A poor title for what turns out to be a rather uninspiring film. A good, brisk and smartly-directed pre-title segment sets the scene - here we have a group of smart grifters conning greedy or immoral 'marks' out of hefty chunks of cash and living very nicely off the proceeds. As far as an over-arching story goes, things are pretty thin and we only see it at the very end, after a rather episodic series of cons. Attenborough is good, Hemmings is cheeky but not very likeable and Stewart is attractive and supplies the final twist. There's nothing much else to say about it.
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g-hbe6 January 2021
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malcolmgsw15 March 2021Essentially this is a 3 episode caper movie shot in exotic places exhibiting all the worst attributes of swinging sixties britain. The worst is the score by Ron Grainer,whose claim to fame is the Dr Who score.The music is far too obtrusive,particularly in the first 20 minutes.I could hardly hear the dialogue.
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andrew-87-90440119 March 2022A very slick, glossy and well-paced opening got my attention. The accompanying whistling score was unique and enjoyable, and added to the feel of a professional, military-like operation. Fifteen minutes in, I was transfixed and had high expectations. Sadly, the story quickly falls apart. The cool and efficient team, gone; in its place, incompetence and betrayal, leading to an unsatisfactory second and third act, which were mostly pointless and predictable. It was almost a film in reverse.
Great locations, well shot, good performances, very much of its time. Thematically, I couldn't help think this may have been the inspiration for the 2004-2012 BBC series, Hustle, which had a similar concept (wise veteran, cool younger man, glamorous woman, who con greedy and unpleasant marks). Overall, worth a watch. With a better script, it could have been a classic. -
elliotjames228 March 2022If there's any movie that's disappeared, remains totally forgotten and rarely shown on TV, it's this movie. It's interesting how some movies vanish without a trace. The title implies a Carry On, Norman Wisdom, Frankie Howerd style of comedy but it's nothing of the sort.
It's a well-made, carefree caper film with a youthful and dashing David Hemming and an icy, impossibly beautiful Alexandra Stewart teamed with Richard Attenborough. Hammer Films fans will appreciate seeing Melissa Stribling, the Count's almost-bride from Horror of Dracula, and wife of Basil Dearden, director of this picture written by Len Deighton (The Ipcress File). -
Just saw this on Talking Pictures TV, which shows old films and TV. And some of their content is well wort watching, albeit from yesteryear, but of course in with some good stuff are some right clunkers, and this is one. I see one reviewer calls it "well worth watching" -- Lord knows why.
The paper called it a 'comedy' in the TV listings, I presume they think Chekhov was a riot of one-liners and gags?
This is a 60s caper movie, several episodes of con-men playing tricks, and it's the most dreadful tosh -- I've no idea why anyone would care about any character, and I'd guess that any audience for it were misled by Len Deighton's name, and the lead actors. The players to be fair do their best (though Hemmings always seemed to me to play the same character), and as several have said, those off camera know their stuff.
But it's all essentially pointless, and very hard to care what happens at all. And for anyone who thinks that it might be worth a look, due to the 'comedy' description, well, don't expect Cary Grant or P G Wodehouse. I think it's probable the 'Larf' in the title was satire, it certainly wasn't accurate. Oddly enough there was a TV sitcom (UK) of the same name, set in a hospital, with Richard Wilson (later Victor Meldrew), James Bolam (Likely Lads), and Peter Bowles (lots of things). That WAS quite funny, but don't get it muddled with this twaddle! -
ubercommando1 August 2005Richard Attenborough, David Hemmings and Alexandra Stewart are three con-men in this enjoyable late 60's comedy/drama. The plot is episodic: There's a great pre-credit con in New York and a couple of other cons which aren't related, but the core of the story is the relationship between the three.
Attenborough and Hemmings work well together; the old, seasoned pro and the young pretender who come from different backgrounds but who clash not only about life, politics and who's got the better ideas, but over Stewart who is very attractive, sexy and alluring (and who has plans of her own).
The direction is taut, the dialogue sparkles with little gems, the look is very glossy for its time and the acting is top notch. Like a lot of 60's caper films, it's great fun to watch. -
This is a glossy tongue-in-cheek tale of two conmen and their girlfriend accomplice constantly trying to keep one step a head of the game with mixed success.
A love-triangle develops as the young protege tries to take over from his old mentor and to steal his girlfriend to boot. Needless to say, their feuding only complicates things and leads to a good twist at the end.
The good-natured direction is upbeat and enthusiastic, the acting is accomplished right down to the supporting cast and the theme tune by Ron Grainer is catchy and interspersed by pleasant incidental scores. This movie is well worth viewing should you be lucky enough to find it on tv one afternoon. -
richardchatten10 March 2022The earnestness of Dearden & Relph's earlier collaborations had by their glossy international entertainments of the late sixties been replaced by a cynical larkiness, abetted in this case by Whistling Jack Smith's jolly main theme.
There are darker moments such as (SLIGHT SPOILERS COMING:) the fate of Edric Connor, although the even worse fate suffered by one of the original marks in the stylish pre-credits sequence stays in the original novel; an indication of how much more light-hearted this adaptation is than Len Deighton's original book.
Melissa Stribling has probably the best of her occasional roles in her husband's films. -
JohnHowardReid11 June 2016Here's a curiosity that was actually photographed on locations in New York, Great Britain and, of all places, Lebanon. All this money has been poured on to a script that, in my opinion, would hardly make the sort of film for which audiences would line up in New York, L.A. and London. True, it's moderately suspenseful and mildly amusing, and it does feature some amusing turns by Richard Attenborough in various guises. David Hemmings is likewise skillfully smooth and the romantic end is held up more than ably by the attractively costumed Aexandra Stewart. All the same, I would have thought this was not the sort of movie that would induce a box- office stampede. Even lensed on a quarter of this one's stunning budget, I can't see the producers getting their money back, let alone making a profit. Maybe they were searching for a really gigantic tax loss? Well, they certainly found it.
Mind you, I'm certainly not complaining, nor is the other second- string critic, sitting a few rows behind me. The first-release theatre is otherwise empty so far as I can see, though there may be one or two paying customers downstairs. The movie has a great cast, and the behind-the-camera credits are interesting too. Here's Basil Dearden, would you believe, working without his usual partner, Michael Relph. Perhaps this is the reason :Only When I Larf" doesn't look like his other films, although it is slickly made.
Perhaps there are a few too many close-ups and it is certainly a rather talkative script which Dearden tries to offset by stratagems like the 180 degrees turn around the breakfast table. And he certainly makes effective use of his real locations. Now, I could continue to wander through the credits and hand out jerseys, right, left and center, but I'll content myself by observing that production values are nothing short of outstanding. Everyone behind the camera does a really great job! Incidentally, the title joke is supposed to be unfunny. Would you believe that two contemporary critics missed the point? And they're supposed to be the leaders in this profession. I'm just a second- string reviewer, but at least I stay awake.