The Intelligence Men - Revision history

Kurt at 03:46, 16 March 2023

2023-03-16T03:46:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:46, 15 March 2023
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	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=June 2015}}~~
	~~{{Use British English\|date=June 2015}}~~
	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	~~\| name = The Intelligence Men~~
	\| image = The Intelligence Men.jpg		\| image = The Intelligence Men.jpg
	\| caption = DVD cover		\| caption = DVD cover
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	*[[William Franklyn]] - Colonel Grant		*[[William Franklyn]] - Colonel Grant
	*[[April Olrich]] - Madame Petrovna		*[[April Olrich]] - Madame Petrovna
	*[[w:Gloria Paul\|Gloria Paul]] - Gina Carlotti		*[[Gloria Paul\|Gloria Paul]] - Gina Carlotti
	*[[Richard Vernon]] - Sir Edward Seabrook		*[[Richard Vernon]] - Sir Edward Seabrook
	*[[David Lodge (actor)\|David Lodge]] - Stage Manager		*[[David Lodge (actor)\|David Lodge]] - Stage Manager
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	*[[Warren Mitchell]] - Prozoroff		*[[Warren Mitchell]] - Prozoroff
	*[[Peter Bull]] - Philippe		*[[Peter Bull]] - Philippe
	*[[w:Tutte Lemkow\|Tutte Lemkow]] - Seedy SCHLECHT Agent		*[[Tutte Lemkow\|Tutte Lemkow]] - Seedy SCHLECHT Agent
	*[[w:Brian Oulton\|Brian Oulton]] - Laundry Basket Man		*[[Brian Oulton\|Brian Oulton]] - Laundry Basket Man
	*Michael Peake - Sinister Stranger		*Michael Peake - Sinister Stranger

	==Reception==		==Reception==
	Critic [[~~w:Leslie Halliwell\|~~Leslie Halliwell]] awarded the film no stars, describing it as an "inept and rather embarrassing big-screen debut for two excellent television comedians".<ref>{{cite book \|last=Halliwell \|first=Leslie \|authorlink=w:Leslie Halliwell \|title=Halliwell's Film and Video Guide \|year=1997 \|page=379 \|publisher=[[w:HarperCollins\|HarperCollins]] \|isbn=0-00-638779-9}}</ref>		Critic [[Leslie Halliwell]] awarded the film no stars, describing it as an "inept and rather embarrassing big-screen debut for two excellent television comedians".<ref>{{cite book \|last=Halliwell \|first=Leslie \|authorlink=Leslie Halliwell \|title=Halliwell's Film and Video Guide \|year=1997 \|page=379 \|publisher=[[HarperCollins\|HarperCollins]] \|isbn=0-00-638779-9}}</ref>

	The film was one of the 12 most popular movies at the British box office in 1965.<ref>"Most Popular Film Star." Times [London, England] 31 Dec. 1965: 13. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.</ref>		The film was one of the 12 most popular movies at the British box office in 1965.<ref>"Most Popular Film Star." Times [London, England] 31 Dec. 1965: 13. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.</ref>

Kurt: /* Cast */

2022-11-17T22:06:12Z

Cast

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:06, 17 November 2022
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	*[[William Franklyn]] - Colonel Grant		*[[William Franklyn]] - Colonel Grant
	*[[April Olrich]] - Madame Petrovna		*[[April Olrich]] - Madame Petrovna
	*[[Gloria Paul]] - Gina Carlotti		*[[w:Gloria Paul\|Gloria Paul]] - Gina Carlotti
	*[[Richard Vernon]] - Sir Edward Seabrook		*[[Richard Vernon]] - Sir Edward Seabrook
	*[[David Lodge (actor)\|David Lodge]] - Stage Manager		*[[David Lodge (actor)\|David Lodge]] - Stage Manager
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	*[[Warren Mitchell]] - Prozoroff		*[[Warren Mitchell]] - Prozoroff
	*[[Peter Bull]] - Philippe		*[[Peter Bull]] - Philippe
	*[[Tutte Lemkow]] - Seedy SCHLECHT Agent		*[[w:Tutte Lemkow\|Tutte Lemkow]] - Seedy SCHLECHT Agent
	*[[Brian Oulton]] - Laundry Basket Man		*[[w:Brian Oulton\|Brian Oulton]] - Laundry Basket Man
	*Michael Peake - Sinister Stranger		*Michael Peake - Sinister Stranger

Kurt: /* Reception */

2022-11-17T22:02:04Z

Reception

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:02, 17 November 2022
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	==Reception==		==Reception==
	Critic [[Leslie Halliwell]] awarded the film no stars, describing it as an "inept and rather embarrassing big-screen debut for two excellent television comedians".<ref>{{cite book \|last=Halliwell \|first=Leslie \|authorlink=Leslie Halliwell \|title=Halliwell's Film and Video Guide \|year=1997 \|page=379 \|publisher=[[HarperCollins]] \|isbn=0-00-638779-9}}</ref>		Critic [[w:Leslie Halliwell\|Leslie Halliwell]] awarded the film no stars, describing it as an "inept and rather embarrassing big-screen debut for two excellent television comedians".<ref>{{cite book \|last=Halliwell \|first=Leslie \|authorlink=w:Leslie Halliwell \|title=Halliwell's Film and Video Guide \|year=1997 \|page=379 \|publisher=[[w:HarperCollins\|HarperCollins]] \|isbn=0-00-638779-9}}</ref>

	The film was one of the 12 most popular movies at the British box office in 1965.<ref>"Most Popular Film Star." Times [London, England] 31 Dec. 1965: 13. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.</ref>		The film was one of the 12 most popular movies at the British box office in 1965.<ref>"Most Popular Film Star." Times [London, England] 31 Dec. 1965: 13. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.</ref>

Kurt: /* External links */

2022-11-17T22:00:39Z

External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:00, 17 November 2022
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	[[Category:Parody films based on James Bond films]]		[[Category:Parody films based on James Bond films]]
	[[Category:1960s English-language films]]		[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
			[[Category: British comedy films]]

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-11-17T19:08:32Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 14:08, 17 November 2022
(No difference)

en>Mandarax: Correct name

2022-10-24T20:18:12Z

Correct name

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Intelligence Men
| image = The Intelligence Men.jpg
| caption = DVD cover
| director = [[Robert Asher (director)|Robert Asher]]
| writer = [[Dick Hills and Sid Green]] <br> [[Peter Blackmore (screenwriter)|Peter Blackmore]]
| starring = [[Eric Morecambe]]<br />[[Ernie Wise]]<br />[[William Franklyn]]<br />[[April Olrich]]
| producer = [[Hugh Stewart (film editor)|Hugh Stewart]]
| music = [[Philip Green (composer)|Philip Green]]
| cinematography = [[Jack Asher]]
| editing = [[Gerry Hambling]]
| distributor = [[Rank Organisation]]
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1965|4|13|London}}
| runtime = 104 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
}}

'''''The Intelligence Men''''' is a 1965 [[comedy film]] starring the British comic duo [[Eric Morecambe]] and [[Ernie Wise]]. In the US, it was retitled '''''Spylarks'''''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPYLARKS-Eric-Morecambe-Ernie-Wise-MI5-UK-SPY-COMEDY-Vintage-US-Movie-Flyer-/311389748652 |title=SPYLARKS Eric Morecambe Ernie Wise MI5 UK SPY COMEDY Vintage US Movie Flyer | eBay |access-date=1 September 2017 |archive-date=2 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902045904/http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPYLARKS-Eric-Morecambe-Ernie-Wise-MI5-UK-SPY-COMEDY-Vintage-US-Movie-Flyer-/311389748652 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is subtitled "[[MI5|M.I.5]] plus 2 equals 0".

The film was successful enough to enable Morecambe and Wise to make two further films, ''[[That Riviera Touch]]'' and ''[[The Magnificent Two]]''.

==Plot==
Eric ([[Eric Morecambe]]), in his London coffee bar, is happily serving black coffee to a sinister-looking man ([[Tutte Lemkow]]) when the man tries to persuade him to remember a tune. Unfortunately, Eric is [[Tone deafness|tone-deaf]]. Ernie Sage ([[Ernie Wise]]) enters the coffee bar and Eric tries to get him to identify the tune, without much success. Eventually, Sage realises that this could be something to do with a forthcoming visit by a Russian trade delegation and an assassination attempt by an organisation known as "SCHLECHT" (a parody of [[SPECTRE]] from the [[James Bond]] films; the word is German for "bad" or "evil", although there is little evidence of German involvement to sabotage this mission).

He reports this to his superiors in [[Military Intelligence]] (although he is little more than an office-boy), and they reluctantly agree that only Eric, having heard the tune, will be able to lead them to the centre of the plot. Eric is persuaded to pose as a British agent – the recently deceased Major Cavendish – who had managed to infiltrate SCHLECHT. After a few set-piece comedy interludes, the tune is identified and the plot switches to a performance of ''[[Swan Lake]]'' at the projected venue for the assassination, where the star Russian ballerina Madame Petrovna ([[April Olrich]]) is in grave danger.

This section provides some of the funniest moments of the film: for example, Eric, masquerading as a Russian, adopts a broad Scottish highland accent; and during the ballet performance itself, Eric and Ernie, dressed in Egyptian costumes, get mixed up in the "[[Danse des petits cygnes|Dance of the Little Swans]]". Finally, however, the villain is unmasked and all ends happily.

==Cast==
*[[Eric Morecambe]] - Eric
*[[Ernie Wise]] - Ernie Sage
*[[William Franklyn]] - Colonel Grant
*[[April Olrich]] - Madame Petrovna
*[[Gloria Paul]] - Gina Carlotti
*[[Richard Vernon]] - Sir Edward Seabrook
*[[David Lodge (actor)|David Lodge]] - Stage Manager
*Jacqueline Jones - Karin
*[[Terence Alexander]] - Reed
*[[Francis Matthews (actor)|Francis Matthews]] - Thomas
*[[Warren Mitchell]] - Prozoroff
*[[Peter Bull]] - Philippe
*[[Tutte Lemkow]] - Seedy SCHLECHT Agent
*[[Brian Oulton]] - Laundry Basket Man
*Michael Peake - Sinister Stranger

==Reception==
Critic [[Leslie Halliwell]] awarded the film no stars, describing it as an "inept and rather embarrassing big-screen debut for two excellent television comedians".<ref>{{cite book |last=Halliwell |first=Leslie |authorlink=Leslie Halliwell |title=Halliwell's Film and Video Guide |year=1997 |page=379 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=0-00-638779-9}}</ref>

The film was one of the 12 most popular movies at the British box office in 1965.<ref>"Most Popular Film Star." Times [London, England] 31 Dec. 1965: 13. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0059315}}
*[http://www.morecambeandwise.com/ Eric And Ern - Keeping The Magic Alive **Book, Film, TV Reviews, Interviews**]

{{Morecambe and Wise}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Intelligence Men, The}}
[[Category:1965 films]]
[[Category:British spy comedy films]]
[[Category:Cold War spy films]]
[[Category:1960s spy comedy films]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
[[Category:Films directed by Robert Asher]]
[[Category:Morecambe and Wise]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:1965 comedy films]]
[[Category:Parody films based on James Bond films]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]