Kurt at 01:27, 9 February 2023

2023-02-09T01:27:52Z

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	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	\| name = Up the Front		\| name = Up the Front
	\| image = ~~File:~~"Up The Front" (1972).jpg		\| image = "Up The Front" (1972).jpg
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	\| caption = Theatrical poster		\| caption = Theatrical poster
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	[[Category:1970s English-language films]]		[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
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			[[Category:British comedy films]]

Kurt at 12:59, 5 October 2022

2022-10-05T12:59:33Z

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	{{use British English\|date=June 2016}}		{{use British English\|date=June 2016}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-10-05T00:36:20Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 19:36, 4 October 2022
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en>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: /* External links */add Category:1970s British films

2022-09-05T00:27:42Z

External links: add Category:1970s British films

New page

{{short description|1972 UK comedy film}}
{{Missing information|the film's production|date=May 2021}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Up the Front
| image = File:"Up The Front" (1972).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Theatrical poster
| director = [[Bob Kellett]]
| producer = Terry Glinwood [[Ned Sherrin]] [[Beryl Vertue]]
| writer = [[Sid Colin]] [[Eddie Braben]]
| narrator =
| starring = [[Frankie Howerd]] [[Bill Fraser]] [[Hermione Baddeley]]
| music = [[Peter Greenwell]]
| cinematography = Tony Spratling
| editing = Al Gell
| distributor = [[Anglo-EMI]]
| released = July 1972 UK
| runtime = 89 min
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Up the Front''''' is a 1972 British [[comedy film]] directed by [[Bob Kellett]] and starring [[Frankie Howerd]], [[Bill Fraser]], and [[Hermione Baddeley]]. It is the third film spin-off from the television series ''[[Up Pompeii!]]'' (the previous films being ''[[Up the Chastity Belt]]'' set in the Middle Ages which followed on from the ''Up Pompeii'' film). The plot concerns Lurk (a descendant of the slave Lurcio in Up Pompeii), a coward who is hypnotised into bravery.

==Plot==
Set during [[World War I]], Lurk, a lowly servant in the household of Lord and Lady Twithampton, is hypnotised by The Great Vincento and travels to the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] to "save England". Lurk is inspired to bravery, and upon receiving the German master plan for the entire war, which has through an unlikely series of events been tattooed onto his posterior, is pursued across France by German intelligence.

After breaking into the British military headquarters to deliver the plans into the hands of General Burke, he is confronted by the sensuous German spy [[Mata Hari]]. After foiling Mata Hari's scheme to relieve him of the plan, a hilarious scene develops in which he is pursued by the nefarious Von Gutz and his henchmen Donner and Blitzen. Accompanied by the [[Can-can|Can-Can]], performed by the Famous Buttercup Girls, Lurk is pursued around the Allied headquarters. Finally, disguised as a tree, he is able to present the plans to General Burke, to the famous line:

<blockquote>
General Burke: "Lurk, bend down." 
Lurk: "I thought you'd never ask!"
</blockquote>

Having successfully delivered the plans into the hands of British intelligence, Lurk receives a medal of honour and a promotion. He is therefore able to win the love of his beloved Fanny and defeat the machinations of the wicked Sgt. Major Groping.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Frankie Howerd]] as Lurk
* [[Bill Fraser]] as Groping
* [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]] as [[Mata Hari]]
* [[Stanley Holloway]] as The Great Vincento
* [[Hermione Baddeley]] as Monique
* [[Robert Coote]] as General Burke
* [[Lance Percival]] as Von Gutz
* [[Dora Bryan]] as Cora Crumpington
* [[William Mervyn]] as Lord Twithampton
* Linda Gray as Lady Twithampton
* [[Jonathan Cecil]] as Captain Nigel Phipps Fortescue
* [[Madeline Smith]] as Fanny
* [[Percy Herbert (actor)|Percy Herbert]] as Corporal Lovechild
* [[Peter Bull]] as General Von Kobler
* [[Vernon Dobtcheff]] as Muller
* [[Gertan Klauber]] as Donner
* [[Stanley Lebor]] as Blitzen
* [[Michael Brennan (actor)|Michael Brennan]] as M.P.
* Harvey Hall as M.P.
* [[David Battley]] as Midgeley the Cook
* [[Derek Griffiths]] as El Puncturo
* [[Mike Grady (actor)|Mike Grady]] as Newsboy
* [[Bob Hoskins]] as Recruiting Sergeant
* [[Robert Gillespie]] as French Officer
* [[Patricia Quinn (Northern Irish actress)|Patricia Quinn]] as Magda (Mata Hari's Maid)
}}

Bob Hoskins' brief appearance in the film represents his mainstream debut.

==Critical reception==
''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "the laughs come fast and furious when Howerd finds himself the recipient of the enemy's war plans--tattooed on his tush."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/115293/Up-the-Front/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306130604/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/115293/Up-the-Front/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-03-06 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=[[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide]] |author=Hal Erickson |title=Up-the-Front - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes |author-link=Hal Erickson (author) |date=2014 |access-date=2014-03-08}}</ref> ''[[TV Guide]]'' called the film "Inane nonsense."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.tvguide.com/up-the-front/review/121908 |title=Up The Front Review |publisher=Movies.tvguide.com |access-date=2014-03-08}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0069448|title=Up the Front}}

[[Category:1972 films]]
[[Category:1970s historical comedy films]]
[[Category:British historical comedy films]]
[[Category:British war comedy films]]
[[Category:Films shot at EMI-Elstree Studios]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1910s]]
[[Category:Western Front (World War I) films]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Mata Hari]]
[[Category:British satirical films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Bob Kellett]]
[[Category:Films based on television series]]
[[Category:Films about hypnosis]]
[[Category:EMI Films films]]
[[Category:1970s war comedy films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Peter Greenwell]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Sid Colin]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s British films]]

Up the Front - Revision history

Kurt at 01:27, 9 February 2023

Kurt at 12:59, 5 October 2022

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: /* External links */add Category:1970s British films