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{{Infobox film | {{Infobox film | ||
| name = The Navy Lark | | name = The Navy Lark | ||
| image = The Navy Lark (film).jpg | | image = The Navy Lark (film).jpg | ||
| caption = | | caption = | ||
| director = [[ | | director = [[Gordon Parry (film director)|Gordon Parry]] | ||
| producer = [[ | | producer = [[Herbert Wilcox|Herbert Wilcox]] | ||
| writer = Laurie Wyman<br>[[ | | writer = Laurie Wyman<br>[[Sid Colin|Sid Colin]] | ||
| narrator = | | narrator = | ||
| starring = | | starring = | ||
| music = [[ | | music = [[Tommy Reilly (harmonica player)|Tommy Reilly]] | ||
| cinematography = [[ | | cinematography = [[Gordon Dines|Gordon Dines]] | ||
| editing = Basil Warren | | editing = Basil Warren | ||
| distributor = [[ | | distributor = [[Twentieth Century-Fox|Twentieth Century-Fox]] | ||
| released = {{Film date|1959}} | | released = {{Film date|1959}} | ||
| runtime = 78 minutes | | runtime = 78 minutes | ||
| Line 22: | Line 19: | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''''The Navy Lark''''' is a 1959 British [[ | '''''The Navy Lark''''' is a 1959 British [[comedy film|comedy film]] based on ''[[The Navy Lark|The Navy Lark]]'' radio series broadcast on the [[BBC Light Programme|BBC Light Programme]].<ref name = "nyt">{{cite web | url = https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/103688/The-Navy-Lark/overview | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091005132927/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/103688/The-Navy-Lark/overview | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2009-10-05 | department = Movies & TV Dept. | work = [[The New York Times|The New York Times]] | publisher = [[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide|All Movie Guide]] | author = Eleanor Mannikka | date = 2009 | title = The Navy Lark (1959)| access-date=2008-08-30}}</ref> It featured [[Cecil Parker]], [[Ronald Shiner]] and [[Leslie Phillips|Leslie Phillips]], [[Gordon Jackson (actor)|Gordon Jackson]] and [[Hattie Jacques]]. It was filmed mainly at [[West Bay, Dorset|West Bay]], [[Bridport|Bridport]], [[Dorset|Dorset]]. Only Phillips had appeared on the radio version – all other parts were recast.<ref name="hello">''Hello: The Autobiography'', Leslie Phillips, Orion, 2006</ref> The film was produced at [[Walton-on-Thames|Walton-on-Thames]]. | ||
==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
Captain Povey has built a reputation for shutting down redundant naval bases, and now has his eye on the [[ | Captain Povey has built a reputation for shutting down redundant naval bases, and now has his eye on the [[minesweeping|minesweeping]] detachment on Boonsey (a fictional [[Channel Islands|Channel Island]], {{convert|55|mi|abbr=on}} off [[Portsmouth|Portsmouth]]). Arriving on inspection, he is told tales of finding many [[Naval mine|mines]] in the sea there and, not believing them, goes out in the minesweeper HMS ''Compton'' (played by HMS ''[[HMS Reedham (M2723)|Reedham]]''). The crew were supposed to find "Bessy", a mine-shaped object used to collect Lifeboat funds but found a real mine instead, which Pouter bashes about in an effort to take it apart. Released, it explodes nearby and this convinces Povey that the incompetents there are not up to the job and he decides on using a competent crew to do the job. | ||
Chief Petty Officer Banyard uses his "Pullson's Fulminator Mark III" trick (it does not exist) to delay their decommissioning and what started off as a thin folder goes around the military offices and comes back to Povey's office as a mountain of paper work. He sees through it and goes back to the island only to be told there has been an outbreak of "[[ | Chief Petty Officer Banyard uses his "Pullson's Fulminator Mark III" trick (it does not exist) to delay their decommissioning and what started off as a thin folder goes around the military offices and comes back to Povey's office as a mountain of paper work. He sees through it and goes back to the island only to be told there has been an outbreak of "[[Yellow Fever|Yellow Fever]]" there. He is taken in and leaves but decides to return and the trick is revealed as life is back to normal there. Now more than ever he is determined to shut them all down. | ||
Gaston Higgins, a Frenchman, owns the local bar and when he gets drunk he talks of revolution and kicking the British off the island. They decide to use him and say they are under siege from revolutionaries. Povey knows this is another trick and officially gives them three days to leave the island, but his bosses and the government believe the story when they get reports from a reporter, Lieutenant Binns, who was sent there to take photographs. Questions are asked by the British and French governments and Povey's career is on the line as he is told to sort this out as the British do not run from the French. | Gaston Higgins, a Frenchman, owns the local bar and when he gets drunk he talks of revolution and kicking the British off the island. They decide to use him and say they are under siege from revolutionaries. Povey knows this is another trick and officially gives them three days to leave the island, but his bosses and the government believe the story when they get reports from a reporter, Lieutenant Binns, who was sent there to take photographs. Questions are asked by the British and French governments and Povey's career is on the line as he is told to sort this out as the British do not run from the French. | ||
Povey goes to the island and a fake attack on Gaston and his men is launched but Povey finds out it was all a hoax. Ready to hand out [[ | Povey goes to the island and a fake attack on Gaston and his men is launched but Povey finds out it was all a hoax. Ready to hand out [[court martial|court martial]]s all round, Povey is confronted with a picture Binns took of him leading an all-out attack on what is now known to be a hoax, which will be front-page news across the world tomorrow. Stanton talks him into seeing sense and Povey, with his career in tatters if it gets out, tears up his report. He leaves and life goes back to normal on the island. On the way back to Portsmouth, their boat hits another real sea mine and Povey, Binns and the others are left to swim back to base. | ||
==Cast== | ==Cast== | ||
* [[Cecil Parker]] as Commander Stanton | * [[Cecil Parker]] as Commander Stanton | ||
* [[Ronald Shiner]] as Chief Petty Officer Banyard | * [[Ronald Shiner]] as Chief Petty Officer Banyard | ||
* [[ | * [[Leslie Phillips|Leslie Phillips]] as Lieutenant Pouter | ||
* [[ | * [[Elvi Hale|Elvi Hale]] as Leading WREN Heather Stark | ||
* [[Nicholas Phipps]] as Captain Povey | * [[Nicholas Phipps]] as Captain Povey | ||
* [[Cardew Robinson]] as Lieutenant Binns | * [[Cardew Robinson]] as Lieutenant Binns | ||
* [[ | * [[Gordon Jackson (actor)|Gordon Jackson]] as Leading Seaman Johnson. Jackson actually was born in Glasgow, where his character in the film was born. | ||
* [[ | * [[Harold Kasket|Harold Kasket]] as Gaston Higgins | ||
* [[Hattie Jacques]] as Fortune Teller | * [[Hattie Jacques]] as Fortune Teller | ||
* [[Reginald Beckwith]] as CNI | * [[Reginald Beckwith]] as CNI | ||
* [[ | * [[Kenneth J. Warren|Kenneth J. Warren]] as Brown | ||
* [[ | * [[Wanda Ventham|Wanda Ventham]] as Mabel. | ||
* [[ | * [[Richard Coleman|Richard Coleman]] as Lieutenant Bates | ||
* [[ | * [[Llewellyn Rees|Llewellyn Rees]] as Admiral Troutbridge. This is a nod to the radio series where the ship is called HMS Troutbridge, the ship being named after the Admiral. | ||
* [[ | * [[Clive Morton|Clive Morton]] as Rear Admiral | ||
* [[ | * [[Gordon Harris (actor)|Gordon Harris]] as Group Captain | ||
* Van Boolen as Fred | * Van Boolen as Fred | ||
* Gordon Whiting as Commander | * Gordon Whiting as Commander | ||
* [[ | * [[Tom Gill (actor)|Tom Gill]] as Naval Commander | ||
* [[ | * [[Walter Hudd|Walter Hudd]] as Naval Captain. 12 months after the release of this film, he played the Admiral aboard HMS Hood in the film Sink the Bismarck (1960). | ||
==Relationship to Radio Series== | ==Relationship to Radio Series== | ||
According to [[Jon Pertwee]]'s co-written memoir, published shortly after his death in 1996, the film was also supposed to star Pertwee and [[Dennis Price]], both of whom were key members of the cast in the original radio series. However, according to Pertwee this did not happen as the film's producer [[ | According to [[Jon Pertwee]]'s co-written memoir, published shortly after his death in 1996, the film was also supposed to star Pertwee and [[Dennis Price]], both of whom were key members of the cast in the original radio series. However, according to Pertwee this did not happen as the film's producer [[Herbert Wilcox|Herbert Wilcox]] refused to employ Price "because he was gay." Pertwee stated that he was among those who objected to Price not being in the film and believed that this contributed to his own replacement in the cast by Shiner. Pertwee noted that the film "bombed" and believed that this was due to the fact that audiences did not consider the film to be ''The Navy Lark'' due to the absence of himself, Price and fellow radio series cast member [[Stephen Murray (actor)|Stephen Murray]].<ref name="PertweeHowe">{{cite book |last1=Pertwee |first1=Jon |last2=Howe |first2=David J. |title=I am the Doctor:Jon Pertwee's Final Memoir |date=1996 |publisher=Doctor Who Books, Virgin Publishing Ltd |location=London |isbn=1-85227-621-5|page=20}}</ref> A nod to the radio series appears during the fake revolution in the news headlines of ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Daily Telegraph]]'' referring to "Admiral Troutbridge". | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 70: | Line 67: | ||
[[Category:1959 films]] | [[Category:1959 films]] | ||
[[Category:1959 comedy films]] | [[Category:1959 comedy films]] | ||
[[Category:Films directed by Gordon Parry]] | [[Category:Films directed by Gordon Parry]] | ||
[[Category:Films set on fictional islands]] | [[Category:Films set on fictional islands]] | ||
| Line 81: | Line 77: | ||
[[Category:1950s English-language films]] | [[Category:1950s English-language films]] | ||
[[Category:1950s British films]] | [[Category:1950s British films]] | ||
[[Category:British comedy films]] | |||
[[Category:British military comedy films]] | |||
[[Category:British maritime comedy films]] | |||
Latest revision as of 17:48, 10 February 2023
| The Navy Lark | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Gordon Parry |
| Written by | Laurie Wyman Sid Colin |
| Produced by | Herbert Wilcox |
| Cinematography | Gordon Dines |
| Edited by | Basil Warren |
| Music by | Tommy Reilly |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Navy Lark is a 1959 British comedy film based on The Navy Lark radio series broadcast on the BBC Light Programme.[1] It featured Cecil Parker, Ronald Shiner and Leslie Phillips, Gordon Jackson and Hattie Jacques. It was filmed mainly at West Bay, Bridport, Dorset. Only Phillips had appeared on the radio version – all other parts were recast.[2] The film was produced at Walton-on-Thames.
Plot
Captain Povey has built a reputation for shutting down redundant naval bases, and now has his eye on the minesweeping detachment on Boonsey (a fictional Channel Island, 55 mi (89 km) off Portsmouth). Arriving on inspection, he is told tales of finding many mines in the sea there and, not believing them, goes out in the minesweeper HMS Compton (played by HMS Reedham). The crew were supposed to find "Bessy", a mine-shaped object used to collect Lifeboat funds but found a real mine instead, which Pouter bashes about in an effort to take it apart. Released, it explodes nearby and this convinces Povey that the incompetents there are not up to the job and he decides on using a competent crew to do the job.
Chief Petty Officer Banyard uses his "Pullson's Fulminator Mark III" trick (it does not exist) to delay their decommissioning and what started off as a thin folder goes around the military offices and comes back to Povey's office as a mountain of paper work. He sees through it and goes back to the island only to be told there has been an outbreak of "Yellow Fever" there. He is taken in and leaves but decides to return and the trick is revealed as life is back to normal there. Now more than ever he is determined to shut them all down.
Gaston Higgins, a Frenchman, owns the local bar and when he gets drunk he talks of revolution and kicking the British off the island. They decide to use him and say they are under siege from revolutionaries. Povey knows this is another trick and officially gives them three days to leave the island, but his bosses and the government believe the story when they get reports from a reporter, Lieutenant Binns, who was sent there to take photographs. Questions are asked by the British and French governments and Povey's career is on the line as he is told to sort this out as the British do not run from the French.
Povey goes to the island and a fake attack on Gaston and his men is launched but Povey finds out it was all a hoax. Ready to hand out court martials all round, Povey is confronted with a picture Binns took of him leading an all-out attack on what is now known to be a hoax, which will be front-page news across the world tomorrow. Stanton talks him into seeing sense and Povey, with his career in tatters if it gets out, tears up his report. He leaves and life goes back to normal on the island. On the way back to Portsmouth, their boat hits another real sea mine and Povey, Binns and the others are left to swim back to base.
Cast
- Cecil Parker as Commander Stanton
- Ronald Shiner as Chief Petty Officer Banyard
- Leslie Phillips as Lieutenant Pouter
- Elvi Hale as Leading WREN Heather Stark
- Nicholas Phipps as Captain Povey
- Cardew Robinson as Lieutenant Binns
- Gordon Jackson as Leading Seaman Johnson. Jackson actually was born in Glasgow, where his character in the film was born.
- Harold Kasket as Gaston Higgins
- Hattie Jacques as Fortune Teller
- Reginald Beckwith as CNI
- Kenneth J. Warren as Brown
- Wanda Ventham as Mabel.
- Richard Coleman as Lieutenant Bates
- Llewellyn Rees as Admiral Troutbridge. This is a nod to the radio series where the ship is called HMS Troutbridge, the ship being named after the Admiral.
- Clive Morton as Rear Admiral
- Gordon Harris as Group Captain
- Van Boolen as Fred
- Gordon Whiting as Commander
- Tom Gill as Naval Commander
- Walter Hudd as Naval Captain. 12 months after the release of this film, he played the Admiral aboard HMS Hood in the film Sink the Bismarck (1960).
Relationship to Radio Series
According to Jon Pertwee's co-written memoir, published shortly after his death in 1996, the film was also supposed to star Pertwee and Dennis Price, both of whom were key members of the cast in the original radio series. However, according to Pertwee this did not happen as the film's producer Herbert Wilcox refused to employ Price "because he was gay." Pertwee stated that he was among those who objected to Price not being in the film and believed that this contributed to his own replacement in the cast by Shiner. Pertwee noted that the film "bombed" and believed that this was due to the fact that audiences did not consider the film to be The Navy Lark due to the absence of himself, Price and fellow radio series cast member Stephen Murray.[3] A nod to the radio series appears during the fake revolution in the news headlines of The Daily Telegraph referring to "Admiral Troutbridge".
References
- ^ Eleanor Mannikka (2009). "The Navy Lark (1959)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ Hello: The Autobiography, Leslie Phillips, Orion, 2006
- ^ Pertwee, Jon; Howe, David J. (1996). I am the Doctor:Jon Pertwee's Final Memoir. London: Doctor Who Books, Virgin Publishing Ltd. p. 20. ISBN 1-85227-621-5.
External links
- The Navy Lark at IMDb
- The Navy Lark is available for free download at the Internet Archive
Categories:
- Articles with short description
- 1959 films
- Template film date with 1 release date
- IMDb title ID not in Wikidata
- Articles with Internet Archive links
- 1959 comedy films
- Films directed by Gordon Parry
- Films set on fictional islands
- Military humor in film
- CinemaScope films
- Films with screenplays by Sid Colin
- Films based on radio series
- Films shot in Dorset
- Films set in the Channel Islands
- 1950s English-language films
- 1950s British films
- British comedy films
- British military comedy films
- British maritime comedy films
