| The Cracksman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Peter Graham Scott |
| Produced by | W. A. Whittaker |
| Starring | Charlie Drake Nyree Dawn Porter George Sanders Dennis Price |
| Cinematography | Harry Waxman |
| Edited by | Richard Best |
| Music by | Ron Goodwin |
| Production company | Associated British Picture Corporation |
| Distributed by | Warner-Pathé Distributors |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Cracksman is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Charlie Drake.
Plot
Honest but naive locksmith Ernest Wright believes that everybody is equally honest. First, he is duped by a debonair con man into opening a car. He is caught but given probation. Next, the same man fools him into breaking into a house, and again he is caught while the villain escapes. After release from jail he gets tricked into opening a safe, for which he receives a three-year jail sentence. On arrival in prison, he finds he has a reputation as a master thief. On release, he is manipulated by two gangs into a safe-cracking scheme but, with the help of undercover policewoman Muriel, he helps trap the crooks and clear his name.
Portions of the film satirise the films Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and Dr. No (1962), Drake's 1961 hit song My Boomerang Won't Come Back, and the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London.
Cast
- Charlie Drake as Ernest Wright
- Nyree Dawn Porter as Muriel
- George Sanders as Guv'nor
- Dennis Price as Grantley
- Percy Herbert as Nosher Jenkins
- Eddie Byrne as Domino
- Finlay Currie as Feathers
- Geoffrey Keen as Magistrate
- George A. Cooper as Fred
- Patrick Cargill as Museum Guide
- Norman Bird as Policeman
- Neil McCarthy as Van Gogh
- Christopher Rhodes as Mr. King
- Ronnie Barker as Yossle
- Wanda Ventham as Sandra
- Jerold Wells as Chief Prison Officer
- Tutte Lemkow as Choreographer
- Richard Leech as Detective Sergeant
- Robert Shaw as Moke
Production
Wright's shop was filmed in Whitecross Street, London. The prison locations were HM Prison Wandsworth and HM Prison Aylesbury. The Tiki nightclub exterior was in Buckingham Street, London WC2.
Delia Derbyshire created the sound for the "In a Monastery Garden" sequence. The instrument is, in her words, "an E♭safe-unlocking mechanism."
Reception
Variety said: "Drake, who decided that he was going to take it easy after injuring himself doing his own stunts, falls back into slapstick literally in this film. He is swept down a sewer, crashed through a door, bodily flung into the boot of a car and he endures several other physical indignities for the sake of laughs. Trouble is that most of the comedy situations are stretched too long. Some more astute cutting by editor Richard Best would have added a tang to the screenplay and Peter Graham Scott’s lively direction."
The New York Times called the film a "colorful slapstick comedy".
Leslie Halliwell said: "The most elaborate vehicle devised for this diminutive star; despite bright moments, conventional mounting and over-generous length finally defeat it."
The Radio Times Film Guide gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "A muddle of slapstick and pathos, the film is ridiculously overlong and needlessly opulent."
References
- ^ "The Cracksman". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- Derbysire, Delia (25 April 1963). "Delia's typewritten invoice for her music for The Cracksman". Wikidata. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- "The Cracksman". Variety. 7 August 1963.
- Pavlides, Dan (19 May 2011). "The Cracksman (1963)". New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 227. ISBN 0-586-08894-6.
- Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 206. ISBN 9780992936440.
External links
- The Cracksman at IMDb
- The Cracksman at ReelStreets