Too Many Crooks (1959)

The house of Ealing delivers another rewarding comedy.

A group of bumbling crooks led by the accident prone Fingers, fail in their attempt to rob mega rich miser Billy Gordon, they reconvene to hatch a plan where they will kidnap Gordon's daughter and hold her to ransom. But instead of kidnapping the pretty daughter they mistakingly in the night snatch the wife Lucy, who upon finding out that Billy is not prepared to pay to get her back, plots her revenge with the aid of her captors.

That this film is above average is purely down to its fine cast list, carry on stalwarts Sid James & Bernard Bresslaw join George Cole to form the nucleus of the lovable rogue gang. Taking in his stride the role of playboy scallywag miser Billy, is Terry-Thomas, who gives his usual masterful show of devilish twitches and one line gruff deliveries. Taking lead female duties is the always wonderful Brenda De Banzie as Lucy Gordon, and on reflection she is the glue that binds the picture together.

Some wonderful scenes in this one linger long in the memory, the bumbled kidnap by way of a fake funeral is simply marvellous, but par for the course is that Thomas invariably steals the show with a series of great sequences. Witness his repeated attempts at recovering his hidden loot from a burning house, and his appearance in court in front of the ever incredulous John Le Mesurier. Too Many Crooks delivers for those after a good honest British comedy backed up by a sterling cast who know what it takes to make the Michael Pertwee screenplay work. 7/10