A review by John Chard

Written by John Chard on 2014-08-28

These Gentlemen are indeed extraordinary. The League of Gentlemen is directed by Basil Deardon and adapted to screenplay by Bryan Forbes from the novel written by John Boland. Forbes himself stars alongside Jack Hawkins, Nigel Patrick, Richard Attenborough, Roger Livesey, Kieron Moore, Terence Alexander, Norman Bird and Robert Coote. Music is by Philip Green and cinematography by Arthur Ibbetson. Splendid old chap, darn fine British entertainment as a roll call of Brit thesps and grafters enact a crime caper full of drama, sexual suggestion, humour and action. Plot is simple, Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Hyde (Hawkins), embittered after his decades of service to the army has counted for nothing, gathers up a band of not so merry men to enact a daring bank robbery. The men, all gentlemen scallywags with chequered pasts, have been selected for their various skills that were acquired during their own service to the forces. If they can pull it off, they will be made for life… Once the initial build up of character introductions and their respective lives has been cemented, film kicks on with a tale of men from different walks of life trying to bond together as one. They have to trust each other immeasurably, all the time while adhering to the regimental regime laid out by Hyde. The planning is intricate and fun, and this as some of the men try to balance matters of the heart back in their own homes, then it’s on to the action (which is two-fold Dirty Dozen style) and the subsequent aftermath. All of which leads to a bittersweet finale that’s simply joyous. There’s funny asides to army life and the food that dwells in the service! There’s machine gun etiquette and dangerous dames, choice dialogue and even an Oliver Reed cameo where he gays up! Older British movie fans will rejoice at seeing some of the location shots, and the use of the BSA motorcycle, while it’s always great to hear the word clot used as an insult. It’s a terrific caper movie awash with excellent character playing by a stoic and committed bunch of Briters. 8.5/10