Crooks Anonymous

Crooks Anonymous is directed by Ken Annakin and written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies. It stars Leslie Phillips, Stanley Baxter, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Julie Christie, James Robertson Justice and Pauline Jameson. Music is by Muir Matheson and George Martin and cinematography by Ernest Steward. Plot finds Phillips as a habitual criminal who is desperately trying to go straight for his gorgeous girlfriend (Christie). He enrols at Crooks Anonymous, a secretive organisation run by Hyde-White that uses interesting tactics to wean their clients off the thieve.

Out of Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors, Crooks Anonymous is the kind of innocuous black and white British comedy that gets in and does its entertaining job without fuss or pointless filler. Cast are most agreeable, the story has the requisite daftness about it, and it's all smiles come the finale. Trick of the narrative is having us the audience be on the side of the thieving bounder, who is wonderfully essayed by the suave Phillips. That he wants to do right by the scrummy Miss Christie (her first year of big screen acting) obviously resonates with the red blooded male members of the audience, but that he is so charming, elegant even when relieving unsuspecting members of the public of their possessions, really has all comers cheering the gentleman cad on! Fun is garnered here from the tactics used by Hyde-White to get Phillips on the straight, methods such as booby trapped safes bring the joy, as does the many guises used by an on form Stanley Baxter. While a flip flop for the Christmas set finale has a delicious ironical flavour to it. There's nothing overtly side-splitting about the film, and definitely there's no raucous-like-screwball histrionics within either, this is just good old enjoyable fare from a production company who had a particularly good track record in the light entertainment department. 7/10

Dandy Forsdyke (Leslie Phillips) is a career criminal who has no desire to work--just steal and lie his way through life. However, his girlfriend, Babette (Julie Christie), has no patience for his conduct even though she inexplicably loves him. So, she gives him an ultimatum- -either change and live a respectable and legal life or she's leaving him. Dandy is in a bind--he loves being a crook but loves the girl even more, so he vows to change. On his own, however, he hasn't a prayer of going straight so he enlists the help of a philanthropic organization-- Crooks Anonymous! C.A. is much like a drug or alcohol treatment program except that it treats thieves...but in the most unconventional way. I would say more about C.A.'s methods, but you just have to see them to appreciate them!

Later in the movie, Dandy has apparently changed--and certainly for the better. However, even with the help of C.A., what is Dandy to do when he's given the chance to do a nearly perfect crime with very little risk. After all, it drops right into his lap! Well, what happens next is also something you'll just need to see for yourself--and it's quite clever and funny.

I had a hard time deciding whether to score this o 7 or an 8--either way it's very original and quite cute. Well worth seeing.

Crooks Anonymous certainly has a refreshing story that elevates it from being a sub par Carry On type comedy.

Captain Forsdyke (Leslie Phillips) is a career criminal always tempted by pickpocketing and safecracking. His real name is Cox and never even seen real service. His girlfriend Babette (Julie Christie) a showgirl wants him to go straight.

Babette comes across a group called Crooks Anonymous, founded by Mr Montague (Wilfrid Hyde-White) they help hardened criminals go straight.

Forsdyke is taken by Brother Widdowes (Stanley Baxter) during a robbery when he is disguised as a policeman and taken to the Crooks Anonymous headquarters. Forsdyke admits to Montague that he wants to give up the life of crime and marry Babette.

During his time the society puts him through numerous tests to help him give up his former life such as locking him in a room filled with safes, which contain cigarettes, food, drink and a number of booby traps which make opening them hazardous.

Forsdyke finally manages to succeed in being resisting temptation to an opportunistic crime and is released into society where he gets a job as Father Christmas in a department store. He is also set to marry Babette.

However one night a perfect opportunity to commit a crime arises, he rings Crooks Anonymous, but each time they send someone round to rescue him, they also succumb to temptation.

The film has some 1960s Swinging London tropes, such as Christie as the glamorous blonde but what it has going is a sly story of villains made to go straight told with charm. Stanley Baxter has a hoot donning various disguises as he outwits Forsdyke at every turn. There are a host of familiar character actors that were a staple of 1960s British cinema, catch Dick Emery early on in the movie.

This has got to be one of the most least reviewed films of the century. It deserves far more praise than it actually gets. The cast is excellently cast for the roles because they all look so convincing as criminals, especially Stanley Baxter as Brother Widdows. Definitely one of Leslie Phillips most finest films, definitely the one to watch for good old black and white comedy.

Stripper Julie Christie tells Leslie Phillips it's over unless he reforms. He finds CROOKS ANONYMOUS is the organization to help him tread the straight and narrow. However, can they do the same under his influence?

The usual suspects show up, including Wilfred Hyde-White as the head of the reforming organization, James Robertson Justice as the obnoxious head of a department store on Christmas eve and Stanley Baxter as a Dwight Frye sort of master of disguise. Ken Annakin's comedy is rather brittle, but all the parts work.

The movie is Julie Christie's film debut, and the camera, under the supervision of Ernest Steward, clearly lusts for her. No matter where she is in the shot, it seems lit to feature her liberally visible body.... or perhaps it's just me. The early 1960s was a time when ogling but (barely) censor-compliant comedies seemed to be the only thing keeping the British film industry afloat. As the only young woman in sight, Miss Christie was the obvious choice for rubbernecking.Nonetheless, it's clear that the camera loves her.