The Cracksman

This was Associated Britsh Picture Corporation's third attempt to turn popular television comedian Charlie Drake into a big screen star. To say that this is a notch up on the previous effort (Petticoat Pirates) is not saying much, but at least this is a properly constructed vehicle for Drake rather than a series of irrelevant scenes inserted into an existing story. In this movie Drake actually has a character name and the fact that he is in nearly every scene will either please or appal you depending on your tolerance of the character. The Drake films were clearly intended to be ABPC's answer to Rank's Norman Wisdom films, which had had ten years of box office success but by 1963 were beginning to flag. Unfortunately, public tastes were marching relentlessly on to the swinging sixties and the appetite for sentimental "little man" comedy was on the wane. Even if you are a Charlie Drake fan, the main problem with this effort is the glacial pace. It is at least thirty minutes too long, mainly due to the profusion of slapstick set pieces. As with Petticoat Pirates, ABPC quite unnecessarily shot this in CinemaScope and Technicolor and filled it with familiar British comedy actors including Ronnie Barker having a pre-Porridge spell behind bars and ultra smooth Patrick Cargill trying to play common. If you must watch a Charlie Drake movie, this is probably the best, but that is not much of a recommendation.