Band of Thieves

Although credited only as the film's producer, it would be interesting to know how much influence Lance Comfort exercised over credited director Peter Bezencenet, previously an editor (which would however account for the slick way it glides along); with the photography entrusted to Nicolas Roeg, no less!

"Mr. Acker Bilk" (as he is billed in the opening credits) is plainly no actor and when not playing his clarinet is almost invisible in his own film, and more lines are wisely given to the likes of Geoffrey Sumner & Arthur Mullard.

Mr Acker Bilk is in jail!

However the jazz loving governor is keen to have Acker Bilk and his prison jazz band entertaining the inmates. They even get some hot cocoa before lights out.

When they are released, a dotty duchess hooks the band up with a socialite called Dandy.

He arranges the Band of Thieves to go on a national tour. It just happens to coincide with some stately homes being robbed. It was the reason why Dandy wanted them in the first place.

The finale will be a diamond necklace being stolen before the band hop it to Amsterdam for a gig.

This is a frothy silly story. The prison governor even plans to resign as he misses the band so much after they are released.

I was even surprised that the band members could break into a safe when they had no skills for it.

It really is a movie where Acker Bilk gets to play some trad jazz. The acting is left to the others.

Not a stranger on the shore to be heard though.

In the early 1960s trad jazz was all the rage with the likes of Kenny Ball and Acker bilk leading the charge.Here a film is fashioned round the acting ability or lack of it from Acker Bilk.There is therefore numerous musical numbers intertwined with a rather nebulous and almost non existent plot about the theft of jewelery.The film is supported by a number of well known character actors of the time including Geoffrey Sumner,George Cooper and Arthur Mullard.The music is very pleasant and very nostalgic for anyone for lived through the period.given that the running time is only 69 minutes it does not outstay its welcome.It is currently being shown on Simply movies.

Band Of Thieves (1962) -

This whole film was a bit forced and more like a sketch from a TV comedy, something akin to 'Benny Hill' or 'Kenny Everett'.

And as my Mother said while we watched "They didn't spend a lot of money on this one, did they?", because it really didn't seem like they had. It was all very rushed and clearly hadn't had a lot of thought given to it or a proper editor and director working on it, let alone a decent writer.

In fact it was a bit like a jazz album was playing, but with pauses for odd conversations, while the main action of the film was skirted over just to show and play the music. I could understand that they were trying to make something that built on Acker Bilk's popularity, but this just seemed to be that the band were used for a gimmick, because the story really wasn't delivered very well at all.

If there had been one robbery instead of 6 and the whole band had taken part, like some sort of 'Oceans 11/Eleven' (1960/2001) or 'The Lavender Hill Mob' (1951), it could have had much more potential like a 'Carry On' or 'St Trinian's' film, but even 'Carry On Columbus' (1992) could rival this one.

And apart from the music, Acker Bilk and his band weren't actually that entertaining. The film was clearly sold on his fame, but I didn't think that it was really enough or worth it.

Even the humour, whilst in places it was potentially smutty for the time, was generally very, very tame, slapstick and otherwise lacking in puns.

At least Jimmy Thompson could act and deliver comic timing or the entire film would have been completely lost.

If I hadn't had Facebook to look through, I'd have been very bored, but at least I had that trad jazz soundtrack to listen to, which wasn't offensive, but that's about all I can say.

223.76/1000.

A threadbare and absurd storyline, third rate dialogue and acting which can be best described as wooden, renders this film unwatchable! The film is essentially a homage to 'trad jazz' with a contrived, cobbled together story. There is little action and without any stand out personalities, the film ends up a real bore! It has a curiosity value, as 'trad jazz' bands like Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball, gained a substantial degree of commercial success in the charts between 1960 & 1962. However, by the autumn of 1963, that was all set to change with the arrival of the Beatles and other pop groups, who offered teenagers a far more exciting and vibrant style of music. 'Band of Thieves' when it was released in 1962, looks and sounds like a cheaply made film, quickly released to capitalise on the passing trad jazz fad! This film should be consigned to the museum of low budget early pop 60's films!