The Cuckoo Patrol

I don't really remember a great deal about this film as i was only about six years old at the time. My father, Harry Bennett aka Crafty Casey Pye played the part of one of the wrestlers called the black gorillas, alongside his tag partner Dominic Pye. Dominic is listed on the cast list but the other black gorilla is listed as a Bill Turney, I know this isn't correct but don't know who Bill Turney is/was and why . My mum says there was a mix up at the time, she seems to remember.

I would be interested in obtaining a copy of this film, can anyone help, i have sent a message to stephen-50 who has previously made a comment about this film.

Thank you for your help Michelle

This must surely be a candidate for the worst film ever : certainly the worst British film, the worst sixties film, and the most unfunny 'comedy'. Freddie and the Dreamers were never big enough stars to carry a film and in any case were by 1967 when the film appeared, already past their use by date. There isn't a single decent 'gag' in the whole sorry mess, the 'acting' is uniformly dire and the likes of John le Mesurier must surely have been embarrassed to be associated with it. If I say that Kenneth Connor (of 'Carry On' fame) was taking a step DOWN in terms of quality and subtlety to appear in this appalling drivel, it might convey how truly awful it is. It's a mystery how it even got made, let alone released. Excruciatingly poor.

I watch all genre of films, even if I see bad reviews. I like to make my own mind up. But this film is nothing but an absolute disaster and I find it very embarrassing to say I'm British. Never been a big Kenneth Connor fan and this has done him no favours at all. His acting, if you can call it that, is abysmal and cringe worthy. There are a few well known faces which must have felt very embarrassed to have their name associated with this drivel. Freddie and the Dreamers where more like a nightmare. This so far is the worst film I have ever seen and likely to be the only one as it will certainly take some beating. Avoid please....I have warned you!!

In answer to another comment from someone who wondered whether this film had been released, I can assure him/her that it was. I remember seeing the photographs outside a London cinema around 1967 or 1968. If I remember correctly, Freddie Garity was dressed as a boy scout. As a boy scout myself at the time I can tell you that each troop is divided into patrols, and that each patrol is named after an animal or a bird.

By that time, Freddie and the Dreamers were past their sell-by date. I did not want to see an overgrown Freddie playing a boy scout, so it did not take much willpower to resist the urge to enter the cinema.

With hindsight, I can see that Freddie and Co were unique in rock music, and were a better band than people give them credit for. But, at the time, pop stars were put in films that were usually absolute crap. The only film of this kind that I have found impressive is Adam Faith in Mix Me a Person.

I cannot understand all the damming reviews here - by adults.

This is a children's film, so of course adults are not going to necessarily find it funny. My 8 year old son really enjoyed it - in the same slapstick way I enjoyed Punch and Judy as a kid. There are quite a few famous faces in this film, and I thought it was well put together as a sort of loony/panto mish mash children's comedy.

I would rather they watched this than some of the dark and disturbing rubbish thats put on today!