Adolf Hitler – My Part in His Downfall – 1972 | 102 mins | Comedy, War | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Zany World War II comedy based on the cynical wartime memoirs of acerbic comedian Spike Milligan. Norman Cohen’s undemanding screen adaptation is comprised of amusing anecdotes but lacks the anarchic humour or pathos that could have been extracted from the films premise. Milligan steals many a scene playing his own father, whilst Jim Dale is patently too old to portray the youthful conscript Spike.

Young jazz trumpeter Spike (Jim Dale) is enjoying a carefree existence when news arrives that Germany has invaded Poland and war is a distinct possibility – and thus it follows that Spike is enlisted when war breaks out. The story chronicles the adventures of Spike and his motley pals during his time as a naive conscript, as their rigorous basic training with the Royal Artillery at Bexhill gradually degenerates into a chaotic free-for-all. Spikes adventures include gunnery practise with an ancient artillery piece, witnessing his first dead German, a farcical inter-company boxing match and slapstick military manoeuvres.