Otley – 1968 | 91 mins | Comedy | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Entertaining if uneven comedy-thriller adapted from theMartin Waddell comic novels by TV writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. DirectorClement keeps events unfolding at a brisk pace and the meandering plot neverceases in finding embarrassing predicaments for the hapless Otley. TomCourtenay creates a sympathetic character out of the cowardly, sardonic, pettythief who finds himself in the dangerous world of espionage. There’s marvellous support from both LeonardRossiter and Freddie Jones.

Gerald Arthur Otley (Tom Courtenay), a not-altogetherhonest antique dealer in the Portobello Road market, is evicted by his landladyand offered a bed for the night by close friend Eric Lambert (EdwardHardwicke). Unbeknown to Otley, Lambert is a smuggler, and when he’sassassinated during the night, Otley finds himself waking up from a drunkenstupor on Gatwick airport runway and pursued by various intelligence agencieswho have mistaken him for a master spy.

The first to accost him are British intelligence inthe shape of Hendrickson (James Villiers) and Imogen (Romy Schneider), who interrogatehim about an organisation called ICS. They believe him to be innocent, but oncefreed he is immediately captured by ICS, a world news organisation led by the colourfulPhilip Proudfoot (Freddie Jones). Proudfoot needs to ensure Otley knowsnothing, so sends him to the farm of oddball coach-driving assassin Johnson (LeonardRossiter), who is to hold the antique-dealing petty thief while they decidewhat to do next.

ICS require Otley to do one task, an exchange with Hendricksonat Notting Hill Gate underground station, but events take an unexpected twistand the captive is free to take his scheduled driving test. But once again theincreasingly frustrated antique-dealer finds himself pursued by agents duringan ensuing car chase round London. Otley is delivered to British intelligence’sSir Alex Hadrian (Alan Badel), who offers him a large sum of money to become‘legit’ and go undercover.