Go to Blazes

Dave King - Bernard
Robert Morley - Arson Eddie
Daniel Massey - Harry
Dennis Price - Withers
Coral Browne - Colette
Norman Rossington - Alfie
Maggie Smith - Chantal
Miles Malleson - Salesman
Wilfrid Lawson - Scrap Dealer
David Lodge - Sergeant
John Welsh - Chief Fire Officer
Finlay Currie - Judge
James Hayter - Pipe Smoker
Derek Nimmo - Fish Fancier
Diane Clare - Girl Lover
Dudley Sutton - Boy Lover
John Le Mesurier - Fisherman
Arthur Lowe - Warder

Slow-burning and derivative comedy directed by ex-Ealing editor Michael Truman about three hapless crooks with a fire engine as their getaway car. Judging by this film, Dave King should have made more comedies and there’s a fun cameo from Robert Morley as an obliging arsonist but too many scenes are overlong and lose their humour. The supporting cast is terrific and packed with talent right down to the minor roles, and includes Daniel Massey, Dennis Price, Norman Rossington, Maggie Smith, Miles Malleson, Coral Browne, Wilfrid Lawson, Finlay Currie, Arthur Lowe, David Lodge, James Hayter, John le Mesurier and Derek Nimmo.

Three inept London petty crooks, leader Bernard (Dave King) and his two colleague’s getaway driver Alfie (Norman Rossington) and Harry (Daniel Massey) are arrested and sentenced to two years behind bars after being forced to give way to a fire engine during a getaway. The trio decide to buy an old fire engine in the hope of using it as a ruse for making clean getaways. Alas, the crooks have to put the fire engine to good use at the flooded home of a fish fancier (Derek Nimmo) and are found sadly wanting. They eventually have to make a speedy escape when the real Fire Brigade arrive on the scene to assist. To stop such mishaps reoccurring they hire scandal-ridden former fire chief Withers (Dennis Price) to teach them how to use the apparatus and the art of fire-fighting.

Now fully prepared, they decide their first robbery will be a bank vault. The engage eccentric arsonist Eddie (Robert Morley) to help them stage a fire in the boutique next to a bank then arrive first on the scene to put the blaze out. Whilst Alfie and Norman are fighting the fire, in the basement below Bernard and Eddie and blasting their way through to the bank vault next door. The crooks load the stolen money into their fire hose and make their getaway just as the genuine Fire Brigade arrive. But once again, whilst making their escape, the bogus firemen are flagged down and asked to put out a real fire.