Otley

Of all the spy spoofs that were set off by the James Bond films in the 60's, this was just about the best. Over 40 years later it's still witty with beautifully observed characters, great locations, and a suspenseful story. To top it off, it has a catchy title song that captures the spirit of the hero perfectly.

Gerald Arthur Otley is a likely lad. He's an opportunistic, occasional antiques dealer - he has sold his landlady's furniture - who gets by on his wits and his way with the ladies. However things get out of control when he becomes involved in an espionage plot.

He is kidnapped twice and meets some interesting but dangerous people including a female agent, Imogen, played by beautiful and enigmatic Romy Schneider. "Imogen", he exclaims when she first tells him her name, "It sounds like something you put on cut knees". He also meets Johnson, a hit man played by Leonard Rossiter whose light-heartedness about his work belies a merciless nature.

Director Dick Clement gave the film a light touch, and Tom Courtney reveals a flair for comedy where a look says a lot. The film is almost a cross between "Alfie" and "Arabesque", but works far better than just about all the spy spoofs that hit like a tsunami in the 1960s.

The film has a serious side and there is an element of danger for Otley; likable as he is, his survival is not a forgone conclusion. Although he is a bit of a loser, his luck holds up despite his relationships with women seeming always to be of short duration. His parting with Imogen at the end after their brief affair sums it up; when he asks if he can see her again, she answers, "Don't be silly", and drives away.

The film is also something of a time capsule. Like "Goodbye Gemini" made around the same time, the background of the film captures not only the look of the times - the hairstyles, the clothes and the cars - but also the mood, including Otley's casual day-to-day approach to life.

Along with great shots of late 60's Portobello Road and other London locations, the film has a score by the eclectic Stanley Myers. The song "Homeless bones" co-written and sung by busker Don Partridge, adds the right touch to a film that works beautifully on many levels.

This is one of my favorite 60's films. It's based on the first of a series of books by Martin Waddell about Gerald Arthur Otley, a young man whose occasional pocket-picking inadvertently lands him in the middle of a spy plot. (The books are great fun, too). Poor Otley's in way over his head, can't tell the good guys from the bad, and like Dorothy in "the Wizard of Oz," simply wants to go home! Suddenly his dull old life doesn't look so bad. There are many funny sequences, but the one in which he takes his driving test is truly inspired.

Tom Courtenay gives one of his best performances as the lead character, and he's well supported by a terrific cast of veteran character actors. Leonard Rossiter has an especially funny cameo. Moreover, "Otley" has one of the catchiest soundtracks of that era, a quirky mix of classical and rock tunes, and you'll find yourself humming the main theme for days after you've watched the film.

Why isn't this available on DVD? Or even VHS? It's a major oversight. "Otley Forever!"

No way is this film as funny as it should be or seemingly as funny as it thinks it is. But it does have charm, some great and colourful location shooting and some very decent performances. From the extended opening as Tom Courtenay makes he way a good length of Portobello Road to the modest and quiet ending, we smile but little more. Nevertheless the film is likeable and a pleasure to watch, Coutenay is excellent, Romy Schneider lovely though underused and James Villiers who must have appeared in every British film of the time does better than usual. There is also a great turn from Leonard Rossiter who almost brings the film to life singlehandedly. Maybe it was the time, maybe it was writers La Frenais and Clement but this film is outrageously languorous and happy to almost stop now and again. Still good fun checking out the locations and Courtenay doesn't put a foot wrong.

28 August 2012. The droll British humor of this late sixties movie doesn't quite have the snappish charm of Peter Seller's The Pink Panther (1963) nor the American slap slick entertainment of another closely related and even more ironic comedy thriller The Man With One Red Shoe (1985). There are a number of sequences that are quite suggestive of the potential of this movie, yet it seems to be so laid back and in a few places so serious that it never quite takes off. The strongest element of this movie is its ending, yet it only heightens the apparent omission of the potential strength of the movie in the primary relationship between the two main characters. Romy Schneider who had the most appeal in the movie came close to achieving that fine relational nuance that would have taken this movie to a new level, but didn't quite take it over the top. Tom Courtenay only three years after his presence in the classic Dr. Zhivago, explores his range of talent from his previous role as a serious Russian revolutionary and isn't given quite the comedic material to really shine in the movie. Overall, this is a pleasant romp in England, mostly connected with together but not quite stitch up in the intricate nature of great British espionage movies of the time. A more contemporary British espionage spy comedy thriller would be Wild Targets (2010).

'Otley' is a definite film of its time, showing swinging 60s London and presenting Tom Courtenay in one of his defining but less-known roles, as someone who wants to be a spy but wonders what he's got into when he gets his wish. Otley is an inept spy, and was probably an even more inept drifter.

Full of colour, with a great score, and many fruity cameos, this film should be better known as it is a lot of fun, with a great central performance and the chance to get really engrossed in the period. Courtenay and Romy Schneider are charming, while character greats such as Leonard Rossiter, Alan Badel, and Freddie Jones add to the overall spoof feel.