The Runaway Bus

Frankie Howerd who for some unexplained reason never got big stardom on the big screen made a very funny feature film debut where he plays a bus driver in The Runaway Bus. In fact part of the plot is that he's driving the bus for the wrong company.

It's supposed to be a regular bus, but a very pushy stewardess for British Overseas Airlines Corporation (BOAC) played by Petula Clark manages to dragoon Howerd into driving a shuttle bus that BOAC has for its passengers. Nothing is flying at Heathrow because of the fog, but the company will shuttle some passengers to another airport where they can make connections.

One of them wants to real bad because they've just stolen several gold bullion bars from the Bank of England and they're trying to affect a getaway. The problem is just who among the passengers is the thief? And the suspicions are not just confined to the passengers.

Complicating things is the fact that Howerd in the fog manages to drive the bus to an abandoned village that the British Army uses for war games. Believe it or not, it's all both pretty funny and suspenseful at the time.

Such various and sundry characters as Margaret Rutherford, George Coulouris, Terence Alexander, and Belinda Lee are all passengers on the bus. They all deliver performances well within their typecasting range.

Howerd never got big screen stardom on either side of the pond. His real fame was on the small screen in the United Kingdom. For me this was a nice introduction to his brand of comedy. I liked it and I think so will you.

This is a great comedy film,with a large number of British stars on their way up including later pop star Petula Clarke who these days lives in france. The whole set up hinges on the fact that a fog covers the south east England and a Gold bullion robeery has been waiting for this very thing to happen. Master mind the Banker a most deadly crook who is not disccoved till the end of the last reel, and who the players hold a sweep stake on who it is. Frankie Howard is just great and when he climbs a post to find the way only to discover the words 'wet paint', its a laugh a minute. A film to watch over and over as you discover some thing new each time. Pity we can not have fims like this these days simple entertaining fun.

Certainly not one of the classic 50s comedies, but it allows Frankie to give full reign to his unique talent. There are rather too many unbelievable plot twists and many of the characters are two dimensional, but there are some good chuckles. Nice to see a young Petula, and also Belinda Lee, one of the many blonde bombshells of the 50s who were hyped as Britain's answer to Marilyn Monroe. Disappointingly, if you enjoy watching 50s films for their shots of towns and villages in the post war period, this one seems to have been shot almost exclusively in the studio and backlot Verdict : If you are a big fan of Frankie Howerd's style, go for it.

If you love the old British comedies of the post-war years, such as those starring Peter Sellers and Alec Guiness, then this movie is right up your alley. Runaway Bus contains all the trademarks of great English comedy: eccentric British characters, fast and witty dialogue, and, what I think makes them really funny, the British habit of saying things in a much more sophisticated and complicated way than us slangy Americans ever would. All enjoyable and innately funny.

Anyway, there are no obvious stars in this film, like those gentlemen mentioned above. This was my first exposure to British star Frankie Howerd (even his name is spelled funny), and once I got used to his never-ending parade of facial contortions, I found him quite amusing. Margaret Rutherford is the only actor (-tress) I recognized, and she played her quirky strong-willed role as wonderfully as ever.

The pacing of the film is quick, but what I think really makes this movie above par is that you are never sure about who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. You will definitely change your mind multiple times, and the script does a wonderful job of leading you down one path only to change direction a few moments later. You think you know who did it, but then you are sure you are wrong. The surprises and one-liners come fast and furious all the way to the final line.

This is a fun film full of classic British motifs. If this is your thing, I highly recommend it.

British comedian Frankie Howerd, best known to TV fans as the star of the historical satire Up Pompeii, makes his feature film debut alongside Margaret Rutherford, George Coulouris, Belinda Lee and English songstress Petula Clark. Howerd plays Percy Lamb, a novice bus driver, who, as London is submerged in thick fog, is assigned to drive the number "13" coach from London airport to another a couple of hours away. With his half dozen or so passengers along for company, Percy promptly gets lost! But that's not the worst of their worries. For in the boot is a load of stolen gold bullion and the master criminal known as "The Banker" is amongst them and will do anything to get their hands on the loot. But just who is "The Banker?". It's written and directed by Val Guest whose writing work for the likes of Will Hay, Arthur Askey and The Crazy Gang puts him firmly on the list of classic British comedy writers.

Safe and inoffensive fun is The Runaway Bus, very much along the lines of Walter Forde's The Ghost Train (Guest writing there too), it zips along apace and is awash with gags both visually and orally. Maybe somewhat surprising, considering all those involved with it, it's probably with its "who is it" core where the film is at its best. Blending comedy with mystery thriller elements can often be a tricky task for some film makers, but thankfully here Guest and his team play it right. There's no obvious hints to who the "baddie" is, thus the element of surprise is high, and the staging of the second half of the movie at a fog enveloped army training range makes for a nice atmospheric feel. There's no great shakes in the acting, but they all are safe and doing what is required. Rutherford of course is the standout performer, while Howerd is only hinting at the ability that would in the years to come make him a much loved comedian in the United Kingdom.

Widely available on DVD now, it will be annoying to some that the transfer is rough and not afforded a clean up. Full of snap, crackle and pop, it does carry a bit of old fashioned value in that respect. But those interested in the DVD should stay away if scratchy old transfers are to be an issue. 7/10