The Runaway Bus

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.

I taped this probably about 15 years or so ago, and I enjoyed it very much then. A young Frankie Howerd is hilarious, as is the interplay between Margaret Rutherford and Toke Townley. The young female airhead who keeps saying stupid things gets a bit annoying very quickly, but that's the only drawback. I must confess I have never recognized Petula Clark as the stewardess - she's a relatively good actress whatever else she is. And its so nostalgic that it all takes place in a fog...it's been so long that I've been in England that I miss it! It's an enjoyable film and I recommend it to anyone who likes mystery stories or British comedy.

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.

There's one thing that will keep this mid-20th century comedy from ever being outdated - London's fog. The Heathrow haze in this film is thicker than pea soup, and will be familiar to all Londoners, most Brits and many tourists who have traveled to or through London. Indeed, the fog itself has a major role in "The Runaway Bus."

This British comedy-caper is a delightful film to watch, with the fog helping to compound the suspense. It's not a laugh-a-minute script, but just a very good mix of dialog, antics and filming. The mystery is too good to give any hints that might dampen the delightful surprise ending. The caper culprit had me stumped all the way.

The cast is perfect for this film. There are only a couple of big names that would be known around the cinematic globe in the mid-20th century - Petula Clark and Margaret Rutherford. The rest of the cast would have been unknown to all but the English audiences of the day. But Frankie Howard as Percy Lamb, George Coulouris as Edward Schroeder, Terence Alexander as Peter Jones and all the rest give top notch performances.

Petula Clark provides a sense of order as a stewardess charged with getting some airline passengers to another airport. Her Lee Nicholls is a contrast with the hapless Percy Lamb who is the emergency relief bus driver. Rutherford's Miss Cynthia Beeston is a familiar cantankerous dowager role.

The title of this film is odd, because the bus is never driven wildly or out of control, as the term "runaway" implies. It would be more accurate to call it a lost bus. Movie buffs who like older movies, British films, and comedy capers should enjoy this film.

Here are a couple of favorite lines.

Percy Lamb, "This would have to happen now, just when I wanted a day off. My grandmother, poor old soul." Duty Officer, "Is she dead?" Percy Lamb, "No, she's home on leave."

Lee Nichols, "I'm sure we all feel safer knowing we're who we say we are."

Full of stodgy British laughs from almost fifty years ago, this movie was excellent to watch when there was nothing else to do. See an incredibly young Petula Clark (it took me a while to recognize her), Margaret Rutherford as the stereotypical English grandmother complete with fox fur and parasol, but especially the laughs are had by Frankie Howard, virtually unknown to American audiences. As the bus driver of a bus with about a half dozen passengers who are stranded in one of hte legendary London fogs, Howard gets the best laughs just trying to find the bus in the fog to begin with. The movie does valley out but it is interesting to watch to the end. Petula does not sing tho. This was a fun movie, if for nothing else then to see an aged, non-HOllywood film with non-Hollywood actors.