Down Among the Z Men

As already stated, a fairly confusing mishmash of a film.

HOWEVER ! If you are a UK resident over the age of fifty, it *might* just make a bit more sense, as the Goons were the UK's greatest comedy team ever. I have no idea who "the good guys" were (other reviewer's comment), but the Goons were "Gods" in their day - and it's the "in their day" which is most relevant now. Sadly, the film has aged dreadfully, sorry lads.

Bentine as Purehart (whitehead, blackhead, whitehouse etc...) is probably the funniest character, even outshining the immortal Eccles for most of the time. Sellers could have easily played 6 or 7 more characters, easy, but that's the movie industry for you.

1952, early days for the Goons, and most of their fame still to come on BBC radio. Shame Blinbottle couldn't have joined up with Eccles for some naughty sossinges.

An advisory 7/10 for old fart UK types.

As a fan of the Goons ever since I was a kid (I used to listen to them late at night on the local college radio station) I was surprised and delighted to find this DVD at the checkout counter of a local drug store (for only a dollar!). I suppose I have to be honest and say I was disappointed by the movie, but not by the opportunity to see it. Harry Secombe is the star and seems to be trying to imitate Curly from the Three Stooges (right down to a direct steal when he tries to read the label of a record while it's still playing). Secombe never came off well in his few starring vehicles (although he seemed to shine in Dickens --- he was great in OLIVER and made an excellent Pickwick in a musical TV adaptation of THE PICKWICK PAPERS). Michael Bentine also gets a lot of screen time as the batty professor, but struck me as more bizarre than funny. Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers were totally wasted. Sellers of course went on to great things, but Milligan, surely one of the funniest men who ever lived (and the single greatest creative force behind the Goons) fared no better in films than Secombe. The mistaken identity chase scene at the end provides a few laughs, but that's about the high point. All in all if you're a Goon fan you have to watch this, you really have no choice, but don't expect to like it.

I once had the pleasure of meeting Michael Bentine and we discussed this film. Michael told me that the director would only allow one take of each scene unless an absolute disaster occurred. There is one scene near the end that is quite funny. Two or three other members of the cast disguise themselves as Michael Bentine and many confusions occur, probably inspired by the mirror scene in the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup.

I have always been a great fan of the Goons and Peter Sellers but this film is dreadfully unfunny.

One scene worth watching is the dancing during the women`s PT instructions class, the routine is similar to the Tiller Girls` style and very polished.

Although poor by today's standards it should be noted that this movie is the first time all the major characters of the Goon Show had worked together on screen. They had not yet worked out which routines worked well in radio but not in a movie. They would do better in subsequent efforts. It helps if the viewer knows something of the Goon Show radio series and, perhaps, has seen the TV series too. Making the transition from a radio program, where the listener's imagination supplies the scenery, to a television or film style is always difficult. The film has its moments, especially the chorus girl's dance routines and a flash-of-brilliance preview of Peter Seller's exceptional talent as he makes fun of an American general and his Staff Seargent under siege by the Germans. It's also apparent why Michael Bentine did not last long as a star although Jerry Lewis must have used this as a training film.