O Braço Esquerdo da Lei

Peter Sellers is, unusually, the quiet at the center of the storm that makes up the plot of this wonderfully funny film. He plays Pearly Gates, a criminal (and women's wear salesman), who learns that an Australian gang is dressing up as policemen, intercepting Pearly's mob in mid-theft and making off with the goods. He joins forces not only with the leader of a rival gang, who are also suffering from the Australian competition, but also with the police, who don't want their reputation besmirched.

Sellers is very good, but top acting honors go to Lionel Jefferies as the hopelessly idiotic policeman trying to prove himself by catching the criminals. Jefferies and Bernard Cribbins, as Nervous (the rival gang's leader), give expertly larger-than-life performances while getting their biggest laughs with throwaway lines and subtle bits of business (like Nervous finishing up his negotiations with Pearly by pulling out some family snaps). Cliff Owen's direction is very sharp and very fast, and allows a cast of experienced character actors to do their best work. Dennis Price displays flawless timing and delivery in a small, unbilled cameo. This film might just be a hidden classic.

This is one of my favourite films - although I agree Peter Sellers does not steal the show (for once), its the whole cast and their interaction which makes this film so special.

Lionel Jeffries gives a brilliant performance as an inept policeman and Bernard Cribbins role as 'Pearly Gates' gang-lord rival is superb. The plot is well covered on this site, but I would like to add that the robbery on the security van was filmed in Mill Rd, Uxbridge (by the canal bridge - the shop&pub are still there) and I think the airfield was Denham (again nr. Uxbridge).

A brilliant film - They just don't make 'em like that anymore!

On a similar thread I would recommend Norman Wisdom in 'On the Beat'- one of his best performances in my opinion, and Sellers again in 'Two-way stretch' if you're looking for a good laugh.

"The Wrong Arm of the Law" is a sort of comic British take on the famous German crime film, "M". In that Fritz Lang classic, the criminals and the police are both out to stop a murderer whose activities are making things difficult for both of them. However, where "M" was a serious crime thriller, "The Wrong Arm of the Law" is pure comedy.

And what a comedy it is, with a clever script and a first-rate cast, headed up by the superlative Peter Sellers. Known for the astounding range of the characters he could play, in this film Sellers slips effortlessly between portraying effete French couturier Charles Jules and cockney crime-boss "Pearly" Gates. In fact, Sellars slips between the two characters so effortlessly that it is easy to take for granted just how brilliant an actor he actually was. Sellers is an absolute treat to watch, and his performance should be required viewing by all aspiring actors as a lesson in how it should be done.

The Wrong Arm of the Law:A charming evocation of a kind of reassuring never-neverland, populated by loveable rogues and dimwitted but honest cops. Of course the crime underworld was never like this, but when the horrors of the modern world seem to crowd in on me, this is just the kind of amusing escapist whimsy I love to take solace in.

This film is full of many wonderful characters from the mainstream 50's British cinematic comedy era. The film centres on the criminal gangs of London being double crossed in their criminal activities by a bunch of foreign criminal gang members who impersonate Metropolitan Police Officers.

They turn up at the scene of the crime and then disappear with the stolen goods leaving the criminals in limbo waiting to be arrested by the real police.

Arthur Mullard, Peter Sellers, Lionel Jeffries, Bernard Cribbens and many more make this a gem of a title to watch. Some of the film was produced around Teddington, South West London, the scene of the mass arrest at the railroad level crossing was filmed in a Teddington street called Fairfax Road.

The crossing was taken out of use many years ago but the building on which Peter Sellers and his cohorts sat observing the proceedings is still in place adjacent to the point where the crossing was.

The area where the Jaguar car driven by Mullard screams over the bridge is the railway road bridge at Strawberry Hill (not far from Teddington).

I humbly give this film 9 out of 10, but then maybe I'm biased as I just love old British comedies such as this. Produced by Romulus Films and distributed by British Lion Films, what could be better?