What a Whopper

1961
1h 30m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Adam Faith and Sidney James in What a Whopper (1961)

A writer fabricates evidence of the Loch Ness Monster, seeking publication. Rejected by publishers, he and friends travel to Scotland, attempting to convince locals with their staged photogr... Read allA writer fabricates evidence of the Loch Ness Monster, seeking publication. Rejected by publishers, he and friends travel to Scotland, attempting to convince locals with their staged photographs and fake monster prop.A writer fabricates evidence of the Loch Ness Monster, seeking publication. Rejected by publishers, he and friends travel to Scotland, attempting to convince locals with their staged photographs and fake monster prop.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.2/10

297

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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9:57

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Aspiring writer Jeremy Lloyd was working as a travelling salesman of rust-proof paint in the late 1950s when he wrote a story called 'What a Whopper' about a Cockney youth who runs tours to see the Loch Ness monster. After delivering paint near Pinewood Studios, he pitched the script to studio chief Earl St John, who bought it.

Goofs
The barrow boy at the beginning of the film seems to refer to Adam Faith's character as Terry. This is Adam's real name but his character is called Tony. The line is delivered very quickly, though, and it is indeed possible that he says Tony.

Quotes
Mr. Slate: Here, my missus will be very interested when I tell her I met a painter.
Arnold: Not just a painter - a flicking painter!

Connections
Referenced in Bandstand: Episode dated 17 November 1962 (1962)

Soundtracks
What a Whopper
Adam Faith's Song
Composed by Johnny Worth
Arranged by John Barry

User reviews19

Featured review

5/10

What a Whopper

Heart-throb pop star Adam Faith ("Tony") is a struggling author who cannot get his book about the famed Loch Ness monster published. It purports to be a serious work and naturally all the publishers know there's no such beastie. Determined to prove them wrong, he and some pals fake some photos and soon the world and it's wife is heading to verify the sightings. Now as a Scot, this irked on a couple of levels - not least Faith's appalling attempt at the accent and director Gilbert Gunn's determination not to use any Scottish actors at all, as far as I could see. Sidney James as the Highland hotel owner really did take the proverbial biscuit. Despite these rather obvious, doubtless budget-driven clangers, at times it's actually quite a fun, light-hearted, wheeze but it's really let down by the fairly stilted acting across the board which is almost as ropey as the stereotype-ridden script. Needless to say, the filming never left the home counties and as for the theme song - well, least said. It does have a nostalgia value - simple comedy around an even more simple story, but it's still not very good.