The Intelligence Men

April 2021

The Intelligence Men is the 1st of the 3 Morecambe and Wise films from the 60s, i personally think they are of the same level and always watch the 3 at the same time.

Great stuff, funny british 60s comedy, enjoy.

Now go and watch the other 2.

9 out of 10.

Morecombe & Wise's' brief foray into films came a little too early to match their seventies peak and one watches their first film hoping it will be funnier than it ever turns out; although it contains a nice appearance by the boy's early writers Sid Green and Dick Hills, and a running gag involving a sinister stalker in a fur collar and homburg hat, the revelation of whose actual identity (SLIGHT SPOILER COMING:) provides a memorable anti-climax.

And of course it benefits from the fact it was authentically made during the era of James Bond and from the visual style of the period, especially the glamorous women and the quality of the colour.

I love Morecambe and Wise so I enjoyed this film. They are on top form as bumbling British agents who are trying to stop the bad guys who are "on their side" from doing their bad deeds. There are some really funny scenes and some great lines ("waiter there's a dead man in this soup") and a reasonable cast. Yet though this film is very much enjoyable, it is not as good as their next film "That Riviera Touch", because it begins to get a bit unfunny at times. Nevertheless it's worth watching just for the fantastic opera scene at the end of the film which recalls Danny Kaye's equally hilarious opera performance at the end of his film "Wonder Man". It is also interesting to see how young Morecambe and Wise were when they made the film. Enjoy! 8/10

Often lampooned as a poor relation to the famous duo's T.V series, this and the two other films they made(That Riviera Touch/The Magnificent Two)are great showcases for these two comic legends. DO NOT be put of by comments that often follow the films around that often accuse the two of selling out to Hollywood. This is as good a performance that you will ever see from Britain's favourite comedy duo.

Most spy films become parodies or satires. This film is a deliberate goof on the genre by two of the UK's greatest comedians. They never became known in the States unlike Benny Hill and that was a sad thing for America. The film is loaded with sexy beauties like Gloria Paul who was a contender for a role in Thunderball (she should have been a Bond Girl). The music goes for a jazzy spy feel and the film has good cinematography.