Gonflés à bloc

The U.S. theatrical release of this follow-up to the highly popular epic comedy THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES (1965) was decidedly ill-timed – coming as it did just three days after that of MIDNIGHT COWBOY! – and must have made an already inferior product (in comparison to the original) seem quaint and redundant. Perhaps this even explains the film's hacking down to 93 minutes (from an original length of 125!) over there, not to mention its sheer invisibility on TV and home video (in my neck of the woods at least) until now, via Legend Films' no-frills but full-length DVD – albeit under its more recognizable alternate title rather than the original one of MONTE CARLO OR BUST!

Perhaps inevitably, several of the same cast and crew from the predecessor are involved here as well: producer-director-co-writer Annakin, screenwriter Jack Davies, composer Ron Goodwin, actors Terry-Thomas (in a way, actually reprising his signature role by playing the son of the character he had portrayed in FLYING MACHINES), Eric Sykes (again as the latter's valet) and Gert Frobe (as, obviously, the German representative), etc. Also like its prototype, several international stars were roped in to fill out the roles of the other contestants: from the USA, Tony Curtis (who, sadly, is a long way from his winsome characterization in THE GREAT RACE [1965]); from Britain, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore (amusing as, respectively, an Army Major-cum-amateur inventor and his sidekick) and, later, Susan Hampshire (who initially tries to detour Curtis but eventually joins him); from Italy, a level-headed Walter Chiari and a typically hot-blooded Lando Buzzanca; from France, a group of three girls (played by Mireille Darc, Marie Dubois and Nicoletta Macchiavelli) who, prior to the start of the race, have a run-in with their compatriot organizer of the Monte Carlo Rally, Bourvil. There are other stars or recognizable faces making guest appearances for no real reason except to add to the fun (and expense): Jack Hawkins and Derren Nesbitt (as jewel thieves that have hid their booty inside one of Frobe's spare tyres!), Hattie Jacques (as an emancipated lady journalist), Richard Wattis and, according to the IMDb, even Paul Muller (but I didn't recognize him).

In this talented company and with the lavish budget accorded, there can't fail to be enjoyable stretches (particularly with every new contraption Cook and Moore come up with after the last one had unsurprisingly failed) and other sundry compensations (not least Jimmy Durante's grizzled intonation of the title song and the accompanying animated credits sequence); however, as I said earlier, the film is not up to the levels of inspiration that permeated its memorable predecessor. Tony Curtis only had one or two major films left before slipping into TV roles and the occasional big-screen cameo, while Annakin wouldn't really be allowed to handle another such stellar cast before a decade's time had elapsed – including the umpteenth cinematic version of "The Man In The Iron Mask" in THE FIFTH MUSKETEER (1979).

If Those Daring Young Men In Their Jaunting Jalopies seems real familiar it looks many times like outtakes from The Great Race were used to make this film. In fact the folks at Paramount had the presence of mind to star Tony Curtis as well.

Probably Jaunting Jalopies would have been better received if The Great Race hadn't preceded it by a few years. Curtis is not the pulp fiction hero he was in The Great Race. Rather he's an American who won a half interest in Terry-Thomas's automobile company and was busy putting his own stamp on it. Terry-Thomas heartily disapproves and he's the Jack Lemmon of this film. His sidekick is that Monty Python regular Eric Sykes whom he has a little something to which he can blackmail Sykes into doing his dirty work. But that's not his only ace in the hole, Terry-Thomas has Susan Hampshire a cousin of his sent out to provide feminine distraction for Curtis. She succeeds admirably, but nature does take its course between Curtis and Hampshire.

Stealing every scene they are in are Peter Cook and Dudley Moore as a British army colonel and his batman orderly. Cook invents a series of Rube Goldberg like contraptions that are supposed aid in the race. Somehow they don't work out and usually at Moore's expense. Perhaps Cook should have studied under Rube.

Some nice cinematography of the French countryside is a definite asset for Jaunting Jalopies. Still it all looks like it's been done before and it was by Tony Curtis.

Like many other racing comedies, 'Those Daring Young Men in their Jaunty Jalopies' suffers from simply having too much going on at once. The film has so many different characters it tries to devote time to, it's easy to forget everything that's going on. It seemed like whenever Tony Curtis appeared on the screen I thought "Oh yeah, forgot he was in this." The film might be considered a multi-car wreck had it not been for Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Cook plays a British inventor, Moore his trusty sidekick. These two have all the best lines in the movie, and their deadpan delivery is perfect.

This is the kind of movies I wish was much much better!A sort of free remake of "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines!" But filled with loads of humour, but that feals old fashioned by now, and awful back-projection that might have been OK back then, but is certainly awful nowdays. In the same time it could be one of the most accessible movies with britt comics Moore and Cook! One of the few films with Fleur Forsythe, or dark eyed Susan Hempshire.

The song that old Jimmy Durante sings in the end (was this his last?) is better than the whole movie in itself!

Tony Curtis, Susan Hampshire, Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, Gert Frobe, Terry-Thomas, Eric Porter, Jack Hawkins and french comic Bourvil! What a Cast!!!! Pity the movie isn't better!

My wife prefers "The Great Race" over this film. Both films are period comedies involving automobile races. Both star Tony Curtis. As for me, I prefer "Those Daring Young Fools in Their Jaunty Jalopies" (aka "Monte Carlo or Bust.") Why? The supporting cast.

First of all, I'm a huge Terry-Thomas fan. So for me, this was reason enough to purchase a LaserDisc of this film. Eric Sykes, Gert Frobe, et al are all good too! This is also a sequel of sorts to "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines." Terry-Thomas plays the grown son of the character that he played in the earlier film. And, Eric Sykes is back as his side-kick. Both films also feature Gert Frobe as a German, and both films were directed by Ken Annakin.

There is an awkward edit just prior to the final stage of the rally, but it appears to have been done on purpose (for effect).

I've suddenly remembered that there are at least two versions of this film. The European cut of this film ran 122 minutes. The American cut ran 93 minutes. The LaserDisc release (which I mentioned earlier) is the longer European cut in widescreen with the American opening title sequence. I have never seen the shorter version, so I can't comment on it's relative merits as compared to the longer version.