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The Navy Lark

  • 1959
  • Approved
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
147
YOUR RATING
Elvi Hale, Cecil Parker, and Ronald Shiner in The Navy Lark (1959)
Comedy

Film version of a popular BBC radio show about the incompetent crew of a Royal Navy ship.Film version of a popular BBC radio show about the incompetent crew of a Royal Navy ship.Film version of a popular BBC radio show about the incompetent crew of a Royal Navy ship.

  • Director
    • Gordon Parry
  • Writers
    • Lawrie Wyman
    • Sid Colin
  • Stars
    • Cecil Parker
    • Ronald Shiner
    • Leslie Phillips
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    147
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Gordon Parry
    • Writers
      • Lawrie Wyman
      • Sid Colin
    • Stars
      • Cecil Parker
      • Ronald Shiner
      • Leslie Phillips
    • 7User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Cecil Parker
    Cecil Parker
    • Cmdr. Stanton
    Ronald Shiner
    Ronald Shiner
    • CPO Banyard
    Leslie Phillips
    Leslie Phillips
    • Lt. Pouter
    Elvi Hale
    Elvi Hale
    • Leading WREN Heather
    Nicholas Phipps
    Nicholas Phipps
    • Capt. Povey
    Harold Kasket
    • Gaston Higgins
    Gordon Jackson
    Gordon Jackson
    • Leading Seaman Johnson
    Reginald Beckwith
    Reginald Beckwith
    • CNI
    Cardew Robinson
    • Lt. Binns
    Walter Hudd
    Walter Hudd
    • Naval Captain
    Wanda Ventham
    Wanda Ventham
    • Mabel
    Hattie Jacques
    Hattie Jacques
    • Fortune Teller
    Van Boolen
    • Fred
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Caldicot
    Richard Caldicot
    • M.P.
    • (uncredited)
    Gerald Case
    • Senior Army Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Coleman
    • Lt. Bates R.N.
    • (uncredited)
    Tom Gill
    • Naval Commander
    • (uncredited)
    Neil Hallett
    Neil Hallett
    • Royal Marines Captain
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Gordon Parry
    • Writers
      • Lawrie Wyman
      • Sid Colin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews7

    6.0147
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    Featured reviews

    7bkoganbing

    McHale's Navy Lark

    After watching The Navy Lark which for years was a popular British radio show about the crew of a minesweeper on peacetime duty I now know where a lot of the comedy and the general idea for McHale's Navy came from. The situations seemed remarkably close.

    Commander Cecil Parker has command of a minesweeper stationed upon a channel island of Boonsey which seems to have a mixed population of British and French. The mission is for the minesweeper to clear out all mines left from the late war, but that's been fulfilled a long time ago. But not according to Parker who sends in reports regularly about the work his crew is doing. Parker and the rest of the crew has grown to like it on the island and don't want to join the real Royal Navy any time soon.

    The Captain Binghamton of The Navy Lark is Nicholas Phipps who wants to close down the Boonsey Island operation, but not if Parker and his trusty crew can stop him.

    In the end through a series of misunderstandings the Navy believes that a revolution against British imperialism is taking place. What happens then is for you to see.

    What I can see is why The Navy Lark was such a popular radio show in the United Kingdom. And I think American viewers will see the parallels with McHale's Navy and respond favorably.
    jrg135

    The Navy Lark

    Its quite good as I remember but apart from Leslie Phillips there are no other members of the radio cast in the film, Herbert Wilcox bought the rights during the broadcast of the first radio series which was written with Jon Pertwee as the leading actor, as long as fans of the radio version are not expecting this to have any resemblance to that then it comes over as a good British comedy. I don't believe it has ever been released on VHS or DVD , the only times I have seen it is either the middle of the night or I think its been broadcast on a Saturday afternoon. Hopefully this has been some use to people who would like to see it.
    9steamerstimpson

    Classic British Comedy

    Here is another great old British comedy from the 1950s about life in the British Navy just after WWII. I believe this film is up there with the Carry on films and "Doctor" series, indeed sharing some of the same cast such as Hattie Jacques, Cecil parker, Nicholas Phipps and Leslie Phillips. The Navy Lark should be given the respect of a release on DVD soon.

    I remember watching the movie about ten years ago on TV and thoroughly enjoying it at the time. Its a great put your feet up, disengage brain and enjoy experience.

    If you are a fan of Carry on you will also be a fan of the Navy Lark
    5malcolmgsw

    radio spin off

    Before TV spin offs there came radio spin offs such as Life With The Lyons,The Grove family and 20Questions Murder Mystery.In those films the original radio cast was used but not here.Only Leslie Phillips survives,presumably because he was established as a film actor.As to the replacements i would have preferred to see Jon Pertwee and Ronnie Barker reprise their roles.However the addition of Cecil Parker is quite inspired as he was a truly great comedy actor in his later years.The film is quite funny up to the half way point but then sags with the rather unfunny revolution.Also i think that Ronnie Shiner was clearly an unfortunate choice for the CPO.He looks very aged and not really up to it.
    6boblipton

    Service Comedy

    All of the mines have long been cleared from the waters around the Channel Islands, so the Admiralty orders the crew of the sweeper Troutbridge paid off and the frigate decommissioned. That interferes with the idyllic existence of the crew, so they employ various maneuvers the frustrate orders...including inciting an independence movement.

    It's based on the immensely popular BBC Radio Service comedy of the same name, and stars such dependable comedy players as Cecil Parker, Ronald Shiner, Leslie Phillips, and Hattie Jacques. Surprisingly, for a show that depended so much on catchphrases, double entendre and shtick, the only performer reprising his role from radio is Leslie Phillips; given that Jon Pertwee, Ronnie Barker, and Dennis Price were in the Radio cast, this seems odd, but the show ran for fifteen seasons over eighteen years.

    The movie itself is a pleasant piece of nonsense, making fun of Navy politics and bureaucracy, offering many a chuckle along its length. It's no classic, but it's good fun.

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Présentateur vedette: La légende de Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was based on a then-new radio series whose first season boasted Jon Pertwee and Dennis Price among the main cast. According to Pertwee, producer Herbert Wilcox refused to hire Price for the film spin-off because Price was gay. Pertwee protested on Price's behalf, and Wilcox fired Pertwee as well.
    • Quotes

      CPO Banyard: [entering room in agitated state] Sir, it's about Lieutenant Binns sir - something has got to be done.

      Cmdr. Stanton: [Sympathetically] Well, we know chief, we know.

      CPO Banyard: Yes, but do you know what he's done now Sir? He's pinched the jeep. The Milkman's livid.

    • Crazy credits
      Navy Lark is a surely fictitious account of events and goings on in a naval establishment only loosely connected with the senior service.
    • Connections
      Followed by HMS Paradise (1964)
    • Soundtracks
      The Navy Lark
      Composed by James Moody and Tommy Reilly

      Performed by Tommy Reilly on Harmonica with James Moody on Piano

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 27, 1959 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Ciocarlia Marinei Militare
    • Filming locations
      • West Bay, Dorset, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Herbert Wilcox Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 22m(82 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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