The Wrong Arm of the Law

The Wrong Arm of the Law
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Cliff Owen
Written by	John Antrobus Ray Galton Alan Simpson John Warren Len Heath
Produced by	E.M. Smedley Aston Aubrey Baring
Starring	Peter Sellers Lionel Jeffries Bernard Cribbins John Le Mesurier Bill Kerr
Cinematography	Ernest Steward
Edited by	Tristam Cones
Music by	Richard Rodney Bennett
Production company	Romulus Films
Distributed by	British Lion Films (UK)
Release date	14 March 1963 (1963-03-14) (UK)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£233,570

The Wrong Arm of the Law is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier and Bill Kerr. It was written by John Antrobus, John Warren, Len Heath, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and made by Romulus Films.

Plot

In London, a gang of criminals from Australia led by Jack Coombes impersonate policemen to carry out robberies. Meanwhile, local gang leader "Pearly" Gates, who operates with the front of a French couturier in a fashion house, finds his criminal takings cut severely, and initially blames rival crook "Nervous" O'Toole. However, when it emerges that they are both being scammed by the same gang, they join forces, along with Police Inspector "Nosey" Parker, to bring the so-called "I.P.O. mob" (Impersonating a Police Officer) to justice.

Cast

• Peter Sellers as "Pearly" Gates
• Lionel Jeffries as Inspector Fred "Nosey" Parker
• Bernard Cribbins as "Nervous" O'Toole
• Davy Kaye as Trainer King
• Nanette Newman as Valerie
• Bill Kerr as Jack Coombes
• Ed Devereaux as "Bluey" May
• Reg Lye as Reg Denton
• John Le Mesurier as Assistant Commissioner
• Graham Stark as Sid Cooper
• Martin Boddey as Superintendent J.S. Forest
• Irene Browne as Dowager
• Arthur Mullard as "Brassknuckles"
• Dermot Kelly as Misery Martin
• Vanda Godsell as Annette
• Tutte Lemkow as "Siggy" Schmoltz
• Barry Keegan as Mr. Pointer
• Michael Caine as extra at Battersea Park funfair (uncredited)
• Dick Emery as man In flat 307 (uncredited)
• John Junkin as Maurice (uncredited)
• Cardew Robinson as mailman (uncredited)
• Dennis Price as Educated Ernest
• Mario Fabrizi as van driver
• John Harvey as police station Sergeant
• Harold Siddons as PC in basement garage
• Jack Silk as police station PC
• Derek Guyler as PC at Scotland Yard
• Gerald Sim as airfield official
• Marianne Stone as girl at gangsters' meeting

Production

Many of the robbery scenes were filmed around Beaconsfield and Uxbridge. Filming locations include: the early Post Office robbery at Burkes Parade/Post Office Lane Beaconsfield, the gang meeting at Havens Court, Ealing, the Bullion Transport robbery at Cowley Mill Road/Waterloo Road Uxbridge combined with Bushy Park Road Teddington, and the escape flight from Denham Aerodrome.

Peter Sellers loved the 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT so much that he bought the car after shooting the film, contingent on the engine being replaced with a 4.0-litre Lagonda Rapide.

Release

The film opened at the Warner Theatre in London's West End on 14 March 1963.

Reception

Box office

It was one of the 12 most popular films at the British box office in 1963.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Cliff Owen's considerable competence shows in the way he takes good and bad jokes equably in his stride, cutting sharply as soon as a comedy point has been made, getting pretty well every ounce of value out of his script. ... Lionel Jeffries, desperately eager and despairingly confused in the pursuit of crime, John Le Mesurier, a Scotland Yard official lightly disguised as an ice-cream salesman but clinging to the dignity of his Whitehall hat, Peter Sellers, training his gang by way of home movies and pampering them with holidays on the Costa Brava, are at their accomplished best."

Variety wrote: "A slightweight cops and robbers idea has been pepped up into a briskly amusing farce thanks to a combo of deft direction, thesping and writing. ... Cliff Owen has directed with verve. Locations and all technical credits help to give polish to a breezy, likeable comedy."

In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote: "It is strictly lightweight clowning, longer on plot than on wit and wholly dependent on the archness of Mr. Sellers to give it a cachet. Others in the cast are amusing, especially Mr. Jeffries as the cop, but the enterprise stands by the stiffening of Mr. Sellers's cunning roguishness."

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 4/5 stars, writing: "Peter Sellers is at his funniest as a cockney criminal mastermind who uses a West End dress salon as a front for the illegal activities of his inept gang. He's up against inspector Lionel Jeffries, whose bungling would give the future Inspector Clouseau a run for his money. Cliff Owen directs the marvellously inventive script with due care as Scotland Yard and Sellers decide to co-operate to apprehend a bunch of Australian crooks posing as policemen."

External links

• The Wrong Arm of the Law at IMDb
• The Wrong Arm of the Law at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Wrong Arm of the Law at Memorable TV
• The Wrong Arm of the Law at AllMovie
• The Wrong Arm of the Law at the BFI's Screenonline
• The Wrong Arm of the Law then-and-now location photographs at ReelStreets