Senteur
As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.
Adeel Hail
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
Tayyab Torres
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
fom4life
The great thing about cinema is that it takes you to times and places that you normally wouldn't travel to without the aid of this modern marvel of storytelling. Instead of watching auto racing in modern slick cars whizzing around a track very fast in a dizzying circle, you get to travel through the 1920's European countryside in antique cars which zoom and clunk its to Monte Carlo. Watching Nascar you may see an interview with a rather normal guy with commercial logos everywhere on his and his car's being. In 'Jaunty Jalopies' you get to meet not so normal eccentric folk who today might be on some type of medication. There's Chester Schofield (Tony Curtis) a hip roaring 20's American car manufacture who owns half a car manufacturing plant that he won in a card game. The other half is owned by Sir Cuthbert Ware-Armitage (Terry-Thomas) the son of Sir Percy Ware-Armitage (Terry-Thomas). His father was the big louse of a villain who tried to scheme and cheat his way to victory during the 1910 Airplane race which can be seen in 'Jaunty Jalopies' predecessor 'Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes (1965). Sir Cuthbert doesn't want Yank innovation spoiling British ingenuity and uses the Monte Carlo Rally as a chance to place a bet with Chester where winner takes all of the car plant. The bet is on. The Race is On. The nastiness is on as Sir Cuthbert pleads and plots dastardly plans to make sure Chester doesn't win the race. The other characters who race along the road of comedy include Perkins (Eric Sykes): Cuthbert's un-loyal side kick who is forced into helping Cuthbert's nasty schemes due to his being blackmailed.Betty (Susan Hampshire): A woman who went looking for her horse and instead became Chester's race car companion. Major Dawlish (Peter Cook): a proud British inventor and his loyal sidekick Lt. Barrington (Dudley More): Their innovations to their auto mobile sometimes work great and other times not so great. These two provide the biggest laughs in film and thus the most smiles.Willy (Gert Frobe): A highly recommended getaway driver sprung from prison to smuggle stolen Jewels for a bunch of German crooks. He is accompanied by his companion on the journey Count Levinovitch (Jack Hawkins). There is a great scene where the Count breaks Willy out of prison. After that these two are only mildly amusing throughout the rest of the picture except when shown in rivalry with Dawlish and Barrington. Then there are the other major throw-away characters which include two cops Marcello (Lando Buzzanca) and Angelo ( Walter Chiari). One is somewhat normal and the other is overly horny. He practically assaults won of the other female drivers by dragging her into his hotel room. Which brings us to the trio of french female drivers (Mireille Darc, Marie Dubois and Nicoletta Macchiavelli) A female doctor and her patawon's.If you want a good car comedy race movie with interesting characters, great action gags, and some amusing chuckles watch 'Jaunty Jalopies'. If you want a great film of the same genre, watch Tony Curtis in the superior 'The Great Race', which probably has the best pie fight put on film since Laurel and Hardy. No pie fight in JJ. Some amusing sights, including a chase through a ski slope and Jimmy Durante singing the opening song, but again no pie fight. I remember watching pie fights with the three stooges and also on the Brady Bunch and thought' It would be fun to get into a pie fight.' In college I shoved an apple pie in a friend's face to see what would happen. I learned that pie's in the face is very uncomfortable and annoying. And if you want a terrible car comedy race movie watch 'The Cannonball Run 2) but I would stick with the Tony Curtis racing films.
cessnaace
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.
teleadm-persson
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!
KEVMC
In the 1920's several international characters gather to compete in the gruelling Monte Carlo Rally. Some will employ fair means or foul to ensure victory.This film was a follow up of sorts to 1965's 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines', although it also bares similarities to 'The Great Race'(in which Tony Curtis once again starred). Sadly it is not in the same class as either. It lacks the coherence, wit and spectacle of 'Flying Machines', despite Ken Annakin being at the helm once more. In fairness to him the main problem is the screenplay - its simply not that funny. This causes an over reliance on the visual gags, and here again the film falls short. The effects aren't terribly special even for 1969. Some of the characters are also downright irritating - I'm thinking particularly of the Italians - bulging eyed, flailing armed, noisy oafs.There are some compensations however. Dear old Terry-Thomas and Eric Sykes repeat their double act from the previous film to some effect, and Susan Hampshire is every inch the English Rose. But its Peter Cook and Dudley Moore who steal the show as a British Army Officer/Inventor and his Batman respectively. They have all the best lines and manage to deliver them in a typically deadpan and upper class manner. Example:- As their car hurtles down a snowy hillside out of control, and having tried every concievable method of stopping it to no avail, Cook calmly announces "This simply won't do at all!" Priceless.Not a total disaster then, but considering the talent involved, with better writing and more careful work all round it could have been, and indeed should have been, so much better.
