The Wrong Arm of the Law

4/2/19631h 34m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Meet the Mastermind Who Pulls the Strings in the Underworld...and all his mobs and dolls...filling the London fog with laughter and lunacy!!! ~

Overview:

The crooks in London know how it works. No one carries guns and no one resists the police. Then a new gang appears that go one better. They dress as police and steal from the crooks. This upsets the natural order of the police/criminal relationship and the police and the crooks join forces to catch the IPOs (Impersonating Police Officers), including an armoured car robbery in which the police must help the gangs to set a trap.

Director:

Cliff Owen

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

london, england
robbery
police
bank robber
dark comedy
black humor
impostor
informant
disguise
policeman

Cast

Peter Sellers

~ as ~

Pearly Gates

Lionel Jeffries

~ as ~

Inspector Fred 'Nosey' Parker

Bernard Cribbins

~ as ~

Nervous O'Toole

Nanette Newman

~ as ~

Valerie

Davy Kaye

~ as ~

Trainer King

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

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 1 year(s) ago
7
Ostensibly, "Pearly Gates" (Peter Sellers) is a French couturier selling posh frocks, but we know in reality he's a crook. Imagine his chagrin when his latest crime falls foul of the police! Imagine how much worse it gets when he discovers that it wasn't the police at all, but a gang who "IPO" (Impersonate Police Officers). That's below the belt! Meantime, the rather supercilious police inspector "Parker" (Lionel Jeffries) starts to get embroiled in this too as his bosses don't much like the idea that there are fake officers out there robbing with impunity. The most unlikely of truces now ensues as both have to bury the hatchet and concoct a plan to entrap their rather shrewd, and well briefed, protagonists. The enormous sum of £500,000 is to be used as bait but what's the betting the plan goes pear-shaped? There's a good dynamic between Sellers and Jeffries here with a well paced and engagingly daft story unravelling over a quickly paced ninety minutes. Some familiar faces make up the supporting cast and the denouement - well I quite liked that! The humour is simple and uncomplicated, relying on some characterful performances and some spirited efforts on screen, and I did quite enjoy this.