Despite not being an official 'Goon Show' movie ( as the dire 'Down Among The Z-Men' was ), this is the best example of Goon humour on film. I watched it online recently for the first time in fifteen years and found it as hysterically funny as ever.
Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan are the incompetent Scotland Yard detectives called in to investigate the theft of the legendary Mukkinese Battlehorn, thought to be the only one of its kind in existence. Along the way they encounter idiots such as Henry Crun, Minnie Bannister and the famous Eccles.
Sadly Harry Secombe is missing, but Dick Emery makes a more than adequate replacement. Sellers' Superintendent Quilt anticipates his later 'Inspector Clouseau'.
The script by Larry Stephens, Harry Booth and Jon Pennington ( with additional material by Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers ) contains a few recycled gags, yet feels fresh.
The music was by Edwin Astley, later to compose the excellent scores for I.T.C. shows 'The Saint' and 'The Baron' amongst others. He gets into the spirit of the thing by providing dramatic stings every time something ridiculous ( which is very few seconds ) happens.
I was slightly surprised at the resemblance between this film and the classic 'Two Ronnies' serial 'The Phantom Raspberry Blower Of Old London Town'. Both set out to ridicule in Goon-like fashion the old Basil Rathbone 'Sherlock Holmes' pictures.
Funniest moment - a couple are kissing near the docks in thick London fog. A policeman strolls over. "Sir, would you mind accompanying me to the station?". Pause. Then: "I'm lost!". He walks off and a moment later, we hear a loud splash!
Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan are the incompetent Scotland Yard detectives called in to investigate the theft of the legendary Mukkinese Battlehorn, thought to be the only one of its kind in existence. Along the way they encounter idiots such as Henry Crun, Minnie Bannister and the famous Eccles.
Sadly Harry Secombe is missing, but Dick Emery makes a more than adequate replacement. Sellers' Superintendent Quilt anticipates his later 'Inspector Clouseau'.
The script by Larry Stephens, Harry Booth and Jon Pennington ( with additional material by Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers ) contains a few recycled gags, yet feels fresh.
The music was by Edwin Astley, later to compose the excellent scores for I.T.C. shows 'The Saint' and 'The Baron' amongst others. He gets into the spirit of the thing by providing dramatic stings every time something ridiculous ( which is very few seconds ) happens.
I was slightly surprised at the resemblance between this film and the classic 'Two Ronnies' serial 'The Phantom Raspberry Blower Of Old London Town'. Both set out to ridicule in Goon-like fashion the old Basil Rathbone 'Sherlock Holmes' pictures.
Funniest moment - a couple are kissing near the docks in thick London fog. A policeman strolls over. "Sir, would you mind accompanying me to the station?". Pause. Then: "I'm lost!". He walks off and a moment later, we hear a loud splash!