'You Must Be Joking!' opens with the most famous work of art in history - The Mona Lisa. Suddenly ( courtesy of Bob Godfrey animation ), it winks at us and grins, exposing blackened teeth. A fast-paced Laurie Johnson theme kicks in, and we are off. Its an early Michael Winner film, so we know it won't be dull.
Soldiers from various regiments gather at an Air Force Base in England to hear army psychiatrist Major Foskitt ( Terry-Thomas ) outline his plan for a new initiative test. Imagine, he says, that there has been a nuclear war, and you are the sole survivor. You decide to gather symbols of the British way of life to preserve for posterity. They include a rare flower called 'Lady Frances MacDonough', a flight of plaster ducks, a racing course hare, a lock of hair and the autograph of French pop star Sylvie Tarnet, and the Lutine Bell of Lloyds of London.
Whoever assembles this lot and returns to the base before a deadline wins a fabulous prize - a 10 day trip around the world. The soldiers are first placed in a maze, from which they must escape. Sgt.Major MacGregor ( Lionel Jeffries ) pole-vaults his way to freedom, while three others escape by helicopter. Sgt.Clegg ( Bernard Cribbins ) tries to tunnel his way out ( in a running gag, each time he emerges from the maze he finds himself within sight of either Foskitt or General Lockwood ( Wilfrid Hyde-White ) who then put him back to begin the whole process all over again.
'Joking!' was one of several '60's comedy films inspired by the huge success of Staney Kramer's 1963 blockbuster 'Its A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'. Its on a much smaller scale, of course, with none of the elaborate slapstick gags of that earlier movie, but is nevertheless enjoyable with a great cast including James Robertson-Justice, Denholm Elliott, Lee Montague, Leslie Phillips, Clive Dunn, Arthur Lowe, Miles Malleson, and Norman Vaughan ( managing to be a lot funnier than he was in 'The Golden Shot' ). The top billing goes to America's Michael Callan as 'Lt.Tim Morton'. I have to say I found him a pain, particularly when he callously dumps his girlfriend Annabelle ( Gabriella Licudi ) in order to run off with Sylvie.
The slapstick is augmented by satire ( spot Lance Perceval from 'T.W.3' if you can ), in particular of British pop culture ( middle-aged women sign photos of pop stars to hand out to fans, while 'The Cavemen' look and sound suspiciously like a send-up of The Beatles ).
'Joking!' is great fun, with the brilliant Lionel Jeffries stealing every scene he is. Note the bit where he pole-vaults out of the maze. His battle-cry of 'Pogue Mahone!' brought gales of laughter from Irish audiences. It is Gaelic for "Kiss my a--e!".
On a sad note, Patricia Viterbo, who plays 'Sylvie', died in a car accident the following year.
Funniest moment? For me, its the fight between the married couple played by Leslie Phillips and Gwendolyn Watts. Having caught her about to seduce Lt.Morton, he proceeds to throw her Mother's gifts at her. After hurling a statuette through the window of their high-rise flat, he asks through clenched teeth: "Right, now where's your Mother?".
Soldiers from various regiments gather at an Air Force Base in England to hear army psychiatrist Major Foskitt ( Terry-Thomas ) outline his plan for a new initiative test. Imagine, he says, that there has been a nuclear war, and you are the sole survivor. You decide to gather symbols of the British way of life to preserve for posterity. They include a rare flower called 'Lady Frances MacDonough', a flight of plaster ducks, a racing course hare, a lock of hair and the autograph of French pop star Sylvie Tarnet, and the Lutine Bell of Lloyds of London.
Whoever assembles this lot and returns to the base before a deadline wins a fabulous prize - a 10 day trip around the world. The soldiers are first placed in a maze, from which they must escape. Sgt.Major MacGregor ( Lionel Jeffries ) pole-vaults his way to freedom, while three others escape by helicopter. Sgt.Clegg ( Bernard Cribbins ) tries to tunnel his way out ( in a running gag, each time he emerges from the maze he finds himself within sight of either Foskitt or General Lockwood ( Wilfrid Hyde-White ) who then put him back to begin the whole process all over again.
'Joking!' was one of several '60's comedy films inspired by the huge success of Staney Kramer's 1963 blockbuster 'Its A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'. Its on a much smaller scale, of course, with none of the elaborate slapstick gags of that earlier movie, but is nevertheless enjoyable with a great cast including James Robertson-Justice, Denholm Elliott, Lee Montague, Leslie Phillips, Clive Dunn, Arthur Lowe, Miles Malleson, and Norman Vaughan ( managing to be a lot funnier than he was in 'The Golden Shot' ). The top billing goes to America's Michael Callan as 'Lt.Tim Morton'. I have to say I found him a pain, particularly when he callously dumps his girlfriend Annabelle ( Gabriella Licudi ) in order to run off with Sylvie.
The slapstick is augmented by satire ( spot Lance Perceval from 'T.W.3' if you can ), in particular of British pop culture ( middle-aged women sign photos of pop stars to hand out to fans, while 'The Cavemen' look and sound suspiciously like a send-up of The Beatles ).
'Joking!' is great fun, with the brilliant Lionel Jeffries stealing every scene he is. Note the bit where he pole-vaults out of the maze. His battle-cry of 'Pogue Mahone!' brought gales of laughter from Irish audiences. It is Gaelic for "Kiss my a--e!".
On a sad note, Patricia Viterbo, who plays 'Sylvie', died in a car accident the following year.
Funniest moment? For me, its the fight between the married couple played by Leslie Phillips and Gwendolyn Watts. Having caught her about to seduce Lt.Morton, he proceeds to throw her Mother's gifts at her. After hurling a statuette through the window of their high-rise flat, he asks through clenched teeth: "Right, now where's your Mother?".