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      A Very Important Person

      1961 1h 38m Comedy List
      Reviews 65% Audience Score 50+ Ratings During World War II, British scientist Sir Ernest Pease (James Robertson Justice) is helping the Allies with his groundbreaking inventions, but a trial flight with his new radar system goes awry. Although he parachutes to safety, he does so over Germany and is promptly placed in a POW camp with other Brits. When they learn that Sir Ernest is a vital player in the war effort, they devise a daring escape plan that involves inmate Everett (Stanley Baxter) impersonating the camp's commandant. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      Isabel Quigly The Spectator What's really wrong isn't so much the film's tastelessness as its general lack of talent for comedy: a depressingly national lack, in film circles. Jul 13, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      isla s This is an amusing film. I found the main character, Sir Ernest Pease, quite amusing in terms of his snooty attitude not going down very well with others in the PoW camp, to say the least. I liked some of his quick remarks, such as 'I am not at all cordially interested in gardening!' after another character brings up the past time of gardening/horticulture. Another instance/example of a short amusing piece of of dialogue is (talking about how he was captured, after an air based incident):- Ernest - 'I fell out of the aircraft after...' official officer working at the camp - 'that was quite careless, wasn't it?'. Leslie Philips plays his usual type of character, with a bit of camp-ness and there is a Scottish character 'Jock' Everett (so there are some stereotypes at play I suppose) and also John Le Mesurier is present, as an officer. I thought this was quite an amusing film, even though its got a serious setting, being war based etc. The comedy is perhaps a bit basic for some peoples taste maybe - being primarily visual and slapstick based, quite light hearted - I suppose its not dis similar to that in Dads Army but in any case, I certainly enjoyed it, even though there are quite outdated opinions voiced but then they mostly just emphasise what a pompous man Pease is. Its a black and white film but if that doesn't put you off then I'd recommend it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review martin a Wonderful to see Stanley Baxter in this film, Leslie Phillips is also wonderful as is John Le Mesurier.Also a cameo from John Ringham who went on to star with John Le Mesurier in Dad's Army a few years later. James Robertson Justice is great as a somewhat pompous man whose plane is shot down and caught by the Germans and ends up in a concentration camp but the inmates end up thinking he is a spy, but when they find out who he really is they have to try and break him out and get him back to England. This is not really a comedy but a light-hearted war film, with a fantastic cast. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member As good as comic film gets. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Comedy doesn't age well. While we're obviously meant to be amused by his bloated ego, it's not always obvious now what the joke is. And when he's such a pompous sexist asshole it's hard to want him to succeed, as we're obviously meant to. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member good UK WWII pic post WWII simaliar to US service comedies Hollywood was cranking out. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member funny British comedy.... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      A Very Important Person

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis During World War II, British scientist Sir Ernest Pease (James Robertson Justice) is helping the Allies with his groundbreaking inventions, but a trial flight with his new radar system goes awry. Although he parachutes to safety, he does so over Germany and is promptly placed in a POW camp with other Brits. When they learn that Sir Ernest is a vital player in the war effort, they devise a daring escape plan that involves inmate Everett (Stanley Baxter) impersonating the camp's commandant.
      Director
      Ken Annakin
      Screenwriter
      Henry Blyth, Jack Davies
      Production Co
      Independent Artists Ltd.
      Genre
      Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (DVD)
      Jan 29, 2008
      Runtime
      1h 38m