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      The Wrong Arm of the Law

      1963 1h 31m Comedy List
      Reviews 58% 500+ Ratings Audience Score Thieves disguised as police officers are ripping off London's biggest criminals -- much to the consternation of both the law and the crooks. To reinstate the prevailing order, Scotland Yard announces a 24-hour truce between the law and organized crime. In an unlikely partnership, top detective Nosey Parker (Lionel Jeffries) and Cockney crime boss Pearly Gates (Peter Sellers) join forces to bring these impostors to justice, hoping to use an armored car robbery as bait. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …shows how well Sellers could stick to a script, before his mania for control led him to some far less disciplined performances… Rated: 4/5 May 5, 2022 Full Review Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia If youre looking for a delightful and good-natured comedy romp, then The Wrong Arm of the Law is for you. Apr 27, 2022 Full Review Dwight MacDonald Esquire Magazine I felt I had been hit over the head by blunt instruments for two hours. May 9, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      isla s In this film Peter Sellers plays a cocky, rebellious cockney criminal/spiv type - he's wearing dark sunglasses to bed early on in the film. There are some cheesy/corny innuendos present and it did make me giggle a bit at times. Watching the characters interact with people in authority with them clearly judging them, was quite amusing - the dialogue is certainly entertaining. Also some of the characters have somewhat typical cockney type nicknames, like 'nosey'. The dialogue can be quite fast paced and contains cockney/Southern England type slang of its time (the 1960s) (e.g. Women are referred to as 'birds', 'I made one hundred (...) knicker', 'you thieving little nit' etc.) which may amuse you and thankfully the audio level was decent, so it wasn't especially an issue. Given its an old film, this isn't always the case. I had a bit of a laugh at the way the police officer talked, with lines such as 'the ground to be searched is in this area 'ere, what is covered by the circle you see before you'. It is rather stereotyped and I can't say whether people really talked like that at the time, as it was made before my time but I certainly found the film an easy and entertaining watch. Also I'd like to point out that it stars John Le Mesurier (more well known for playing sergeant Arthur Wilson, Captain Mainwaring's sidekick, in Dad's Army), plus Bernard Cribbins. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Boneyard L This comedy is a straightforward goofball heist movie, complete with Peter Sellers doing multiple accents and a "why the heck not" ending. It's a fun, often nonsensical cops-and-robbers romp through London, each character as incompetent as the next. There's not a whole lot of silliness, surprisingly, despite its goofball tone, so the overall effect is a bit dry and stilted. It would have done better to go all in on the gimmick, but as it is it's just pretty good. Closest comparison: It's like the Pink Panther (1963) by way of Funeral in Berlin. Setting: Crime Plot: Heist Tone: Comedy Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/15/20 Full Review Audience Member A coppers and robbers movie that is amusing and family-friendly starring Peter Sellers. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Great for Sellers fans, this black and white caper comedy has British accents/slang to deal with and not so amusing script to follow. Note: A young Michael Caine has a small and uncredited role as a young PC. [img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRWXhaR_Z610F6Nn7I9M7TignOGMzgZX2-aHEl6EMdBFY09X4td[/img] Before The Pink Panther series we have this Peter Sellers creation in 1963. Half way through the 90 minute film was awkward for me at best, tedious at worst. SEE the trailer here for an idea of the film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NajbyyBbwfE [img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQktlUwBfKWfsqTWXqj-bhCcF_HlMRuimG9pAhVV7komFL_CjcQ[/img] Early Peter Sellers comedy who runs a burglery gang through his front as a French speaking shop owner for woman's gowns. Here we see the early idea of a French detective Closeau. But this time he is really gangleader Pearly Gates, who is a English burgler kingpin who fancies himself benevolent as a gang leader and wants to form a corporation of local criminals. [img]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMwI-gR176yLz5nqEpz5ZURuP8YkkUqJiAsj2G9js0-7EBGRF8[/img] But thats not enough to make this a rotten film. It isn't that its a bad film. It's no doubt quality made and acted. Rather, its a bit hard to dicypher the dialog of criminal slang of 1960's Britain society. [img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQuhJ4zJmq7-bWKnlUl_PB2vOuVHj7Ls7WEx9qd4fHuxDsGKBDDZg[/img] Plus, the story spends half the movie showing various skits where a gang moves into town and dresses as police only to run off with stolen jewels during various heists. SEE the film in its entirety here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEet2P4GItw [img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTPZgzz7YKPcV6od72Aqhd5gdRRWhYhPpIS8soBBFThHzk2t6aF[/img] NOTES: 1 The film was one of the 12 most popular movies at the British box office in 1963. 2 PLOT: In London, a gang of criminals from Australia led by Jack Coombes (Bill Kerr) impersonate policemen to carry out robberies. Local gang leader "Pearly" Gates (Sellers), who operates from the cover of a French couturier, finds his takings cut severely, and blames rival crook "Nervous" O'Toole (Bernard Cribbins). When it emerges that they are both being scammed by the same gang, they join forces, along with Lionel Jeffries' Police Inspector "Nosey" Parker, to bring the so-called "I.P.O. mob" (I.P.O. - Impersonation of a Police Officer) to justice. 4 A young Michael Caine has a small and uncredited role as a young PC. [img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSDstGToX_Mt_pba3YPUU4jVyfVPw_VMvSe1xBQAd8zsltMkoA5[/img] Scotland Yard's commisioner meets with the gangs on a carosel at the request of Pearly Gates (Sellers) to join forces Cast Peter Sellers as Pearly Gates Lionel Jeffries as Nosy Parker Bernard Cribbins as Nervous O'Toole Davy Kaye as Trainer King Nanette Newman as Valerie 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 Martin Boddey as Superintendent Forest Irene Browne as Dowager Arthur Mullard as Brassknuckles Dermot Kelly as Misery Martin Vanda Godsell as Annette Tutte Lemkow as Siggy Schmoltz Barry Keegan as Mr. Pointer Directed by Cliff Owen Produced by E.M. Smedley Aston Aubrey Baring Written by John Antrobus Ray Galton Len Heath Music by Richard Rodney Bennett Cinematography Ernest Steward Editing by Tristam Cones Studio Romulus Films Distributed by British Lion Films (UK) Release date(s) March 1963 (UK) Running time 94 minutes Country United Kingdom Language English [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/The_Wrong_Arm_of_the_Law_poster.jpg/220px-The_Wrong_Arm_of_the_Law_poster.jpg[/img] More to follow...... Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member one of sellers best comedies,nice cast with good gags/lines Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member no kind hearts... here in another Brit comedy about cops n robbers Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Wrong Arm of the Law

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Thieves disguised as police officers are ripping off London's biggest criminals -- much to the consternation of both the law and the crooks. To reinstate the prevailing order, Scotland Yard announces a 24-hour truce between the law and organized crime. In an unlikely partnership, top detective Nosey Parker (Lionel Jeffries) and Cockney crime boss Pearly Gates (Peter Sellers) join forces to bring these impostors to justice, hoping to use an armored car robbery as bait.
      Director
      Cliff Owen
      Screenwriter
      John Warren, Len Heath
      Production Co
      Romulus, A Robert Velaise Production
      Genre
      Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Sep 22, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 31m