On the Fiddle
6 /10 1 Votes
Director Cyril Frankel Music director Malcolm Arnold Duration Language English | 5.8/10 IMDb Genre Comedy, War Screenplay Harold Buchman Country United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date 10 October 1961 (1961-10-10) (UK) Based on Stop at a Winner (novel)
by R.F. Delderfield Writer R.F. Delderfield (novel), Harold Buchman (screenplay), R.F. Delderfield (from a treatment by) Initial release October 10, 1961 (United Kingdom) Cast Alfred Lynch (Horace Pope), Sean Connery (Pedlar Pascoe), Cecil Parker (Group Capt. Bascombe), Stanley Holloway (Mr. Cooksley), Alan King (Top Sgt. Buzzer), Eric Barker (Doctor)Similar movies Privates Progress (1956) Tagline Never have so few fiddled so many! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
on the fiddle starring sean connery released on dvd 22 04 2013
On the Fiddle (released as Operation Snafu and Operation War Head in the United States) is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mike Sarne, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Kathleen Harrison, Victor Maddern and John Le Mesurier.
Contents
- on the fiddle starring sean connery released on dvd 22 04 2013
- On the fiddle trailer
- Plot
- Writing
- Filming
- US release
- Reception
- References
It was Sean Connery's tenth film, released the year before his big breakthrough as James Bond in the 1962 film Dr No.
On the fiddle trailer
Plot
During the Second World War, spiv Horace Pope is taken to court for street peddling. In mitigation he tells the judge he is only working in the black market while waiting to enlist in the war effort. On hearing this plea, the judge calls his bluff and forces him to sign up.
Pope joins the RAF. Very quickly he makes friends with the easy going, but loyal, Pedlar Pascoe who happily goes along with all of his scams, which mainly involve taking money for leave passes and for organising postings close to home. The pair do their utmost to make a bit on the side and avoid being sent into action.
However, their antics soon lead to them being sent on a mission to occupied France where they unexpectedly succeed with their offbeat actions.
Writing
The film was adapted by Harold Buchman from the 1961 novel Stop at a Winner by R. F. Delderfield.
Filming
The fighting scenes in the woods were shot in and around "The Sandpit" on Horsell Common near Woking, Surrey. Interiors were completed at Shepperton Studios, Surrey.
US release
The film was not released in the United States until 21 May 1965, retitled "Operation Snafu" and later "Operation War Head" by the US distributor American International Pictures. The only purpose of the US release was to capitalise on the popularity of Sean Connery, who by then had become world-famous as James Bond in Dr No, From Russia with Love and Goldfinger. The titles, as well as the advertising campaign, downplayed the comedic aspects of the film as well as Connery's original second-billing.
Reception
Reviewing the film in The New York Times, following its 1965 US release, Howard Thompson noted that the release was "an obvious cash-in" on Connery's popularity as James Bond, but found it, "a friendly little wartime comedy from England." He wrote that, "The wonder is that a picture with a story already done, gag by gag, a hundred times is so easy to take. It is, though — flip, friendly, brisk and a wee bit cynical in its take-it-or-leave-it jauntiness", and concluded that, "The film is familiar and trifling, but it's perky."
References
On the Fiddle WikipediaOn the Fiddle IMDb On the Fiddle themoviedb.org