Customer Reviews

Two-Way Stretch

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I will start by saying that Kim Newman's summary of this classic English comedy is excellent, and I completely agree with the comments. While Sellers is the star, this is clearly an ensemble piece, and the other actors are all terrific. Nobody really steals a film from Sellers, but Lionel Jeffries comes close--his turn as the "nasty" prison guard, "Sour" Crout, is an absolute gem. As Kim Newman mentions, David Lodge, Bernard Cribbins and Wilfrid Hyde-White are fine in support as "the gang".

Others deserve credit too--Maurice Denham as the most benign prison warden in history, preoccupied with his garden and prize--winning ( he hopes ) marrow--Liz Fraser as Dodger's long-suffering, blond-bombshell girlfriend--Irene Handl as Bernard Cribbins' larcenous "Mum", castigating her son for not breaking out of jail and preserving her criminal family's "honour"--George Woodbridge as the kindest, most naive prison guard in the history of cinema.

The script is marvellous--with even "bit-players" getting hilarious lines. During "visiting day", one of the inmates asks for an explanation about his wife's new baby when he has been locked up for three years--her reply is priceless. No--I won't tell you--buy the movie !

Anchor Bay as usual gives us a very nice picture.

One minor criticism--the picture on the cover of the DVD has nothing to do with this movie at all--I'm not sure what happened here.

In summary, a classic British comedy from the "golden age", not to be missed.

A very sad footnote, dated 20 February 2010--Mr. Lionel Jeffries has passed away. For many years, Mr. Jeffries was one of Britain's most versatile character actors. While he had a terrific flair for roles in comedy films like "Two Way Stretch" and "The Wrong Arm of the Law", he could be equally convincing in serious parts such as the nasty gang leader in that African "western", "The Hellions". Mr. Jeffries will be missed.

Another great British Lion movie made by those talented actor's companies they put together. Sellers must have been the inspiration for the story of inmates plotting a jail break because he used it in other movies. He and his two cell mates plot an escape to participate in a jewel heist being arranged by another partner on the outside, a con man named Soapy Stevens who poses as a Anglican Reverend. He is played delightfully by Wilfred Hyde White who steals every scene in which he appears.

The jail they are serving time in is a country club type where the inmates are given free reign of the place by a softy Governor (as the warden is called.) The Governor is more preoccupied with winning gardening prizes than running the prison. He makes a mockery of compassion.

Along comes Chief Prison Officer Sidney Crout nicknamed Sour Crout. He plays the British version of the martinet Sergeant to perfection. He intends to set things right and stop this mollycoddling of the prisoners. He makes enemies of the inmates, the Governor, and others. He suffers hilarious misadventures as he tries to reopen the rock pile and discover tunnelers. He is played with zest by Lionel Jeffries in one of the finest performances in this type of role I've ever seen.

Peter Seller's role in this movie, as the hero or main character, is curiously more of a straight man role. His comedy is more subtle.

The caper in the film is of a British Army convoy guarding a sultan's diamonds and losing them, despite all their elaborate plans, to this gang of thieves. It works much better than a similar caper in Seller's "The Wrong Arm of the Law."

Also of note is Liz Frazer's performance as Seller's tarty fiance who uses her feminine distress to help the gang at key moments.

I really liked this movie.

Two-Way Stretch is the one where Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins and David Lodge break out of prison to commit a robbery, then break back in to provide themselves with the perfect alibi. Unfortunately, their plan and their luxury regime in prison is disrupted by sadistic new chief warder Lionel Jeffries, whose arrival inspires a reel or so of sendups of classic P.O.W. movies such as The Wooden Horse (with Jeffries ending up falling through the tunnel) and Danger Within (with Cribbins literally up faeces creek without a paddle).

The comic highlights may be the prison visitors sequence, with Liz Fraser's stocking tops providing ample diversion for assorted relatives to slip through sacks full of contraband to the inmates, and Beryl Reid's Ladies' League of Prison Reform inspection of the prison's rehabilitation classes, where plant pots hide dice and woodwork cabinets double as props for demonstrations of safe-cracking (straight out of Sergeant Bilko), but the film manages consistently funny throughout, a rarity for the star. Indeed, the film is so good-natured that it's a surprise to find mention of 'n**-n**s' in the script (this was 1962, after all).

With a great cast filled with familiar faces, the undisputed star of the show is Wilbur the carrier pigeon and his unique way of delivering messages!

Ah, for those bygone days when British studios like Ealing and Shepperton churned out little classics like this on a regular basis. The stalwarts of the era are all here, including Wilfred Hyde-White, Bernard Cribbins and, of course, Sellers. Those who know Sellers from his later, American period will find this character a little unusual; he's more the sharp tough guy who runs the operation than he is the bumbling fool that he later perfected. The plot is simple; Sellers & Co. want to break out of prison, commit a heist, then break back into prison so that they have the perfect alibi. It all sounds quite masterful but, of course, things go terribly awry. For fans of Sellers and/or the golden era of British comedy, this is definitely one to check out.

Your reviewers Kim and Peter did an excellent job and I heartily agree with them.
Do you remember how increasingly noisy the Army guarding the valuables were? Culminating in the major in his armored car yelling at midnight outside the pub and having a chamber pot unceremoniously dumped upon him.
We saw (a much older and heavier) Lionel Jefferies (a bishop) at a London theater. After, on the street, program still in hand, we were discussing our evening plans when he came by in street clothes and said he hoped we enjoyed the show. We persueded him to say "Shut up when I'm talkin' " (from 2-way Stretch) We will never forget it.

This is a b&w from the 1960's staring PETER SELLARS,WILFRED HYDE-WHITE,BERNARD CRIBBINS & the unforgetable LIZ FRAZER.Comedy crime caper involving escaping from prison,stealing a bundle of cash from an army convoy and then breaking back in.Could be the perpect crime but look out,prison chief(sour crout)played by Hyde-White has got their number.Or has he?Sellars at his best i think!

Two Way Stretch [VHS]

This film is a pleasant diversion but cannot be ranked as one of Peter Sellers' better efforts. Sellers acquits himself well enough as the Cockney leader of a band of thieves who break out of prison to pull off a diamond heist but neither he nor the story allow him to stretch to heights that he proved capable of in previous and later works. That said, this movie is funny enough to recommend to the most casual viewer and to Peter Sellers fans.

When Peter Sellers takes the lead rather than a character part in an ensemble cast, warning bells ring. In this mediocre British comedy, Sellers plays a crook in prison, a prison more like a health farm. This must be one of his weakest performances. There is little opportunity for the mimicry which really was his specialty. Without that, Sellers is simply not much of an actor and dull to boot. With a familiar cast of British comedians, in particular the always hilarious Irene Handl, the film has some amusing lines but most of the jokes are too broad without the subtlety of the best of British. There are also some very coarse moments which are worthy of 3rd rate music hall comedy.

It is worth noting that the print is good but there are no extras.