Nearly a Nasty Accident ** (1961, Jimmy Edwards, Kenneth Connor, Shirley Eaton, Richard Wattis, Ronnie Stevens, Jon Pertwee, Eric Barker, Peter Jones, Jack Watling, Joyce Carey, Terry Scott) – Classic Movie Review 8343

Director Don Chaffey’s 1961 Nearly a Nasty Accident is a welcome if routine and very mild British comedy, based on a play called Touch Wood by David Carr, about a meek-mannered National Serviceman aircraft mechanic (Kenneth Connor) who goes around causing disasters everywhere, to the consternation of the RAF Group Captain (Jimmy Edwards), who has to try to save the day.

The film, with its echoes of the slapstick comedy of Norman Wisdom and Frank Spencer, is tolerable and amusing in places, with at least some happy laughs, and it is briskly handled by Chaffey, but it is mostly saved by lots of friendly faces, who give expertly funny turns. It is good to see Connor as top billed star along with Edwards, and he justifies his place there, with essential support from Richard Wattis, Cyril Chamberlain and Shirley Eaton, who all score strongly.

Also in the cast are Ronnie Stevens, Jon Pertwee, Eric Barker, Peter Jones, Jack Watling, Joyce Carey, Terry Scott, Joe Baker, Vincent Ball, Jack Douglas, John Forrest, Harold Goodwin, Emrys Leyshon, Charlotte Mitchell and Ian Whitaker.

It was advertised as ‘That Daff-a-Dilly Blonde from Carry On Nurse in a New Comedy Riot!’ That would be Shirley Eaton and that would be outrageous: ‘That Daff-a-Dilly Blonde’, well really!

The screenplay is by Jack Davies and Hugh Woodruff.

Nearly a Nasty Accident runs 86 minutes, is made by Bertram Ostrer Productions, British Lion Film Corporation and Marlow Films, is released by Britannia Films (1961) (UK) and Universal Pictures (1962) (US), is written by Jack Davies and Hugh Woodruff, based on the play Touch Wood by David Carr, is shot in black and white by Paul Beeson, is produced by Bertram Ostrer and is scored by Ken Jones.

It was made at Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8343

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