The Fast Lady *** (1962, James Robertson Justice, Leslie Phillips, Stanley Baxter, Julie Christie, Kathleen Harrison) – Classic Movie Review 8353

The 1962 film The Fast Lady is a genial Carry On-style comedy with amusing turns from James Robertson Justice, Stanley Baxter and Leslie Phillips.

Director Ken Annakin’s 1962 British Eastmancolor film The Fast Lady is a genial, fairly funny Carry On-style comedy with amusing turns from James Robertson Justice, Stanley Baxter and Leslie Phillips, in which bashful Baxter buys a Bentley and brings in bank robbers.

A lady fast riding to stardom at the time, Julie Christie, makes only her second film appearance in this one, and is winsome as Baxter’s love object, Claire Chingford. Baxter plays naïve Scotsman Murdoch Troon, a cycling club member who buys the 1927 Bentley vintage sports car, painted in British Racing Green and named The Fast Lady, and learns to drive to impress Claire, the daughter of arrogant aristocrat businessman Charles Chingford, who despises him after they are involved in an accident.

Happily, Eric Barker, Fred Emney, Monsewer Eddie Gray and Frankie Howerd also appear, and Kathleen Harrison plays Mrs Staggers. The film also features cameos and performances by many other well-known comedy and character actors, including Dick Emery as a car salesman, Clive Dunn, Gerald Campion, Bernard Cribbins, and Bill Fraser. A racing sequence in Murdoch’s dream also features brief cameo appearances by drivers John Surtees (as himself) and Graham Hill (as himself), along with Raymond Baxter (as himself), celebrated automotive journalist John Bolster (as himself) and Dickie Davies (as himself).

The Fast Lady is a 1927 Bentley 4.5-litre Red Label Speed model with Vanden Plas short chassis fabric body, registration number TU5987. It was sold by a specialist dealer in 2010.

Also in the cast are Raymond Baxter (as himself), John Bolster (as himself), Graham Hill (as himself), John Surtees (as himself), Terence Alexander, Michael Balfour, Irene Barrie, Ann Beach, Anne Blake, Victor Brooks, Gerald Campion, Esma Cannon, Roland Culver, Allan Cuthbertson, John Dunbar, Clive Dunn as Old Gentleman, Dick Emery, Heidi Erich, Harold Goodwin, Danny Green, Deryck Guyler, Mark Heath, Oliver Johnston, Eddie Leslie, Martin Miller, Anna Ostling-Thomas, May Ling Rahman, Terence Scully, Marianne Stone and Toke Townley.

It is written by Jack Davies (screenplay) and Henry Blyth (screenplay), based on the 1925 novel by Keble Howard.

Don Sharp directed the second unit.

It was released in December 1962 at the Odeon Marble Arch in London’s West End.

The Fast Lady is a follow-up to Annakin’s Crooks Anonymous (1962) with all the same four star actors, released in April 1962.

A loose sequel, Father Came Too!, was released in February 1964.

Dad’s Army’s Clive Dunn was playing an Old Gentleman all those years ago!

Scottish actor Stanley Baxter was born on 24 May 1926. He is celebrated for his British TV comedy shows The Stanley Baxter Show, The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, The Stanley Baxter Series and Mr Majeika. But his filmography is thin: Geordie (1955), Very Important Person (1961), The Fast Lady (1962), Crooks Anonymous (1962), Father Came Too! (1964), and Joey Boy (1965).

He came out as gay in August 2020 after the release of his authorised biography. Unfortunately, he said: ‘Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality, fairly happy with who they are. I’m not. I never wanted to be gay. I still don’t.’

English actor Leslie Phillips was born on 20 April 1924. He died in his sleep at home in London on 7 November 2022, aged 98, after a long illness.

British actress Julie Christie was born on 14 April 1940. A major icon of the Swinging Sixties, she is the winner of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

The cast are James Robertson Justice as Charles Chingford, Leslie Phillips as Freddie Fox, Stanley Baxter as Murdoch Troon, Kathleen Harrison as Mrs Staggers, Julie Christie as Claire Chingford, Eric Barker as driving instructor Wentworth,  Oliver Johnston as Bulmer, Allan Cuthbertson as driving examiner Bodley, Heidi Erich as Freddie’s girlfriend Grunhilde, Esma Cannon as Lady on Zebra Crossing, Dick Emery as Freddie’s boss Shingler, Deryck Guyler as police Doctor Blake, Victor Brooks as Policeman, Terence Alexander as Policeman on Motorcycle, Trevor Reid as Examiner, Frankie Howerd as Road Workman in Hole, Bernard Cribbins as man on stretcher, Clive Dunn as old gentleman in burning house, Bill Fraser as a golfer, and Graham Hill, John Surtees, Raymond Baxter and Dickie Davies in race scene in Murdoch’s dream.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8353

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