Very Important Person [A Coming-Out Party] *** (1961, James Robertson Justice, Stanley Baxter, Leslie Phillips, Eric Sykes, Richard Wattis) – Classic Movie Review 9664

The super vintage Brit laughter-raisers are on funny form, especially Stanley Baxter, Leslie Phillips and Eric Sykes, in director Ken Annakin’s zesty, entertaining 1961 wartime-set British black and white comedy Very Important Person [A Coming-Out Party].

James Robertson Justice stars as arrogant and astringent but brilliant very important scientist Sir Ernest Pease to sourly spluttering perfection in this World War Two tale of a stalwart band of true Brits who have to come up with an escape plan to set him free from their German prisoner of war camp when the Germans capture him. His escape is their top priority.

However, great though Brit laughter-raisers are, it is Robertson Justice’s film and it is he who really takes the film by storm. Stanley Baxter enjoys dual roles as a dour Scottish prisoner ‘Jock’ Everett and a German prisoner-of-war camp officer, Major Stampfel.

The escape plan, to walk out of the camp dressed as Swiss Red Cross observers, was used in real life – twice – one of which is mentioned in Paul Brickhill’s book The Great Escape. The escape in Very Important Person is based on an Army-RAF joint effort from Oflag VIB, Warburg, in 1942.

Also in the cast are Richard Wattis as Entertainments Officer Woodcock, Colin Gordon as Briggs, Godfrey Winn (as himself), John le Mesurier as Escape Officer Piggott, Norman Bird as Senior British Officer Travers, Jeremy Lloyd as Flt Lt. ‘Bonzo’ Baines DFC, John Forrest as Grassy’ Green, Jean Cadell, Peter Myers, Ronnie Stevens, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Steve Plytas, John Ringham, Mark Hardy, John Huson, Joseph Furst, Norman Shelley, Brian Oulton, Frederick Piper, Joan Haythorne, Heidi Erich, Vincent Ball, Ed Devereaux, and Nancy Nevinson.

The original screenplay is by Jack Davies and Henry Blyth. John Foley’s subsequent novel is based on the film.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9664

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