Up the Creek *** (1958, David Tomlinson, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde White, Lionel Jeffries, Lionel Murton, David Lodge, Sam Kydd) – Classic Movie Review 1853

Co-writer/director Val Guest’s 1958 British naval farce Up the Creek is creakily written but it is rescued from sinking by some amusing gags and situations, but mainly by the performances, especially from Peter Sellers proving his early star quality as an enterprising bosun, in his very first starring role.

But it is David Tomlinson who tops the bill as rocket-mad navy officer Lt Humphrey Fairweather RN, the new lieutenant put out of harm’s way by being given command of an ancient naval destroyer, H.M.S. Berkeley. He has invented a rocket that he thinks is better than the navy’s, but now he has to contend with the schemes of his Chief Petty Officer Doherty (Sellers) when he finds he is running it as a cheap-jack store. Wilfrid Hyde White is admirable fun as the admiral, Adm Foley.

Guest reworks some of his 20-year-old screenplay from the uproarious Oh, Mr Porter! (1937), and that is partly derived from the ancient The Ghost Train. Creaky though it is, it must have been a hit because Tomlinson and co-stars Lionel Jeffries, Lionel Murton, David Lodge, Sam Kydd and John Warren all return in the ultra-fast same-year sequel: Further Up the Creek.

Up the Creek also features Vera Day, Tom Gill, Liliane Sottane, Michael Goodliffe, Reginald Beckwith, Patrick Cargill, Michael Ripper, Basil Dignam, Peter Collingwood, Barry Lowe, Edwin Richfield, Frank Pettingel, Howard Williams, Max Butterfield, Malcolm Ranson, Donald Bisset, Leonard Fenton, Peter Coke, Jack McNaughton and Larry Noble.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1853

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