Critics make claims for much of Michael Winner's sixties British output but this one tends to be overlooked. With reason. It's got energy and spunk and a great cast but feels slightly off. I think 1965 was too late to make this sort of movie, which feels like a 1957 Dirk Bogarde film. It's not in colour and Michael Callan's American soldier really sticks out, he doesn't fit. Also three was something harsh about Callan's persona - this film needed someone more befuddled. In one scene he dances a few steps and is electric - it's such a shame he didn't do more musicals.
Gabrille Lucidi is a lot of fun as one of Callan's women and you've got people like Leslie Phillips, Terry Thomas and Lionel Jeffries hamming it up. The point of the heist feels minimal. But these problems were fixed in The Jokers - this movie feels like a trial run for that and I don't think The Jokers would have been as good if Winner hadn't made this first.
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