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DVD Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
An air race from London to Paris provides the premise for this marvelous comedy, which features thrilling aerial photography and some stupefying stunt flying. It's set in 1910, when the (lovingly re-created) airplanes of the period were likelier to sputter and crash than they were to go in a straight line. The international contest requires an international cast, including Stuart Whitman as a cowboy American interested in the ladylove (Sarah Miles) of an English ace (James Fox). Alberto Sordi and Gert Frobe represent the Italian and German nations; Terry-Thomas plans frightful sabotage for race day. From the jaunty opening song and the great opening-credits drawings by Gerald Searle onward, the movie has a pleasingly breezy tone that sits well with the meticulous flying sequences. This is a delightful example of a certain kind of internationally flavored film of the period, somewhat similar to The Great Race, released the same year (1965). --Robert Horton
Review(s): DVD Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
Heavily edited for "family" content.
This version of "Those Magnificent Man in Their Flying Machines," bears little resemblance to the original which was much funnier with story line appropriate to the humor.
PERFECT SIXTIES BRITISH HUMOR AND AUTHENTIC 1910 FLYING MACHINES
Two films were made in 1965 that both catered to the current interest in turn-of-the-century history and wacky humor: The Great Race and Those Magnificent Men. The latter also catered to the fascination with anything British, and, in this case, includes some of the top British comedians of the day: Terry Thomas, Robert Morley and Benny Hill, to name a few. Director Ken Annakin has taken his love for aviation history and infused it with a host of wonderfully funny characters engaged in a partially historical race: a flight from London to Paris in 1910. At a time when people were literally obsessed with flying, there were some incredibly weird machines being put into flight, and many of them appear in this film. All the planes used were authentic reproductions of actual planes, built on spec with the original materials, but souped up a bit with more powerful engines.
Even though there is a strong English flavor to everything in this film, it is truly an international race, with French, Italian, Japanese, German and American pilots participating. Stewart Whitman plays the American cowboy pilot flying a plane modeled after the Wright Brothers' machine. Sarah Miles is beautiful as Stuart's love interest, and is also pursued by suave British pilot James Fox. Robert Morley plays her father, and the sponsor of the race. Terry Thomas is the dastardly villain who is not above sabotaging his fellow competitors' planes, and Benny Hill plays an early version of an airfield controller. Other notables are Alberto Sordi as the rich Italian pilot, whose enthusiasm for flying is only matched by his enthusiasm for child-bearing; Gert Frobe as the German pilot, who does everything by the book, and to marching music, which he produces without the help of instruments; Jean-Pierre Cassel as the Frenchman, who is infatuated by Irena Demick, no matter how many different women she appears as; Eric Sykes as Terry Thomas' man Courtney; Yujiro Ishihara as the Japanese pilot; and Red Skelton as a variety of comic flyers from pre-modern times.
It's amazing how many parallels there are between Ken Annakin's Those Incredible Men and Blake Edwards' The Great Race. One might almost think they were looking over each other's shoulders and stealing from each other. But there is quite a different flavor to each. Those Magnificent Men is strongly British and very realistic, whereas The Great Race is very American and a spoof on early film comedies, like the Keystone Cops, as well as more serious white-hat melodramas. As wonderful as both films are - especially for art, costume and other technical departments - it's hard to believe that the only Oscar they won was for sound effects, which went to The Great Race. But, when you consider that they were competing against The Sound of Music and Dr. Zhivago, maybe it's not so hard to believe. In their own right, though, they're both still wonderful.
Waitsel Smith
One of the best films ever
Funny.lots of humor.
Very entertaining.
Nice old airplanes.
One of the best films ever
highly recommended
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