Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969)

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Amateur movie with Big budget

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The 1960s saw two comedy films made about two real, legendary automobile contests. The first was "The Great Race" in 1965. It was a hilarious rendition of an actual event held in 1908. That was a race around the world that involved far fewer cars than shown in the movie. In my comments on that film (18 April 2014), I give a history of that event, and some details about the museum where the winning car and trophy are housed today. The National Automobile Museum is located in Reno, Nevada. One can spend more than a day going through that world-class museum.The second race film of the 1960s was this one, about the Monte Carlo Rally. "Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies" came out four years after the first film. The rally is a real event that has taken place annually since 1911, except during the years of World War I and World War II. Critics generally panned "The Great Race," which was the most costly comedy made to that time. It had a budget of $12 million. But the public liked the film. The critics and public liked "Jaunty Jalopies," which also made a nice profit. But it wasn't as popular in the U.S. as had been "Race." I think "Race" clearly was a much funnier comedy. It had some outrageously funny scenarios, including the best and longest filmed pie fight in history. "Jaunty Jalopies" on the other hand, has many moments that bring chuckles or smiles. But there ae no standout hilarious scenes. What's best about this film is its international cast and the cars and reproductions that showed innovations. The rally in its early years was a showcase for new automobile innovations. In this film, this is show with two English characters and a car entry by Major Dawlish and Lt. Barrington, played respectively by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Terry-Thomas plays the part of a cad so well, but in this film his part isn't that funny. Many of the actors give good performances, and the string of mishaps one after another is funny. But "Jalopies" never rises above a chuckle. The original European title for this movie was, "Monte Carlo or Bust." Movie buffs may be interested in some more history of the real event in this film. The Monte Carl Rally is sponsored annually by the Automobile Club de Monaco. Since 1973 it has been run in stages – as many as 35 in 1986, and as few as 13 in 2011. As in the movie, contestants have choices of places to start from – usually four to six – all equidistant from Monte Carlo. Until 1972, the event was as shown in the movie – with cars traveling a long route from five different staring places, to arrive at the same place. Then, the surviving cars competed in a short timed distance race. Since 1973 and the multiple stages, the total distances have ranged from 867 km (539 miles) in 1986, to 329 km (204 miles). Since 1995, all rallies have been below 500 km (310 miles), and they have tended to level off at around 400 km or lower (248 miles). While the rally remains highly popular, the reduced distances likely are due to considerable increases in traffic on the roads and difficulties in shutting down roads to public traffic and other logistics of the event.

On reading reviews and ratings for a similar movie to this 'The Great Race' i was expecting that to be much better than Monte Carlo Or Bust but the opposite is true, having Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in the cast is a huge plus to start with, then add Terry Thomas, Eric Sykes, Tony Curtis to name a few. All are cast perfectly for the characters they play with Peter Cook teamed with Dudley Moore Thomas with Sykes acting superbly. I loved this movie when i watched it years ago and for me anyway it has stood the test of time, some brilliant characters, gorgeous women, and very funny. Definitely recommend it, and the 6.6 IMDb rating it has is way off mark in my opinion it should be at least 7.5 if not an 8.

The U.S. theatrical release of this follow-up to the highly popular epic comedy THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES (1965) was decidedly ill-timed – coming as it did just three days after that of MIDNIGHT COWBOY! – and must have made an already inferior product (in comparison to the original) seem quaint and redundant. Perhaps this even explains the film's hacking down to 93 minutes (from an original length of 125!) over there, not to mention its sheer invisibility on TV and home video (in my neck of the woods at least) until now, via Legend Films' no-frills but full-length DVD – albeit under its more recognizable alternate title rather than the original one of MONTE CARLO OR BUST! Perhaps inevitably, several of the same cast and crew from the predecessor are involved here as well: producer-director-co-writer Annakin, screenwriter Jack Davies, composer Ron Goodwin, actors Terry-Thomas (in a way, actually reprising his signature role by playing the son of the character he had portrayed in FLYING MACHINES), Eric Sykes (again as the latter's valet) and Gert Frobe (as, obviously, the German representative), etc. Also like its prototype, several international stars were roped in to fill out the roles of the other contestants: from the USA, Tony Curtis (who, sadly, is a long way from his winsome characterization in THE GREAT RACE [1965]); from Britain, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore (amusing as, respectively, an Army Major-cum-amateur inventor and his sidekick) and, later, Susan Hampshire (who initially tries to detour Curtis but eventually joins him); from Italy, a level-headed Walter Chiari and a typically hot-blooded Lando Buzzanca; from France, a group of three girls (played by Mireille Darc, Marie Dubois and Nicoletta Macchiavelli) who, prior to the start of the race, have a run-in with their compatriot organizer of the Monte Carlo Rally, Bourvil. There are other stars or recognizable faces making guest appearances for no real reason except to add to the fun (and expense): Jack Hawkins and Derren Nesbitt (as jewel thieves that have hid their booty inside one of Frobe's spare tyres!), Hattie Jacques (as an emancipated lady journalist), Richard Wattis and, according to the IMDb, even Paul Muller (but I didn't recognize him).In this talented company and with the lavish budget accorded, there can't fail to be enjoyable stretches (particularly with every new contraption Cook and Moore come up with after the last one had unsurprisingly failed) and other sundry compensations (not least Jimmy Durante's grizzled intonation of the title song and the accompanying animated credits sequence); however, as I said earlier, the film is not up to the levels of inspiration that permeated its memorable predecessor. Tony Curtis only had one or two major films left before slipping into TV roles and the occasional big-screen cameo, while Annakin wouldn't really be allowed to handle another such stellar cast before a decade's time had elapsed – including the umpteenth cinematic version of "The Man In The Iron Mask" in THE FIFTH MUSKETEER (1979).

In the 1920's several international characters gather to compete in the gruelling Monte Carlo Rally. Some will employ fair means or foul to ensure victory.This film was a follow up of sorts to 1965's 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines', although it also bares similarities to 'The Great Race'(in which Tony Curtis once again starred). Sadly it is not in the same class as either. It lacks the coherence, wit and spectacle of 'Flying Machines', despite Ken Annakin being at the helm once more. In fairness to him the main problem is the screenplay - its simply not that funny. This causes an over reliance on the visual gags, and here again the film falls short. The effects aren't terribly special even for 1969. Some of the characters are also downright irritating - I'm thinking particularly of the Italians - bulging eyed, flailing armed, noisy oafs.There are some compensations however. Dear old Terry-Thomas and Eric Sykes repeat their double act from the previous film to some effect, and Susan Hampshire is every inch the English Rose. But its Peter Cook and Dudley Moore who steal the show as a British Army Officer/Inventor and his Batman respectively. They have all the best lines and manage to deliver them in a typically deadpan and upper class manner. Example:- As their car hurtles down a snowy hillside out of control, and having tried every concievable method of stopping it to no avail, Cook calmly announces "This simply won't do at all!" Priceless.Not a total disaster then, but considering the talent involved, with better writing and more careful work all round it could have been, and indeed should have been, so much better.