Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 Minutes [1965]

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1965
Running Times: 138 mins
Length: 3605 metres
Format: colour     35mm      65mm     70mm     Todd-AO
Ratio: 2.20:1
Sound: stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Company: 20th Century Fox
Producer: Stan Margulies

SCRIPT
Script: Ken Annakin, Jack Davies

DIRECTION
Director: Ken Annakin
Assistant Director: Clive Reed

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Christopher Challis
Colour: DeLuxe

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Anne V. Coates, Gordon Stone

MUSIC
Music: Ron Goodwin
Musical Director: Ron Goodwin

SOUND
Sound Mixers: Gordon K. McCallum, John W. Mitchell

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Stuart Freeborn
Costume Designer: Osbert Lancaster

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Ron Ballinger
Special Effects: Jimmy Harris, Fred Heather, Garth Inns, Malcolm King, Nick Middleton, Jimmy Ward
Special Effects Wireman: Richard Parker

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Roy Field [uncredited]
Animator: Ralph Ayres

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Thomas N. Morahan
Title Designer: Ronald Searle

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Don Sharp
Aerial Supervisor: Allen Wheeler

LOCATIONS
Locations: Booker Airfield, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

CASTING
Casting: Stuart Lyons

CAST
Stuart Whitman [Orvil Newton]
Sarah Miles [Patricia Rawnsley]
James Fox [Richard Mays]
Alberto Sordi [Count Emilio Ponticelli]
Robert Morley [Lord Rawnsley]
Gert Fröbe [Colonel Manfred von Holstein]
Jean-Pierre Cassel [Pierre Dubois]
Irina Demick [Brigitte / Ingrid / Marlene / Françoise / Yvette / Betty]
Eric Sykes [Courtney]
Red Skelton [Neanderthal man]
Terry-Thomas [Sir Percy Ware-Armitage]
Benny Hill [Fire Chief Perkins]
Yujirô Ishihara [Yamamoto]
Flora Robson [Mother Superior]
Karl Michael Vogler [Captain Rumpelstoss]
Sam Wanamaker [George Gruber]
Eric Barker [French postman]
Maurice Denham [trawler skipper]
Gordon Jackson [McDougal]
Davy Kaye [Jean]
John Le Mesurier [French painter]
Jeremy Lloyd [Lieutnant Parsons]
Zena Marshall [Countess Sophia Ponticelli]
Millicent Martin [hostess]
Eric Pohlmann [Italian mayor]
Marjorie Rhodes [maid]
Norman Rossington [Fire Chief]
William Rushton [Tremayne Gascoyne]
Graham Stark [fireman]
Jimmy Thompson [photographer]
Michael Trubshawe [Niven]
Tony Hancock [Harry Popperwell]
James Robertson Justice [narrator]
Cicely Courtneidge [Colonel's wife - uncredited]
Vernon Dobtcheff [member of the French team - uncredited]
Fred Emney [Colonel - uncredited]
Ferdy Mayne [French official]
Nicholas Smith [fireman - uncredited]

At the start of the 20th century, a British Newspaper organises an air race across the English Channel which attracts the top fliers - and their bizarre flying machines - from all around the world.

Another of those international star-studded extravaganzas that were so popular in the 60s and one of the best. The whole thing revolves around and pokes gentle fun at national stereotypes and features another wonderfully caddish performance from Terry-Thomas. Brainless fun with a catchy theme song, great outlandish aircraft design and a fine cast.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation

Finland
Rating: S

Norway
Rating: 7

Portugal
Rating: M/6

Sweden
Rating: Btl

AWARDS

1966
Academy Awards, USA
Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen [Ken Annakin, Jack Davies] - nominated

British Academy Awards
Best British Costume [Colour] [Dinah Greet, Osbert Lancaster] - winner
Best British Art Direction [Colour] [Thomas N. Morahan] - nominated
Best British Cinematography [Colour] [Christopher Challis] - nominated

Golden Globes, USA
Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy - nominated
Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy [Alberto Sordi] - nominated
Most Promising Newcomer - Male [James Fox] - nominated

Laurel Awards, USA
Golden Laurel Comedy - 4th place

1965
June
16: USA - theatrical release

August
26: Sweden - theatrical release

September
24: Finland - theatrical release

2002
March
11: USA - television broadcast [on HBOC]

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines

MAGAZINES

Filmfacts 1965 pp.123-125 [USA]
credits, reprinted reviews

Monthly Film Bulletin July 1965 p.113 [UK]
credits, synopsis, review

BOOKS

British Film Catalogue entry number 13513
credits

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.490
credits

aircraft, air races, gimmicks, eiffel tower, paris, cavemen, neanderthals

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007