One or two spoilers: I have to confess a slight forgiving fondness for this type of big 60's comedy film. Sometimes this one is downright corny and in places it wears a bit thin but somehow it manages to capture your affection. Sure most of the characters are one-dimensional stereotypical cartoon cutouts , but the film never pretends to be anything deep and meaningful. It pokes fun at the "stiff upperlipped British" , the "formal and pompous Germans" and the "amorous French" etc with a few crazy Italians thrown in and no-one is else spared either. This is how it plays on your preconceived ideas of those "blasted foreigners". Part slapstick with Benny Hill's Keystone Cop like firemen and part heroic adventure with Stuart Whitmans good-guy cowboy role to save the day and everyone a good sport except the fabulously funny villain Terry Thomas. The thing to remember is that they just don't make films like this anymore. Watch a parade of notable English comics pass by intermingled with the other international cast members. English M'Lord Rawnsley of a very large English newspaper is inspired ( of course it was his idea or so he claims ) by his liberated and unruly daughter to put up ten thousand pounds in prize money for the first pilot to fly the English channel , because "Brittania rules the waves so by George she ought to rule the skies as well ". So the scene is set for a motley crew to fly their vintage and unreliable and downright dangerous aircraft across the channel. Along the way, nasty Sir Percy ( Terry Thomas ) aided by slightly sneaky and not too loyal Courtney ( Eric Sykes ) does his villainous best to sabotage the other aircraft but he gets his comeuppance in the end. Stuart Whitman in Levis gets to challenge James Fox the very sportsmanlike Englishman for Sarah Miles affections. A lot of fun and great to look at. Enjoy.
