414:. The production had a two-week shooting schedule. Milligan, who wrote most of the radio scripts for the Goons, had no role in creating the film's screenplay. Bentine would later tell an interviewer that the film's lack of financing required director Maclean Rogers to only permit one take per scene. Rogers, however, incorporated two dance numbers into the film featuring showgirls as female soldiers practising for a talent show.
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463:(1951), this is the only time that all four founders of The Goon Show appeared together on celluloid. However, Michael Bentine’s turn as mad professor is just one of many space-fillers in this dismal army romp. Gone is the zany humour that made the radio show essential listening and, in its place, comes crude slapstick."
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The film was not a commercial success in Great
Britain. Since the Goons were unknown in the United States at the time, there was no theatrical release to the American market. Years later, after Sellers became a major film star, bootleg 16 mm prints of the film began to turn up in the US, sometimes
243:
Harry Jones is a clerk in Mr Crab's general mercantile store and an amateur actor in community theatre, where he is currently playing a
Scotland Yard inspector, "Batts of the Yard". When the absentminded Professor Osrick Pureheart leaves a secret military formula in the store, mayhem ensues as two
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wrote: "The producers of this film say they “have the misfortune to inflict The Goons upon us” and this statement, like the rest of the film, is chiefly intended to be funny. For good measure, there is also a music hall sketch by
Michael Bentine (quite amusing), and several song and dance numbers
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The movie was filmed early in the Goons' career before many of the show's recurring characters were created, and the stars only play one character each: Eccles (Milligan), Colonel
Bloodnok (Sellers), Osric Pureheart (Bentine) and Harry Jones (Secombe).
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in the 1950s obliged all fit
British men to serve in the military for two years, and thereafter three and a half years in the reserves. "Category Z" was one of the classes of reserve organisation. During the
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suspicious secret agents (actually enemy spies), who have been shadowing the professor, question Harry regarding the professor, none of them realising that Harry now has the formula in his possession.
251:, ostensibly an elite unit guarding atomic secrets but in reality a ragtag group of reservists, retreads, and others of marginal (at best) competence. The spies kidnap an
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there was much apprehension that, in order to supply enough troops, the government might remobilize "Z-men" who had been released after their two years in uniform.
400:(1951)). In the film, Bentine, Milligan and Sellers repeated their radio characters, whereas Secombe's Neddy Seagoon was replaced with a less-raucous Harry Jones.
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operative. Harry soon becomes smitten with the "daughter", and they work together to foil an attempt by the secret agents to purloin
Pureheart's formula.
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Convinced by the two spies to follow the professor, Harry goes to an Army post, Camp
Warwell, where he is mistakenly enlisted in the
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The post's commander, Colonel
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wrote: ''Crazy comedy with musical interludes introduces ‘Goons’; could have done with their radio scriptwrriters.''
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gave the film 1/5 stars, writing: "Although Peter
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newly assigned to the camp and one of them then impersonates him to gain entry to Camp
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518:"Down Among the Z Men Review. Movie Reviews - Film - Time Out London"
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is the only film starring all four Goons (Bentine was absent from
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442:with Carole Carr and twelve W.R.A.C. chorines.”
626:British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959
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920:The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
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281:As the letter "Z" is pronounced as "Zed" in
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544:Having it So Good: Britain in the Fifties
497:British Film Institute Collections Search
484:
915:The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
7:
16:1952 British film by Maclean Rogers
1464:Old Mother Riley's Jungle Treasure
14:
407:in London, with sets designed by
1646:Films directed by Maclean Rogers
1200:Strange Adventures of Mr. Smith
864:Henry Crun and Minnie Bannister
941:Goon Show Preservation Society
681:Newman, Kim (1 January 2000).
1:
1661:British black-and-white films
683:"Down Among The Z Men Review"
358:Russ Allen as Brigadier's ADC
1666:1950s English-language films
613:(216): 157. 1 January 1952.
271:National Service in Britain
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1432:The Story of Shirley Yorke
1304:His Lordship Goes to Press
1128:The Shadow of Mike Emerald
654:Radio Times Guide to Films
457:Radio Times Guide to Films
1320:Old Mother Riley Joins Up
1002:
836:The Last Goon Show of All
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656:(18th ed.). London:
403:The film was shot at the
307:as Prof. Osrick Pureheart
28:
1352:Gert and Daisy's Weekend
905:Penny Points to Paradise
874:Hercules Grytpype-Thynne
603:"Down Among The Z Men".
461:Penny Points to Paradise
397:Penny Points to Paradise
1360:Gert and Daisy Clean Up
658:Immediate Media Company
624:Quinlan, David (1984).
590:25 January 2008 at the
287:Down Among the Dead Men
130:E.J. Fancey Productions
1656:1950s spy comedy films
1651:Military humor in film
1280:Weddings Are Wonderful
1192:Farewell to Cinderella
1176:Nothing Like Publicity
1096:The Right Age to Marry
546:(Penguin, 2007) p. 79.
493:"Down among the Z Men"
435:On the film's release
329:The Television Toppers
1456:Something in the City
1448:Paul Temple's Triumph
1088:A Little Bit of Bluff
1080:The Feathered Serpent
1024:The Crime at Blossoms
854:Major Dennis Bloodnok
660:. 2017. p. 267.
606:Monthly Film Bulletin
438:Monthly Film Bulletin
343:as Sergeant Bullshine
1636:British comedy films
1584:Not Wanted on Voyage
1528:Behind the Headlines
1504:Down Among the Z Men
1384:Somewhere in Civvies
1376:I'll Walk Beside You
1264:His Lordship Regrets
1208:Fifty-Shilling Boxer
1160:The Heirloom Mystery
910:Down Among the Z Men
745:Down Among the Z Men
734:Down Among the Z Men
723:Down Among the Z Men
712:Down Among the Z Men
423:under the new title
392:Down Among the Z Men
196:Down Among the Z Men
24:Down Among the Z Men
1671:1950s British films
1592:Mark of the Phoenix
1480:Paul Temple Returns
1424:Calling Paul Temple
1408:The Trojan Brothers
1136:A Touch of the Moon
447:British Sound Films
425:The Goon Show Movie
319:as Colonel Bloodnok
1576:You Pay Your Money
1560:Assignment Redhead
1544:Johnny on the Spot
1520:Force's Sweetheart
1296:Miracles Do Happen
1064:Virginia's Husband
879:Count Jim Moriarty
630:B.T. Batsford Ltd.
585:Film Threat review
405:Maida Vale Studios
139:New Realm Pictures
98:Geoffrey Faithfull
1641:1952 comedy films
1618:
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1392:Give Me the Stars
1216:All That Glitters
961:
960:
819:Radio / TV series
524:on 11 August 2009
382:as officer's wife
207:film directed by
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152:October 1952
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1552:Calling All Cars
1336:Facing the Music
1312:Garrison Follies
1272:Darts Are Trumps
1224:Father Steps Out
1184:Busman's Holiday
1168:The Happy Family
1152:To Catch a Thief
1040:Up for the Derby
1032:Summer Lightning
1016:The Mayor's Nest
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563:on 20 March 2005
559:. Archived from
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520:. Archived from
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370:as woman in shop
362:Elizabeth Kearns
349:as Captain Evans
335:Clifford Stanton
325:as Carole Gayley
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168:Running time
145:Release date
108:Peter Mayhew
64:E. J. Fancey
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1536:Flannelfoot
1440:Dark Secret
1400:Don Chicago
1248:Easy Riches
750:ReelStreets
412:Don Russell
376:as landlord
323:Carole Carr
117:Jack Jordan
60:Produced by
38:Directed by
1631:1952 films
1625:Categories
1512:Alf's Baby
1056:It's a Cop
859:Bluebottle
846:Characters
692:13 October
628:. London:
502:8 November
479:References
467:Kim Newman
387:Production
337:as Stanton
331:as dancers
276:Korean War
199:is a 1952
172:75 minutes
123:Production
48:Written by
1072:The Scoop
994:Films by
785:The Goons
431:Reception
355:as Spider
213:the Goons
104:Edited by
1608:Just Joe
936:Episodes
728:AllMovie
588:Archived
253:adjutant
203:British
185:Language
114:Music by
72:Starring
1048:Trouble
929:Related
418:Release
188:English
177:Country
156:1952-10
154: (
125:company
1611:(1960)
1603:(1958)
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687:Empire
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567:4 June
528:4 June
472:Empire
205:comedy
893:Films
266:Title
249:Z Men
717:IMDb
694:2023
662:ISBN
634:ISBN
569:2008
530:2008
504:2023
455:The
293:Cast
239:Plot
227:and
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289:".
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