Friendly Fire
Go to Blazes on DVD
Go to Blazes is that rare thing: a feel-good film about robbery and arson. The opening scene encapsulates this perfectly and makes you pine for the days when you could wander down Bond Street, stick a brick through a jeweller’s window, feel around for the best gear and still have time for a quick drive before getting your collar felt by Dave (star of Cockleshell Heroes) Lodge.
Unfortunately the opening also demonstrates why the film, a perfectly amiable caper story, is never really effective. The trio of villains (Bernard (Dave King), Harry (Daniel Massey) and Alfie (Norman Rossington)) try and carry out a robbery but ultimately they don’t seem too bothered if they end up in prison or not. They are neither self-reflective about their life of crime, or show any fear of punishment. Even though the film is a light comedy, all the best British caper movies that Go to Blazes seeks to copy, such as The Lavender Hill Mob or The Ladykillers, have a dark edge. Characters are aware of the fact that their misdemeanors could lead them into serious trouble. Without that jeopardy, it’s hard to maintain an interest in the outcome of the robbery even when the protagonists are so likeable.
In this instance the scheme is uncomplicated -- the trio aim to acquire a fire engine as a getaway car on the premise that the police never interfere with an emergency vehicle, and they then plan to torch a building next to a bank therefore having the perfect cover to carry out a daring raid and become rich. As well as being a good wheeze this also allows the director Michael Truman to appeal to the petrol-heads in the audience who swoon over vintage vehicles -- in a way it’s probably the last gasp of the Genevieve effect. An early scene involves a fire engine showroom in which the camera lovingly lingers over the massed ranks of blood-red wagons in an almost indecent fashion. When the trio finally get a fire engine (a dilapidated museum piece from the heart of Wales) the inevitable happens and they get mistaken for real fireman with mildly amusing consequences.
Fortunately for the audience, our heroes realise they need to train as real firemen to make the caper look convincing and by a stroke of luck they find the perfect mentor in Withers, a bent fire-officer played by the impeccable Dennis Price. Also necessary for the plan is ingenious firestarter Arson Eddie (Robert Morley) and exotic Colette (Coral Brown) and Chantal (Maggie Smith) who run the dress salon next door to the bank. The introduction of these performers really lifts the film: Price gives a masterclass in sidelong looks and raised eyebrows, while Morley is just as you’d expect -- identical to every other performance he ever gave but somehow still enjoyable. This isn’t to downplay King, Massey or Rossington, who are all solid, but they seem to raise their game when the more eminent actors make an appearance.
Go to Blazes is affable enough, but it’s only the flood of cameo appearances that stops your attention drifting. I defy anyone not to laugh when Dudley Sutton (in his first film role) crops up with the worst Welsh accent since Steve Jones on The X Factor USA, but you don’t have time to dwell on Sutton because Arthur Lowe suddenly appears, followed rapidly by Derek Nimmo wallowing in a house flood under the jaundiced eye of the exceedingly good James Hayter. There are so many familiar face that it gets a little overwhelming, but who can resist a fleeting glimpse of John Le Mesurier or a snatch of Sue Lloyd? Many productions from the Associated British Picture Corporation shared a similar cast of supporting actors, but Go to Blazes has more light comedy actors than a Dundee cake has currants.
Although the film plays out predictably and raises no belly laughs, it’s hard to dislike Go to Blazes. It’s presented in glowing Technicolour, and for those (like me) who love watching these films for glimpses of London in the past will not be disappointed. At one point I’m pretty sure that the unfinished Hammersmith Flyover looms prominently in the background, and that’s almost as exciting as spotting Dudley Sutton. The bright colours help to create the illusion of a world that never really existed, where underneath it all everyone, including criminals, are solid citizens. But even this world has its dark side -- the music of John Addison. It’s incessant, relentlessly cheery, and would be a less messy alternative to waterboarding had it not already been restricted under the Geneva Convention. It shouldn’t come as a surprise though, as Addison is the man who towards the end of his (no doubt distinguished) career, composed the theme tune to Murder, She Wrote. And for that, there can be no forgiveness.
Technical Note -- My review copy had a problem with a slightly out-of-sync soundtrack in the second half of the film. I tried this on a number of players with the same result each time, but haven’t heard of other reviewers having the same problem, so I can’t be conclusive about this.
Go to Blazes is released by StudioCanal on Monday 30th January
