#1. Cheap Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesBy Fox

#1 Cheap Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Reviews

Special Price Today Go To Store!! (Limited Time Offer)

THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES OR HOW I FLEW FROM
LONDON TO PARIS IN 25 HOURS AND 11 MINUTES. (1965) Directed and written
by Ken Annakin. Cinematography by Christopher Challis. Score by Ron
Goodwin.

Starring Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Robert Morley, Gert
Frobe, Jean Pierre Cassel, Irina Demick, Benny Hill, Yoshiro Ishihara,
Red Skelton, Flora Robson, Sam Wanamaker, Maurice Denham, Gordon
Jackson, James Robertson Justice and Terry Thomas as Sir Percy
Ware-Armitage.

In an effort to boost sales.........as well as promote Great Britain's
efforts to rule the skies as well as the waves, a newspaper publisher
decides to sponsor a great air race that will cover the ASTONISHING
distance from London to Paris including.......dare we say
it?.......flying OVER the English Channel!! In no time contestants the
world over descend on the assigned air field including those from
Germany with orders to win the race for the glory of the Kaiser, the
French for the glory of France and to pick up ladies in no particular
order, Scotland for what appears to be the glory of Scotch whiskey,
Japan, Italy and far off Arizona where a flyboy cowboy falls for the
daughter of the publisher much to the consternation of her British
finacee also a contestant in the race.

Meanwhile behind the scenes is Sir Percy Ware-Armitage bounder,
villain and all around rotter who is determined to win the race
even......and preferably..if he has to cheat.

A fictionalized comedy version of the true air race from London to
Paris that took place in 1910 featuring an international collection of
national stereotypes as contestants ranging from Japan to Germany to
France to Scotland with the United States and Great Britain leading the
way. No Russians however. The type of rampant ethnic humor on display
here would probably be considered racist today and forbidden(Sigh) but
it is great fun here and frequently very funny. It is all intended
affectionately and in good humor and even the mustache twirling villain
is simply an apt reflection of the period the film is set. It is
interesting that where today filmmakers would jam politically correct
and anarchronistic leftist indoctrination into 1910, here instead the
filmmakers of 1965 are attempting to genuinely bring 1910 and its
subject to vibrant life as it was. The lengthy title is also
characteristic of the era and the score by Goddwin is period
appropriate with the title song in the style of a Barber shop Quartet.

Consequently, though a comedy, the film is a admirable and
respectable historical film especially in regards to the fantastic
squadron of pre-Great War air craft many of which were either restored
originals or built from the original designs. While there is some blue
screen, there is no cgi here. Those are the real thing up there and the
scenes, especially during the race, of the planes flying over the
English countryside are both spectacular photography(The film is
gorgeous to look at) and an incredible recreation of history. THIS is
how it was in 1910. The film captures the wonder it must have been to
see the variety of flying contraptions floating in the skies above that
ten years before was the exclusive domain of the birds.
The characters are all genuinely likable(except for villain Thomas)
and the film made 20 years after World War Two is a touching example of
a cinematic attempt at reconciliation. Thomas is great fun as cheating
villain Ware-Armitage and his character here and Jack Lemmon's in THE
GREAT RACE which came out in the same year are both obvious inspiration
for Hanna Barbara's Dick Dastardly.

This is one of those all star epic productions that the 60s did so
well and this is no exception. When it was over and all was said and
done, this viewer actually appauded the TV screen. While probably not
a classic, the film is done with such integrity, professionalism and
good intent that the viewer will be left with a feeling of satisfaction
and pleasure that is all too rare these days.

Highly recommended.

Note: There was a sequel called THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY
JALOPIES OR MONTE CARLO OR BUST which this viewer will hasten to see
before much time has passed.

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Overview

This extraordinary comic version of the historic 1910 London-to-Paris air race features the greatest aviators from around the world. They all come together when a stuffy, but very rich, newspaper publisher decides to sponsor an airplane race across the English Channel. Convinced it will give his newspaper worldwide publicity, the publisher offers 10,000 pounds to the winner. The escapades between the American, British, French, German, Italian and Japanese teams result in the most darling and hilarious in-flight acrobatic stunts ever caught on film. But the film's greatest triumph is the amazing re-creation of the vintage airplanes which did the actual flying.