Whilst its climactic attempt to re-stage an old silent Keystone Cops chase doesn't quite come off – the speeded-up camera-work is too obvious and the whole sequence runs far too long – and the film is certainly guilty of other scenes of box office pandering, such as the notion that classical music is for morons, this is a fairly enjoyable romp despite its many defects. Although there are far too many close-ups of the "singers", the movie is basically directed in a free-wheeling Dick Lester style. Disappointingly, Cilla Black has only one number which, of course, is saved right for the very end. The director does make attractive use of his Liverpudlian locations, and although the script is slight, it still manages to peg some agreeable characterizations, a few fairly amusing romps and a lot of noisily unmemorable and undistinguished songs into its running time. The heroine has more close-ups than she deserves, but, on the other hand, Eric Barker has only a tiny spot in which he is given precious little to do.
Review of Ferry Cross the Mersey
