UP THE CREEK is a highly amusing farcical British comedy set on board a ship singularly lacking in military discipline. David Tomlinson plays the buffoonish lieutenant with a passion for rockets who is tasked with taking over the ship and making it ship-shape, but the crew have other ideas and are nevertheless pre-occupied with their own business matters. This was written and directed by the great Val Guest for Exclusive Films, who were on the cusp of becoming the legendary Hammer Film Studio. It's a surprisingly enjoyable ensemble comedy which is up there with the quality of the early CARRY ONs. The jokes come thick and fast and the situation comedy feels fresh and unusual. Peter Sellers is a hoot as the bosun and doesn't seem overbearing as I've found elsewhere. The exceptional supporting cast includes Wilfrid Hyde-White, Lionel Jeffries, Vera Day, Reginald Beckwith, Michael Goodliffe, Sam Kydd, David Lodge, and Hammer's main man, Michael Ripper, and to a man they're on good form
Review of Up the Creek
