The Fast Lady
Encyclopedia
The Fast Lady is a 1962 British comedy film
, directed by Ken Annakin
. The screenplay was written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies
, based on a story by Keble Howard.It marked the film debut of Julie Christie
.
) is a dour Scot
living and working for a local government authority somewhere in the south of London
. A shy young man, his main excitement comes from cycling. After he's forced off the road by an impatient car driver, he tracks down the owner, only to find that he is Commander Chingford (James Robertson Justice
), the domineering and acerbic owner of a sportscar distributorship.
Chingford reluctantly pays for the damage to Troon's cycle, but more significantly, Troon meets Claire (Julie Christie
), Chingford's beautiful blonde daughter. He is smitten with her and determines to buy a car so that he can take her out.
Enter Troon's friend and fellow lodger, Freddie Fox (Leslie Phillips
), a used car salesman and serial cad. He sees a chance to ingratiate himself with Chingford, and also sell Troon a car. The car is a 1927 vintage Bentley Four and a half litre engined Red Label Speed Model, painted in British Racing Green
and named The Fast Lady.
Troon has his first driving lesson in a less exciting car, an Austin A40 Farina
, which proves to be a comedy of disasters, with a nervous instructor (Eric Barker
), but Fox then offers to teach him. The results are equally disastrous.
Unwilling to give up, and determined to prove his love for Claire, Troon bets her father that he can drive the car. An experienced racing driver, Chingford is convinced that Troon has no hope of achieving this — and bets him that he cannot.
Troon takes Chingford for a drive in the Bentley and, as expected, loses the bet. But the tables are turned when Chingford loses Troon's counter-bet. He reluctantly allows Claire to go out with Troon in the car.
The day comes for Troon's driving test. Fox has set him up with a "bent" examiner, but Troon draws the "wrong" examiner. As the test comes to an end (and the examiner is almost certainly going to fail Troon), the car is commandeered by police to chase a Jaguar
car driven by escaping bank robbers. The high speed chase takes them through town and country, across a golf course (leaving in its wake, a trail of disasters) and eventually the robbers are (of course) caught. Chingford so admires his driving skill that he allows the couple to get engaged.
The film features cameos and performances by many well-known comedy and character actors, including Dick Emery
as a car salesman, Clive Dunn
, Gerald Campion
, Frankie Howerd
, Bernard Cribbins
, Bill Fraser
, 'Monsewer' Eddie Gray
and Fred Emney
.
The 'Fast Lady', a 1927 Bentley 4.5 litre Red Label Speed model with Vanden Plas
short chassis fabric body, registration number TU5987, still exists and was sold by a specialist dealer in 2010.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, directed by Ken Annakin
Ken Annakin
Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE was an English film director.- Biography :Annakin grew up in Beverley, Yorkshire where he attended the local school. He began his career in feature films following an early experience making documentaries. His first filmwork was in 1947 with the Rank Organisation...
. The screenplay was written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies
Jack Davies (screenwriter)
Jack Davies was an English screenwriter, producer, editor and actor.Davies was prolific comedy screenwriter. His 48 credits include films starring comedians Will Hay and Norman Wisdom...
, based on a story by Keble Howard.It marked the film debut of Julie Christie
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
.
Plot
Murdoch Troon (Stanley BaxterStanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter is a Scottish comic actor and impressionist, best known for his British television shows. He worked in radio, theatre, television and film.-Early life:...
) is a dour Scot
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
living and working for a local government authority somewhere in the south of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. A shy young man, his main excitement comes from cycling. After he's forced off the road by an impatient car driver, he tracks down the owner, only to find that he is Commander Chingford (James Robertson Justice
James Robertson Justice
James Robertson Justice was a popular British character actor in British films of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:...
), the domineering and acerbic owner of a sportscar distributorship.
Chingford reluctantly pays for the damage to Troon's cycle, but more significantly, Troon meets Claire (Julie Christie
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
), Chingford's beautiful blonde daughter. He is smitten with her and determines to buy a car so that he can take her out.
Enter Troon's friend and fellow lodger, Freddie Fox (Leslie Phillips
Leslie Phillips
Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...
), a used car salesman and serial cad. He sees a chance to ingratiate himself with Chingford, and also sell Troon a car. The car is a 1927 vintage Bentley Four and a half litre engined Red Label Speed Model, painted in British Racing Green
British racing green
British racing green or BRG, a colour similar to Brunswick green, hunter green, forest green or moss green , takes its name from the green international motor racing colour of Britain. Although there is still some debate as to an exact hue for BRG, currently the term is used to denote a spectrum of...
and named The Fast Lady.
Troon has his first driving lesson in a less exciting car, an Austin A40 Farina
Austin A40 Farina
The Austin A40 Farina was a compact car introduced by the British Motor Corporation in 1958, replacing the earlier A40 Devon.It combines many of the virtues of a saloon and estate car in one body. There is more headroom for the rear passengers because of the angular instead of curved lines of the...
, which proves to be a comedy of disasters, with a nervous instructor (Eric Barker
Eric Barker
Eric Leslie Barker born in Thornton Heath, Surrey, was an English comedy actor. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British Carry On films.-Career:...
), but Fox then offers to teach him. The results are equally disastrous.
Unwilling to give up, and determined to prove his love for Claire, Troon bets her father that he can drive the car. An experienced racing driver, Chingford is convinced that Troon has no hope of achieving this — and bets him that he cannot.
Troon takes Chingford for a drive in the Bentley and, as expected, loses the bet. But the tables are turned when Chingford loses Troon's counter-bet. He reluctantly allows Claire to go out with Troon in the car.
The day comes for Troon's driving test. Fox has set him up with a "bent" examiner, but Troon draws the "wrong" examiner. As the test comes to an end (and the examiner is almost certainly going to fail Troon), the car is commandeered by police to chase a Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
car driven by escaping bank robbers. The high speed chase takes them through town and country, across a golf course (leaving in its wake, a trail of disasters) and eventually the robbers are (of course) caught. Chingford so admires his driving skill that he allows the couple to get engaged.
The film features cameos and performances by many well-known comedy and character actors, including Dick Emery
Dick Emery
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...
as a car salesman, Clive Dunn
Clive Dunn
Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
, Gerald Campion
Gerald Campion
Gerald Theron Campion , was an English actor best-known for his role as Billy Bunter in a 1950s television adaptation of books by Frank Richards....
, Frankie Howerd
Frankie Howerd
Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...
, Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
, Bill Fraser
Bill Fraser
-External links:* *...
, 'Monsewer' Eddie Gray
'Monsewer' Eddie Gray
Monsewer' Eddie Gray was an English stage comedian who performed in Music Halls.He was born in Pimlico, London, as Edward Earl Gray. He became a professional juggler, but by the time he was twenty, he had extended to comedy...
and Fred Emney
Fred Emney
Frederick Arthur Round "Fred" Emney was an English character actor and comedian.Emney was born in Lancashire, the son of Blanche and Fred Emney , a music hall entertainer. His uncle was the actor Arthur Williams. Emney junior grew up in London.He made his film debut in 1935, having previously...
.
The 'Fast Lady', a 1927 Bentley 4.5 litre Red Label Speed model with Vanden Plas
Vanden Plas
Vanden Plas is the name of a company of coachbuilders who produced bodies for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. Latterly the name became a top-end luxury model designation for cars from various subsidiaries of British Leyland and the Rover Group.-Belgium:It originated in Belgium in...
short chassis fabric body, registration number TU5987, still exists and was sold by a specialist dealer in 2010.
Cast
- James Robertson JusticeJames Robertson JusticeJames Robertson Justice was a popular British character actor in British films of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:...
as Charles Chingford - Leslie PhillipsLeslie PhillipsLeslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...
as Freddie Fox - Stanley BaxterStanley BaxterStanley Baxter is a Scottish comic actor and impressionist, best known for his British television shows. He worked in radio, theatre, television and film.-Early life:...
as Murdoch Troon - Kathleen HarrisonKathleen HarrisonKathleen Harrison was a prolific English character actress best remembered for her role as Mrs. Huggett in a trio of British post-war comedies about a working class family's misadventures. To modern viewers she is better remembered as Mrs...
as Mrs Staggers - Julie ChristieJulie ChristieJulie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
as Claire Chingford - Eric BarkerEric BarkerEric Leslie Barker born in Thornton Heath, Surrey, was an English comedy actor. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British Carry On films.-Career:...
as Wentworth, driving instructor - Oliver Johnston as Bulmer
- Allan CuthbertsonAllan CuthbertsonAllan Cuthbertson was a naturalised Anglo-Australian actor.-Early life:Born Allan Darling Cuthbertson in Perth, Western Australia, son of Ernest and Isobel Ferguson Cuthbertson, he performed on stage and radio from an early age.During World War II, he served as a Flight Lieutenant with the RAAF...
as Bodley, driving examiner - Esma CannonEsma CannonEsma Ellen Charlotte Cannon was a diminutive Australian-born character actress, who moved to England in the early 1930s.-Career:...
as Lady on Zebra Crossing - Dick EmeryDick EmeryRichard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...
as Shingler - Deryck GuylerDeryck GuylerDeryck Guyler was an English actor, best known for his portrayal of officious, short-tempered middle-aged men in sitcoms such as Please Sir! and Sykes.-Early life:...
as Doctor Blake - Victor BrooksVictor BrooksVictor Brooks was a British film and television actor. He appeared in the television series Raffles, in the recurring role of the Albany porter.-Filmography:Film*The Hostage *The Birthday Present...
as Policeman - Terence AlexanderTerence AlexanderTerence Joseph Alexander was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama Bergerac.-Early life and career:...
as Policeman on Motorcycle