ORDERS ARE ORDERS

Peter Sellers before diet

ORDERS ARE ORDERS (1955), Director: David Paltenghi.

Producer Ed Waggemyer (Sidney James) takes over an Army barracks so he can shoot what appears to be a perfectly dreadful sci fi epic on the grounds. To avoid his displeasure, actress Wanda Sinclair (Margot Grahame of Black Magic) flirts with Colonel Bellamy (Raymond Huntley) and has Ed give him a part in the film. The colonel's daughter, Veronica (June Thorburn of Escort for Hire) is an aspiring actress and for a time she seems to be the girlfriend of Captain Harper (Brian Reece), who is actually in love with professional actress Joanne Delamere (Maureen Swnnson of The Deadly Game). Despite all the busyness, absolutely nothing very amusing ever occurs throughout the 75 minute running time in this extremely dull service comedy.  Chief among the supporting cast is Peter Sellers, about forty pounds heavier than he was in his starring days, playing Private Goffin. Sellers and the rest of the cast offer good performances but it's a very minor service "comedy" that slips out of your mind even as you're watching it.

Verdict: When you can't even get a laugh out of Peter Sellers you know a movie is in trouble! *.

THE DEADLY GAME (1954)

Maureen Swanson and Lloyd Bridges

THE DEADLY GAME (aka The Big Deady Game/1954). Director: Daniel Birt.

Composer Philip Graham (Lloyd Bridges of Deadly Dream) is in Spain where he encounters an old Air Force buddy Tony Roscoe (Peter Dyneley of The Manster), who wants him to deliver a certain envelope to someone in London. Philip also meets Marina (Maureen Swanson), the pretty niece of the corpulent Mr. Darius (Finlay Currie). When Philip discovers that Tony has been murdered, he first suspects the very married Mitzi (Simone Silva), who claims that Tony was blackmailing her. Before too long Philip finds himself embroiled in a plot involving smuggled microfilm. The Deadly Game is almost a complete waste of an hour and is like a forgettable episode of a forgettable TV series. Bridges saunters through displaying seedy charm, Swanson is pretty and appealing, Silva adds some limited spice, Currie is fat, the movie is dull, dull, dull. Hard to imagine why anyone thought it would be a good idea to film this lousy script. This is a Hammer noir "thriller" that has absolutely no thrills. Maureen Swanson has a vague Vivien Leigh quality but did not have the same type of career. Lots of stock footage of a fiesta in Spain.

Verdict: The pace is reasonably swift but that's about it. *.