Very Important Person

Very Important Person

98 mins | Comedy, War | April 24, 1961

Comedy set in World War Two, starring James Robertson-Justice and Leslie Phillips. Sir Ernest Pease (Robertson-Justice) is a self-important scientist who is sent undercover on a bombing mission to monitor the effectiveness of his latest invention, a new-fangled radar. When the plane is attacked, he parachutes to safety - only to be sent to a POW camp, where he takes on the alias of Lieutenant Farrow. There, the somewhat happy-go-lucky bunch of Brits suspect their acerbic new fellow prisoner of being a spy, and all sorts of culture clashes and misunderstandings ensue.

Very Important Person

98 mins | Comedy, War | April 24, 1961

Very Important Person
Comedy set in World War Two, starring James Robertson-Justice and Leslie Phillips. Sir Ernest Pease (Robertson-Justice) is a self-important scientist who is sent undercover on a bombing mission to monitor the effectiveness of his latest invention, a new-fangled radar. When the plane is attacked, he parachutes to safety - only to be sent to a POW camp, where he takes on the alias of Lieutenant Farrow. There, the somewhat happy-go-lucky bunch of Brits suspect their acerbic new fellow prisoner of being a spy, and all sorts of culture clashes and misunderstandings ensue.
IMDb rating 6.7
Producers Independent Artists
Original title Very Important Person
Directors Ken Annakin
Writers Alexandre Dumas, David Ambrose

Cast

James Robertson Justice

as Sir Ernest "Lieutenant M.J. Farrow, RN" Pease, KBE, FRS

Leslie Phillips

as Flying Officer Jimmy Cooper

Stanley Baxter

as Flying Officer S. "Jock" Everett / Major Stamfel

Eric Sykes

as Sports Officer Willoughby

Richard Wattis

as Entertainments Officer Woodcock

Godfrey Winn

as Self

Colin Gordon

as Briggs

John Le Mesurier

as Escape Officer Piggott

Norman Bird

as Senior British Officer Travers

Jeremy Lloyd

as Flight Lieutenant J.J. "Bonzo" Baines, DFC

John Forrest

as Lieutenant Hans "'Grassy' Green" Kringling

Jean Cadell

as Mrs. MacDougall

Peter Myers

as Flying Officer P.R. Shaw

Ronnie Stevens

as Hankley

Ronald Leigh-Hunt

as Clynes

Steve Plytas

as Luftwaffe Officer

John Ringham

as Flying Officer G.S. "Plum" Poudding

Mark Hardy

as Prisoner of War

John Huson

as Senior RAF Officer

Joseph Fürst

as Luftwaffe Interrogator

Norman Shelley

as Fred Whittaker

Brian Oulton

as Scientist in Corridor

Frederick Piper

as Scientist in Corridor

Joan Haythorne

as Miss Rogers

Heidi Erich

as German Frau

Lesley Allen

as German Frau

Derek Aylward

as Stagehand (uncredited)

Vincent Ball

as Higgins (uncredited)

Ron Carr

as German Guard (uncredited)

Tony Castleton

as Stagehand (uncredited)

Billy Cornelius

as German Guard (uncredited)

Dan Darnelli

as Messenger (uncredited)

Hugo de Vernier

as Swiss Commissioner (uncredited)

Jack Dearlove

as Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Ed Devereaux

as Webber (uncredited)

Archie Duncan

as Scottish Captain (uncredited)

Hugh Elton

as RAF Officer (uncredited)

Roy Everson

as Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Ernest Fennemore

as Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Chick Fowles

as Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Fred Haggerty

as German Guard (uncredited)

Patrick Halpin

as TV Crew (uncredited)

Peter Hannon

as German Guard (uncredited)

Victor Harrington

as Prisoner of War (uncredited)

John Herrington

as Swiss Commissioner (uncredited)

Norman Lambert

as Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Barry Lowe

as Forger (uncredited)

Ned Lynch

as Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Fred Machon

as German Guard (uncredited)

Richard Marner

as German Guard (uncredited)

Nancy Nevinson

as German Frau (uncredited)

Ian Parsons

as Swiss Commissioner (uncredited)

Cecil Paul

as Official (uncredited)

Keith Peacock

as German Guard (uncredited)

Joe Phelps

as German Guard (uncredited)

Charles Price

as Stagehand (uncredited)

Prunella Smith

as Audience Member (uncredited)

Reg Thomason

as Audience Member (uncredited)

Martin Voss

as German Guard (uncredited)

Robert Vossler

as Audience Member (uncredited)

David Webb

as Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Winnie Wiblin

as Guest (uncredited)

John Wilder

as Audience Member (uncredited)