| Two-Way Stretch | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Day |
| Produced by | E. M. Smedley-Aston |
| Written by | John Warren Len Heath Vivian Cox Alan Hackney (add'l dialogue) |
| Starring | Peter Sellers Wilfrid Hyde-White Lionel Jeffries |
| Music by | Ken Jones |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
| Edited by | Bert Rule |
| Distributed by | British Lion Films(UK) |
Release date | |
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
- Watch Two-Way Stretch movie trailer and get the latest cast info, photos, movie review and more on TVGuide.com.
- Classic comedy scene at the prison rock quarry with Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, and David Lodge as the inmates and Lionel Jeffries as the prison officer.
- Another indispensable comedy-classic from British Lion Films Ltd. In 'Two Way Stretch' (from 1960 and directed by Robert Day), the great Peter Sellers is 'Dodger Lane' a would-be 'master criminal'.
Two-Way Stretch, sometimes titled Nothing Barred, is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the robbery occurred.[1] However, their plans are disrupted by the arrival of a strict new Chief Prison Officer.[2]
Peter Sellers gives another deft, very funny performance in Two Way Stretch. The thin story line concerns a free-and-easy prison run by a governor who is more interested in gardening than discipline.
The film was directed by Robert Day from a screenplay by Vivian Cox, John Warren and Len Heath, with additional dialogue by Alan Hackney.[1][3] The film boasts a cast of characters played by, among others, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Lionel Jeffries and Bernard Cribbins.[4]
Plot[edit]
Three prisoners nearing the end of their jail sentences; 'Dodger' Lane, 'Jelly' Knight and 'Lennie the Dip', are visited by a vicar seeking to find employment for them. He is actually smooth-talking conman 'Soapy' Stevens, who proposes a large-scale diamond robbery. They will also have the ultimate alibi; they will break out of prison, commit the robbery and then break back in.
With the assistance of Dodger's girlfriend Ethel and Lennie's mum, they smuggle themselves out in a prison van. The operation is almost foiled by the disciplinarian 'Sour' Crout, the new Chief Prison Officer who is replacing the easy-going retiring Jenkins.
The diamond heist goes like clockwork and the three break back into prison, hiding the proceeds in the Governor's office. When they 'officially' leave prison, they manage to take the loot with them. All goes well, until the sack of diamonds is lost on a train. Stevens is recognised and arrested, but the others get away – minus the diamonds.
Cast[edit]
- Peter Sellers as Dodger Lane
- Lionel Jeffries as Prison Officer 'Sour' Crout
- Wilfrid Hyde-White as Soapy Stevens
- Bernard Cribbins as Lennie (The Dip) Price
- David Lodge as Jelly Knight
- Irene Handl as Mrs Price
- Liz Fraser as Ethel
- Maurice Denham as Horatio Bennett, the Prison Governor
- Beryl Reid as Miss Pringle
- George Woodbridge as Chief Prison Officer Jenkins
- Edwin Brown as Warder Charlie
- Cyril Chamberlain as Gate Warder – Day
- Wallas Eaton as Gate Warder – Night
- William Abney as Visiting Room Warder
- Thorley Walters as Colonel Parkright
- John Wood as Captain
- Robert James as Police Superintendent
- Walter Hudd as Reverend Patterson
- Mario Fabrizi as Jones
- Warren Mitchell as Tailor
- John Glyn-Jones as Lawyer
- Arthur Mullard as Fred
- Ian Wilson as Milkman
- Edward Dentith as Detective
- John Harvey as Governor Rockhampton Prison
Production[edit]
The prison scenes were filmed at the West Cavalry Barracks at Aldershot, and the security van robbery at Pirbright Arch in the village of Brookwood in Surrey.[5][6]
Reception[edit]
Two-Way Stretch was the fourth most popular film at the British box office in 1960.
Two Way Stretch Knits
In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther gave it a positive review, writing, 'the script by John Warren and Len Heath follows a straight line and is clever and full of good Cockney wit. Robert Day's direction is lively, in the vein of civilized farce, and the performances are delicious, right down the line,' concluding, 'Mr. Sellers is still on the rise.'[7]
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Two Way Stretch (1960)'.
- ^'Two Way Stretch – review – cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online'. Radio Times.
- ^III, Harris M. Lentz (17 May 2010). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2009: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. ISBN9780786456451 – via Google Books.
- ^'Two-Way Stretch (1961) - Overview - TCM.com'. Turner Classic Movies.
- ^'Reel Streets'. www.reelstreets.com.
- ^'bdca.org.uk • View topic – 1960 film 'Two Way Stretch''. www.bdca.org.uk.
- ^https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9903E1DA1739EE32A25757C2A9679C946091D6CF
External links[edit]
- Two-Way Stretch on IMDb
- Two-Way Stretch at AllMovie
- Two-Way Stretch at the TCM Movie Database
| Born | Robert Frederick Day 11 September 1922 |
|---|---|
| Died | 17 March 2017 (aged 94) Bainbridge Island, Seattle, United States |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 1956-1991 |
| Spouse(s) | Eileen Pamela Day (1948[1]-1968;[2] divorce; 1 child) Dorothy Provine (1968-2010; her death; 1 child) |
| Children | Roberta Jane Simons (15 October 1952[3]) Robert Day, Jr. (28 May 1969) |
Robert Frederick Day (11 September 1922 – 17 March 2017)[4] was an English film director. He directed more than 40 films between 1956 and 1991. Day was born in Sheen, England.
Two Way Stretch 1960 Movies Comedy
Biography[edit]
Day worked his way up from clapper boy to camera operator, then cinematographer, in his native England, and began directing in the mid-1950s. His first film as director, the black comedy The Green Man (1956) for the writer-producer team of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, gained good reviews.[citation needed] Using this as a starting point, Day went on to become one of the industry's busiest directors including directing several Tarzan films.
He relocated to Hollywood in the 1960s and directed many TV episodes and made-for-TV movies. He occasionally had small parts in his own productions, including The Haunted Strangler (1958), Two-Way Stretch (1960), and the TV mini-series Peter and Paul (1981).
In the 1970s and 1980s, Day would direct episodes of numerous American television shows, including Barnaby Jones, The F.B.I., Dallas, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and Matlock.
Personal life[edit]
Day was married to Eileen Day[5] and then, following their divorce, to actress Dorothy Provine until her death in 2010.
He was the brother of cinematographer Ernest Day.[6]
Selected filmography[edit]
- The Green Man (1956)
- The Haunted Strangler (1958)
- Corridors of Blood (1958)
- First Man into Space (1959)
- Life in Emergency Ward 10 (1959)
- Two-Way Stretch (1960)
- Tarzan the Magnificent (1960)
- The Rebel (1961)
- Operation Snatch (1962)
- Tarzan's Three Challenges (1963)
- She (1965)
- Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966)
- Tarzan and the Great River (1967)
- The Reluctant Heroes (TV film, 1971)
- The Initiation of Sarah (1978)
- Peter and Paul (1981)
- The Lady from Yesterday (1985)
- Celebration Family (1987)
- The Quick and the Dead (1987)
References[edit]
- ^'Births, Deaths and Marriages'. Births, Deaths and Marriages Recorded in Hatfield Jan - Mar 1948. SEY-SHA: 169. 1948. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^Bergan, Ronald (6 May 2010). 'Dorothy Provine obituary'. The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^'Births Registered in October, November and December'. Births, Deaths and Marriages. Day: 254. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^'Robert Day Obituary – London Bridge, City of London | The Times'. Legacy.com. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ^'Births, Deaths and Marriages'. Births, Deaths and Marriages Recorded in Hatfield Jan - Mar 1948. SEY-SHA: 169. 1948. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^Pedersen, Erik (21 March 2017). 'Robert Day Dies: Prolific Film & TV Director Was 94'. Deadline.
Further reading[edit]
- Barnes, Mike (21 March 2017). 'Robert Day, Director of Peter Sellers' 'Two-Way Stretch' and Four Tarzan Movies, Dies at 94'. The Hollywood Reporter.
External links[edit]
- Robert Day on IMDb
- Robert Day at AllMovie