Search - The Wrong Arm of the Law on DVD

Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1963 DVD Release: 02/24/2004 Format: DVD - Black and White Edition: Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 34 mins Studio: Shanachie Members Wishing: 5 Genres: Comedy, Crime Comedy, Odd Couple Film

When a gang of London thieves, disguised as policemen, begin robbing other thieves....well, that's just not cricket. Benevolent burglar Peter Sellers, the man in charge of all "respectable" crooks in town (he even offers such incentives as a vacation plan and filmed training sessions!), sets about to ascertain how the renegade criminals have received inside information concerning upcoming robberies. He arranges a temporary truce with Scotland Yard so that both criminal and constable can work together in nabbing the miscreants. Alas, he must now contend with incompetent peacekeeper Lionel Jeffries, who poses an even greater threat than the "mole" who's been tipping off the phony cops (who is closer to Sellers than he'd ever suspect). Short, simple and sweet, the black-and-white Wrong Arm of the Law manages to pack more solid laughs than any three of Sellers' later overproduced Technicolor vehicles combined. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Peter Sellers - Pearly Gate/"M. Jules"
Lionel Jeffries - Inspector Parker
Bernard Cribbins - Nervous O'Toole
Bill Kerr - Jack Coombes
Davy Kaye - Trainer King
Nanette Newman - Valerie

Cliff Owen's The Wrong Arm of the Law (1960) was one of the last black-and-white movies (and perhaps the last black-and-white British picture) that played on network television in prime time, back around 1967. At the time, Peter Sellers was at the peak of his fame, and any reasonably accessible comedy of his had a huge potential audience. The film looks somewhat better than the opening credits (window-boxed and not all that sharp or crisp) promise, with decent detail throughout, but there are also some problems in the opening sequence, mostly having to do with the contrast. The latter seems to be overlit in the whites, and also in some of the flesh tones, making the first sequence in which we see Sellers look much too bright. This problem is alleviated in the subsequent scenes, and the rest of the movie looks good, if not exceptional. The film was shot in the British non-anamorphic aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and is mastered full-frame (1.33:1). Somewhat more impressive is the mastering of the soundtrack, which is set at a good high volume level with lots of detail, making the credit sequence, with its jazzy Richard Rodney Bennett score, a delight to hear if not to watch. One can practically hear the action on the solo upright bass that bridges the credits into the action, and the horns sound like they're right in your lap. The pity is that there isn't a huge amount of music in the overall picture. The dozen chapters are adequate for the 94-minute movie, well chosen to capture the comic highlights of the plot. There are no special features, and the disc opens automatically on a simple two-selection menu offering "play" (in the default position) and "chapter" options. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide