Our Miss Fred

Our Miss Fred is a 1972 British comedy film starring Danny La Rue and set during World War II.[1][2] The film was also known by its video release titles Beyond the Call of Duty (Canada) and Operation: Fred (US). In the 1960s, La Rue was one of the highest paid entertainers in Britain, but this represents his only starring role in a feature film.[3]

Our Miss Fred
UK poster
Directed byBob Kellett
Produced byJosephine Douglas
Written byHugh Leonard
Terence Feely
Story byTed Willis
StarringDanny La Rue
Alfred Marks
Lance Percival
Music byPeter Greenwell
CinematographyDick Bush
Edited byDavid Campling
Production
company
Distributed byAnglo-EMI
Release date
14 December 1972
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Shakespearean actor Fred Wimbush is called up during World War II, and is performing in drag, entertaining the troops in France, when the Nazis advance. Unless he continues his disguise in women's clothes, Fred fears he will be shot as a spy. The double entendres and bullets fly as he attempts his escape in the company of the pupils from an English girls' finishing school.[4][5]

Sample gag

'Given his experience as a (Shakespearean) actor, (Fred) ends up...working as an entertainer for the troops. And playing all the female parts. He's not entirely happy... "Look at me, dressed like a bird," he grumbles. "They used to come from miles away to see my Titus Andronicus."[6]

Cast

Production

The film was constructed specifically as a vehicle for La Rue. Filming took place in June 1972.[7]

Reception

Box office

The film was a box office disappointment.[8]

Critical reception
  • In "The Spinning image", Graeme Clark called the film, "a goodnatured comedy which, while you can see why La Rue's prospects in cinema might have been limited, also proved he was no dead loss in front of the camera either."[9]
  • In the Radio Times, David McGillivray wrote, "Danny La Rue, Britain's most popular female impersonator during the 1970's, seems terribly constricted in his one major film, an old-fashioned wartime comedy written by distinguished playwright Hugh Leonard."[10]
  • Psychotic Cinema wrote, "this is a fun movie with plenty of sexual innuendo jokes and a rousing rendition of the popular song Hitler Has Only Got One Ball."[11]
  • Movies About Girls wrote of La Rue, "he actually comes across remarkably well on screen...It’s all terrifically entertaining... La Rue can’t hide the fact that he’s loving every minute of it. You wouldn’t want him to either, because each and every smirk and grin means you can’t help but enjoy yourself along with him."[3]

References
  1. Review of film at Psychotic Cinema
  2. Review of Film at the Spinning Image
  3. Alistair Wallis (27 May 2011). "Our Miss Fred (1972)". Movies About Girls. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  4. "Our Miss Fred | BFI | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  5. "Our Miss Fred [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Danny La Rue, Alfred Marks, Lance Percival, Lally Bowers, Frances de la Tour, Bob Kellett: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  6. Alistair Wallis (27 May 2011). "Our Miss Fred (1972)". Movies About Girls. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  7. Have Daughter, Will Travel: Have Daughter . . . By A. H. WEILER. New York Times 25 June 1972: D11.
  8. Latest FFC film is a 'piece of junk' Our Film Critic. The Times of India 19 June 1977: 4.
  9. "Our Miss Fred Review (1972)". Thespinningimage.co.uk. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  10. "Our Miss Fred | Film review and movie reviews". Radio Times. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  11. "Psychotic Cinema: Our Miss Fred (1972)". Psychotic-cinema.blogspot.com.au. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
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