Go to Blazes (1962 film)

Go to Blazes

Company type	Film
Industry	Film
Founded	1962
Key people	Michael Truman (director)
Products	Comedy film

Go to Blazes is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Michael Truman, featuring performances by Dave King, Robert Morley, Norman Rossington, Daniel Massey, Dennis Price, Maggie Smith, and David Lodge. The cast also includes Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier, both of whom later gained fame through Dad's Army.

Plot

In London, three bungling ex-convicts recently freed from Wormwood Scrubs hatch a scheme to utilize a fire engine as their escape vehicle, convinced it will help them bypass traffic congestion. Lacking the funds to purchase a new engine, they steal a well-preserved 1930s fire truck by exchanging it with an old model and then setting fire to the original fire station to obscure their involvement.

Their first attempt to rob a jeweller near Berkeley Square while disguised as firefighters ends in disaster, including an episode where their misguided efforts to control flooding only exacerbate the chaos. Recognizing their lack of expertise, they enlist Withers, a disgraced former fire chief dismissed for arson and theft, to train them in exchange for a share of the proceeds from their next bank robbery.

Their plan involves igniting a blaze in the basement of Chantal's dress salon—adjacent to the targeted bank—to serve as a diversion. Madame Colette, Chantal’s employer, reveals financial difficulties but points out that the dress collection is insured for £20,000. Arson Eddie, who has a penchant for setting fires, attempts multiple times to start the fire but is repeatedly unsuccessful until Colette herself finally ignites it.

Amid the genuine fire emergency, the criminals carry out the bank robbery, stuffing stolen cash into a fire hose for their escape. However, their getaway is interrupted when they receive an emergency call to extinguish another fire in a girls’ treehouse. Despite being better trained and equipped by this point, Alfie accidentally sprays money instead of water.

The story concludes with the gang back in custody and being transported to prison, while Bernard contemplates a new idea for an escape vehicle—a royal limousine carrying the Queen—seen outside.

Cast

• Dave King as Bernard
• Robert Morley as Arson Eddie
• Daniel Massey as Harry
• Dennis Price as Withers
• Coral Browne as Colette
• Norman Rossington as Alfie
• Maggie Smith as Chantal
• Miles Malleson as salesman
• Wilfrid Lawson as scrap dealer
• David Lodge as Sergeant
• John Welsh as Chief Fire Officer
• Finlay Currie as Judge
• James Hayter as pipe smoker
• Derek Nimmo as fish fancier
• John Glyn-Jones as Fire Chief
• Eynon Evans as Mayor
• Diane Clare as girl lover
• Dudley Sutton as boy lover
• John Le Mesurier as fisherman
• John Warwick as fireman
• Arthur Lowe as Warder

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin described the film’s tone as "mild, leisurely," emphasizing the disciplined acting of Dave King, Daniel Massey, and Norman Rossington. It also praised Robert Morley and Miles Malleson for their quirky roles that contributed significant humor. The sequence depicting the bank robbery was highlighted for its farcical and imaginative qualities.

Leslie Halliwell characterized it as a "mild comedy spoiled by widescreen."

The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded it 2 out of 5 stars, criticizing its unoriginal plot centered on criminals masquerading as firefighters to facilitate their escape. While noting limited comedic success from Dave King and Daniel Massey’s performances, it recognized Robert Morley’s cameo as particularly entertaining.