Our Miss Fred
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Products | Comedy film |
Our Miss Fred is a 1972 British comedy film featuring Danny La Rue, set against the backdrop of World War II. The movie was also distributed under the titles Beyond the Call of Duty in Canada and Operation: Fred in the United States. During the 1960s, La Rue was among the most highly compensated entertainers in Britain, and this film represents his sole starring role in a feature-length production.
Plot
During the Battle of France, Fred Wimbush, an English Shakespearean actor serving as a Private in the Royal Army Service Corps, performs for soldiers dressed in drag. After being captured by German troops, he maintains his female disguise to avoid execution as a suspected spy. While evading dangers posed by both German forces and French locals, he attempts to escape alongside students from an English girls' finishing school.
Fred meets Miss Flodden and Miss Lockhart, who lead the girls’ school. They request his assistance in repairing their vehicle, "Agatha," and introduce him to their pupils—four English girls and one American—who are concealed in a barn. Although one headmistress harbors prejudice against female impersonators, Fred retains his disguise but later changes into a teacher’s outfit for protection.
The group provides refuge to Squadron Leader Smallpiece, an RAF pilot who has been shot down. Fred aids him by disguising him in a Nazi SS uniform. As they journey through occupied France, they confront German patrols and eventually reach an airfield disguised as women from a local brothel. Despite their failure to secure an aircraft, they manage to attach "Agatha" to a barrage balloon and float away to safety.
Subsequently, Fred is enlisted by the Special Operations Executive. The film concludes with him performing in drag before German soldiers, singing "Hitler Has Only Got One Ball".
Cast
- Danny La Rue as Fred Wimbush
- Alfred Marks as General Brincker
- Lance Percival as Squadron Leader Smallpiece
- Lally Bowers as Miss Flodden
- Frances de la Tour as Miss Lockhart
- Walter Gotell as Schmidt
- Kristin Hatfield as Hilary
- Jenny Twigge as Judith
- Vanessa Furse as Prunella
- Seretta Wilson as Elvira
- Sophie Batchelor as Emma
- John Barrard as Patron
- Nancy Nevinson as Patron's Wife
- Cyril Shaps as Doctor
- Frank Thornton as British Colonel
- André Maranne as French Resistance Fighter
- Barrie Gosney as Bertie
- David Ellen as Bobby
- Toni Palmer as Vendeuse
- Jennifer Croxton as Jeanette
- Anthony Sagar as R.S.M.
- Noel Coleman as Senior RAF officer
- Peter Greenwell as M.C.
- Gertan Klauber as German Officer
Production
Conceived primarily to showcase Danny La Rue’s talents, this film was part of a collection of comedic projects produced by Nat Cohen at EMI Films. Principal photography took place in June 1972. In his memoirs, La Rue revealed that he had turned down numerous roles centered solely on female impersonation before accepting this part, drawn by its divergence from his usual acts and its blend of serious drama within a wartime comedy thriller framework. The idea was developed by Ted Willis, who persuaded La Rue to join the project. Filming extended over ten weeks at locations including Hertfordshire and Elstree Studios; however, La Rue described the production process as lengthy and expensive.
Reception
Danny La Rue expressed contentment with how the film was received, viewing it as a major personal endeavor and his finest achievement up to that point. The critical feedback was varied, encompassing both favorable and unfavorable opinions. Despite this, the movie did not meet commercial expectations and was considered a financial failure. Ned Sherrin, who directed the accompanying short The Cobblers, referred to Our Miss Fred as "a considerable fiasco."
Critical reception
Graeme Clark from The Spinning Image characterized the film as "a lighthearted comedy" that showcased Danny La Rue's potential on screen, even though his future opportunities appeared limited. David McGillivray, writing for the Radio Times, observed that La Rue—recognized as Britain's foremost female impersonator during the 1970s—seemed somewhat restricted in this conventional wartime comedy penned by playwright Hugh Leonard.
The website Psychotic Cinema praised the film for its amusing incorporation of sexual innuendo and highlighted a lively rendition of the song Hitler Has Only Got One Ball. Meanwhile, Movies About Girls commended La Rue’s captivating presence on screen, pointing out that his evident enjoyment significantly enhances the audience’s viewing experience.