The Wrong Arm of the Law
Meet the Mastermind Who Pulls the Strings in the Underworld...and all his mobs and dolls...filling the London fog with laughter and lunacy!!!
1963 | 94m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Cliff Owen |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Len Heath, Ivor Jay, William Whistance Smith, Ray Galton, John Antrobus, Alan Simpson, John Warren |
| Staring: |
| The crooks in London know how it works. No one carries guns and no one resists the police. Then a new gang appears that go one better. They dress as police and steal from the crooks. This upsets the natural order of the police/criminal relationship and the police and the crooks join forces to catch the IPOs (Impersonating Police Officers), including an armoured car robbery in which the police must help the gangs to set a trap. | |
| Release Date: | Mar 17, 1963 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Cliff Owen |
| Writer: | Len Heath, Ivor Jay, William Whistance Smith, Ray Galton, John Antrobus, Alan Simpson, John Warren |
| Genres: | Comedy, Crime |
| Keywords | london, england, robbery, bank robber, black humor, police, dark comedy, impostor, informant, disguise, policeman |
| Production Companies | Romulus Films, Robert Velaise Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 02, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
![The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963) Original Trailer [FHD]](/extra_thumbs/KGR8qmV8FcQ.jpg)
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Peter Sellers | Pearly Gates |
| Lionel Jeffries | Inspector Fred 'Nosey' Parker |
| Bernard Cribbins | Nervous O'Toole |
| Nanette Newman | Valerie |
| Davy Kaye | Trainer King |
| Bill Kerr | Jack Coombes |
| Ed Devereaux | Bluey May |
| Reg Lye | Reg Denton |
| John Le Mesurier | Assistant Commissioner |
| Graham Stark | Sid Cooper |
| Martin Boddey | Superintendent J.S. Forest |
| Irene Browne | Dowager |
| Arthur Mullard | Brassknuckles |
| Tutte Lemkow | Siggy Schmoltz |
| Dermot Kelly | Misery Martin |
| Vanda Godsell | Annette |
| Barry Keegan | Alf |
| Marianne Stone | Woman at Meeting (uncredited) |
| Michael Caine | Police Officer (uncredited) |
| Dennis Price | Educated Ernest (uncredited) |
| Dick Emery | Adulterous Man (uncredited) |
| John Junkin | Maurice (uncredited) |
| Cardew Robinson | Postman (uncredited) |
| Mario Fabrizi | Van Driver (uncredited) |
| John Harvey | Sergeant at Police Station (uncredited) |
| Harold Siddons | Police Constable in Garage (uncredited) |
| Jack Silk | Police Constable at Station (uncredited) |
| Deryck Guyler | Police Constable at Scotland Yard (uncredited) |
| Gerald Sim | Airport Official (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Len Heath | Screenplay |
| Ivor Jay | Original Story |
| William Whistance Smith | Original Story |
| Richard Rodney Bennett | Music |
| Cliff Owen | Director |
| Ray Galton | Writer |
| John Antrobus | Writer |
| Ernest Steward | Director of Photography |
| Tristam Cones | Editor |
| Ray Hearne | Still Photographer |
| Alan Simpson | Writer |
| John Warren | Screenplay |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Aubrey Baring | Producer |
| Cecil F. Ford | Associate Producer |
| E.M. Smedley-Aston | Associate Producer |
| Robert Velaise | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 |
| 2024 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 4 |
| 2024 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 4 |
| 2024 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 4 |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| 2024 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
| 2024 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Trending Position
Ostensibly, "Pearly Gates" (Peter Sellers) is a French couturier selling posh frocks, but we know in reality he's a crook. Imagine his chagrin when his latest crime falls foul of the police! Imagine how much worse it gets when he discovers that it wasn't the police at all, but a gang who "IPO" (Impe ... rsonate Police Officers). That's below the belt! Meantime, the rather supercilious police inspector "Parker" (Lionel Jeffries) starts to get embroiled in this too as his bosses don't much like the idea that there are fake officers out there robbing with impunity. The most unlikely of truces now ensues as both have to bury the hatchet and concoct a plan to entrap their rather shrewd, and well briefed, protagonists. The enormous sum of £500,000 is to be used as bait but what's the betting the plan goes pear-shaped? There's a good dynamic between Sellers and Jeffries here with a well paced and engagingly daft story unravelling over a quickly paced ninety minutes. Some familiar faces make up the supporting cast and the denouement - well I quite liked that! The humour is simple and uncomplicated, relying on some characterful performances and some spirited efforts on screen, and I did quite enjoy this.