A group of misfit soldiers are desperately trying to fiddle themselves some leave. Instead they wrangle a posting to the British Middle-East protectorate of Darawa. Their frustrations and disappointment at landing one of the harshest territories is compensated when they discover a secret passage to the King’s harem.
Production Details
Columbia Corporation Pictures present
A Hammer Film Production
Based on Granada’s Television Series “The Army Game”
Copyright MCMLVIII by Lawrie Productions Ltd. All rights reserved.
All characters in this film are fictitious. Any similarity to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Approved MPAA Certificate No. 19140
RCA Sound recording
Produced at Bray Studios
Black & White 79 Mins
Filming Began: 21st July 1958
UK Release: 9th July 1959
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Additional Music | Naim Al-Basri | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Alfie Basss song | Alfie Bass | 42 | 8 Apr 1916 | 15 Jul 1987 | 71 | 4 | 4 | ||
Art Director | John Stoll | 45 | 13 Dec 1913 | 25 Jun 1990 | 76 | 5 | 5 | ||
Assistant Director | John Peverall | 28 | 1931 | 3 Oct 2009 | 78 | 21 | 21 | ||
Associate Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-nelson-keys/# | 47 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 43 | 43 | ||
Camera Operator | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/len-harris/# | 42 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 63 | 2 | 65 | |
Continuity | Doreen Dearnaley | 30 | 20 Nov 1928 | 3 Feb 1992 | 63 | 13 | 13 | ||
Director | Montgomery Tully | 54 | 6 May 1904 | 10 Oct 1988 | 84 | 4 | 4 | ||
Director of Photography | Lionel Baines | 54 | 27 Jul 1904 | 1996 | 91 | 1 | 1 | ||
Editor | Alfred Cox | 34 | 1925 | 2005 | 80 | 21 | 4 | 25 | |
Executive Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-carreras/# | 31 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 98 | 9 | 107 | |
Focus Puller | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harry-oakes/# | 38 | 16 Jan 1921 | 11 Dec 2012 | 91 | 3 | 56 | 59 | |
Hair Stylist | Henry Montsash | 53 | 17 Sep 1905 | 29 Sep 1974 | 69 | 16 | 16 | ||
Make-up | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/phil-leakey/# | 50 | 4 May 1908 | 26 Nov 1992 | 84 | 50 | 50 | ||
Music Composed & Conducted by | Benjamin Frankel | 53 | 31 Jan 1906 | 12 Feb 1973 | 67 | 3 | 3 | ||
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-hinds/# | 36 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 87 | 3 | 90 | |
Production Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/don-weeks/# | 54 | 15 Nov 1904 | Mar 1988 | 83 | 31 | 31 | ||
Song AloneTogether | Sid Colin | 43 | 31 Aug 1915 | 12 Dec 1989 | 74 | 4 | 4 | ||
Song AloneTogether | Walter Ridley | 45 | 28 Feb 1913 | 23 Jan 2007 | 93 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sound Recordist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/jock-may/# | 54 | 1905 | 8 Jan 1991 | 86 | 31 | 1 | 32 | |
Special Effects | Sid Pearson | 9 | 1 | 10 | |||||
Supervising Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 39 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 113 | 1 | 114 | |
The Army Game Theme | Pat Napper | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Third Assistant Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/hugh-harlow/# | 19 | 17 Jun 1939 | 17.06.1939 | 85 | 6 | 34 | 40 | |
Wardrobe | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/molly-arbuthnot/# | 50 | 19 Dec 1908 | 31 Oct 2001 | 92 | 48 | 5 | 53 | |
Written | Sid Colin | 43 | 31 Aug 1915 | 12 Dec 1989 | 74 | 4 | 4 | ||
Written | Jack Davies | 45 | 25 Nov 1913 | 22 Jun 1994 | 80 | 3 | 3 | ||
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Arab | Earl Green | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Arab in Bar | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/dido-plumb/# | 53 | 23 Jun 1905 | 4 Mar 1991 | 85 | 10 | 10 | ||
Arab in Bar | George Spence | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Azim | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-ripper/# | 46 | 27 Jan 1913 | 28 Jun 2000 | 87 | 34 | 2 | 36 | |
Colonel Danvers | Martin Boddey | 51 | 16 Apr 1907 | 24 Oct 1975 | 68 | 4 | 4 | ||
Corporal Singer | Michael Medwin | 35 | 18 Jul 1923 | 26 Feb 2020 | 96 | 6 | 6 | ||
Cupcake | Norman Rossington | 30 | 24 Dec 1928 | 21 May 1999 | 70 | 1 | 1 | ||
Excused Boots | Alfie Bass | 42 | 8 Apr 1916 | 15 Jul 1987 | 71 | 4 | 4 | ||
Ferrers | Ewen MacDuff | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Fred | Michael Bentine | 37 | 26 Jan 1922 | 26 Nov 1996 | 74 | 1 | 1 | ||
General Bender | Basil Dignam | 53 | 24 Oct 1905 | 31 Jan 1979 | 73 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Harem Girl | Marie Devereux | 18 | 27 Nov 1940 | 30 Dec 2019 | 79 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Harem Girl | Pauline Chamberlain | 26 | 2 Oct 1932 | 14 Jan 2021 | 88 | 5 | 5 | ||
Harem Girl | Claire Gordon | 18 | 16 Jan 1941 | 13 Apr 2015 | 74 | 1 | 1 | ||
Harem Girl | Maureen Moore | 20 | 1939 | 01.01.1939 | 85 | 1 | 1 | ||
Harem Girl | Pamela Chamberlain | 26 | 2 Oct 1932 | 02.10.1932 | 92 | 1 | 1 | ||
King Fazim | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/marne-maitland/# | 44 | 18 Dec 1914 | Mar 1992 | 77 | 9 | 9 | ||
Mahmoud | Francis Matthews | 31 | 2 Sep 1927 | 14 Jun 2014 | 86 | 4 | 4 | ||
Major Upshot-Bagely | Geoffrey Sumner | 50 | 20 Nov 1908 | 29 Sep 1989 | 80 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Olding | John McClaren | 47 | 9 Oct 1911 | 9 May 1970 | 58 | 1 | 1 | ||
Popeye | Bernard Bresslaw | 24 | 25 Feb 1934 | 11 Jun 1993 | 59 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
Professor | Charles Hawtrey | 44 | 30 Nov 1914 | 27 Oct 1988 | 73 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Salaman | Wolfe Morris | 34 | 5 Jan 1925 | 21 Jul 1996 | 71 | 5 | 5 | ||
Sergeant Chambers | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/david-lodge/# | 37 | 19 Aug 1921 | 18 Oct 2003 | 82 | 10 | 10 | ||
Sir Redvers | Arthur Howard | 49 | 18 Jan 1910 | 18 Jun 1995 | 85 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
Tuffnell | Max Brimmell | 31 | 27 Apr 1927 | 15 Feb 1993 | 65 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
This was the first film to be made based on a British sitcom, namely The Army Game (ITV).
Montgomery Tulles also directed Hammer’s 36 Hours (1954) and Five Days (1954).
Francis Matthews later appeared in Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) and Dracula – Prince of Darkness (1966). He also provided the voice for Captain Scarlet in Gerry Andersons TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967).
Twins Pamela and Pauline Chamberlain appear uncredited here.