I Only Arsked!

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.

Trailer by The Hammer Graveyard

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

Black & White 79 Mins

Filming dates: 21st July – 22nd August 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

CREW	NAME	CREDITED	AGE AT RELEASE	BIRTH	Hidden	DEATH	AGE	CREDITS	UNCREDITED	TOTAL HAMMER
Additional Music	Naim Al-Basri	No							1	1
Alfie Basss song	Alfie Bass	Yes	42	8 Apr 1916		15 Jul 1987	71	4		4
Art Director	John Stoll	Yes	45	13 Dec 1913		25 Jun 1990	76	5		5
Assistant Director	John Peverall	Yes	28	1931		3 Oct 2009	78	21		21
Associate Producer	Anthony Nelson-Keys	Yes	47	13 Nov 1911		19 Mar 1985	73	43		43
Camera Operator	Len Harris	Yes	42	19 May 1916		21 Feb 1995	78	63	2	65
Continuity	Doreen Dearnaley	Yes	30	20 Nov 1928		3 Feb 1992	63	13		13
Director	Montgomery Tully	Yes	54	6 May 1904		10 Oct 1988	84	4		4
Director of Photography	Lionel Baines	Yes	54	27 Jul 1904		1996	91	1		1
Editor	Alfred Cox	Yes	34	1925		2005	80	21	4	25
Executive Producer	Michael Carreras	Yes	31	21 Dec 1927		19 Apr 1994	66	98	11	109
Focus Puller	Harry Oakes	No	38	16 Jan 1921		11 Dec 2012	91	3	56	59
Hair Stylist	Henry Montsash	Yes	53	17 Sep 1905		29 Sep 1974	69	16		16
Make-up	Phil Leakey	Yes	50	4 May 1908		26 Nov 1992	84	50		50
Music Composed & Conducted by	Benjamin Frankel	Yes	53	31 Jan 1906		12 Feb 1973	67	3		3
Producer	Anthony Hinds	Yes	36	18 Sep 1922		30 Sep 2013	91	87	3	90
Production Manager	Don Weeks	Yes	54	15 Nov 1904		Mar 1988	83	31		31
Song AloneTogether	Sid Colin	Yes	43	31 Aug 1915		12 Dec 1989	74	4		4
Song AloneTogether	Walter Ridley	Yes	45	28 Feb 1913		23 Jan 2007	93	1		1
Sound Recordist	Jock May	Yes	54	1905		8 Jan 1991	86	31	1	32
Special Effects	Sid Pearson	Yes						9	1	10
Supervising Editor	James Needs	Yes	39	17 Oct 1919		4 Feb 2003	83	113	1	114
The Army Game Theme	Pat Napper	Yes						1		1
Third Assistant Director	Hugh Harlow	Yes	19	17 Jun 1939			86	6	34	40
Wardrobe	Molly Arbuthnot	Yes	50	19 Dec 1908		31 Oct 2001	92	48	5	53
Written	Sid Colin	Yes	43	31 Aug 1915		12 Dec 1989	74	4		4
Written	Jack Davies	Yes	45	25 Nov 1913		22 Jun 1994	80	3		3
Arab	Earl Green	No							1	1
Arab in Bar	Dido Plumb	No	53	23 Jun 1905		4 Mar 1991	85		10	10
Arab in Bar	George Spence	No							4	4
Azim	Michael Ripper	Yes	46	27 Jan 1913		28 Jun 2000	87	34	2	36
Colonel Danvers	Martin Boddey	Yes	51	16 Apr 1907		24 Oct 1975	68	4		4
Corporal Singer	Michael Medwin	Yes	35	18 Jul 1923		26 Feb 2020	96	6		6
Cupcake	Norman Rossington	Yes	30	24 Dec 1928		21 May 1999	70	1		1
Excused Boots	Alfie Bass	Yes	42	8 Apr 1916		15 Jul 1987	71	4		4
Ferrers	Ewen MacDuff	Yes						1		1
Fred	Michael Bentine	Yes	37	26 Jan 1922		26 Nov 1996	74	1		1
General Bender	Basil Dignam	Yes	53	24 Oct 1905		31 Jan 1979	73	3	1	4
Harem Girl	Marie Devereux	No	18	27 Nov 1940		30 Dec 2019	79	3	2	5
Harem Girl	Pauline Chamberlain	No	26	2 Oct 1932		14 Jan 2021	88		5	5
Harem Girl	Claire Gordon	No	18	16 Jan 1941		13 Apr 2015	74		1	1
Harem Girl	Maureen Moore	No	20	1939	1 Jan 1939		86		1	1
Harem Girl	Pamela Chamberlain	No	26	2 Oct 1932			93		1	1
King Fazim	Marne Maitland	Yes	44	18 Dec 1914		Mar 1992	77	9		9
Mahmoud	Francis Matthews	Yes	31	2 Sep 1927		14 Jun 2014	86	4		4
Major Upshot-Bagely	Geoffrey Sumner	Yes	50	20 Nov 1908		29 Sep 1989	80	2	1	3
Olding	John McClaren	Yes	47	9 Oct 1911		10 May 1970	58	1		1
Popeye	Bernard Bresslaw	Yes	24	25 Feb 1934		11 Jun 1993	59	4	1	5
Professor	Charles Hawtrey	Yes	44	30 Nov 1914		27 Oct 1988	73	2	1	3
Salaman	Wolfe Morris	Yes	34	5 Jan 1925		21 Jul 1996	71	5		5
Sergeant Chambers	David Lodge	Yes	37	19 Aug 1921		18 Oct 2003	82	10		10
Sir Redvers	Arthur Howard	Yes	49	18 Jan 1910		18 Jun 1995	85	4	1	5
Tuffnell	Max Brimmell	Yes	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.

1959 BBFC Cert. “U”

Production Details

Stills from film

Cast & Crew

Original Poster

Footnotes

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