Two-Way Stretch

I'm always up for something different in regards to film, so I picked up Two-Way Stretch from the Prendergast Library the other night. It was a rare opportunity to see Peter Sellers before he became an international movie star in films like The Pink Panther and Doctor Strangelove.

Sellers plays Dodger Lane, a prison inmate who does a much better job of running Huntleigh Prison than the governor or the head guard. There are no end to the scams that go on right under the nose of the authorities, such as inmate-mentored rehabilition classes which do more to instruct in thievery than any job trade. Dodger's plans go awry with the retirement of the kindly (and someone dim) head guard and the appointment of Chief P.O. Sidney "Sour" Crout who gives new meaning to the description hard-ass. Wilfred Hyde-White plays Soapy Stevens, Dodger's old crime boss on the outside who convinces Dodger and his gang to perform one more heist before they're released from prison. After all, they'd have the perfect alibi...

Two-Way Stretch is a perfect example of old-style British comedy -- meaning that you can expect to see more gentle humor than slapstick on display. It's worth a look.