The Navy Lark

All of the mines have long been cleared from the waters around the Channel Islands, so the Admiralty orders the crew of the sweeper Troutbridge paid off and the frigate decommissioned. That interferes with the idyllic existence of the crew, so they employ various maneuvers the frustrate orders...including inciting an independence movement.

It's based on the immensely popular BBC Radio Service comedy of the same name, and stars such dependable comedy players as Cecil Parker, Ronald Shiner, Leslie Phillips, and Hattie Jacques. Surprisingly, for a show that depended so much on catchphrases, double entendre and shtick, the only performer reprising his role from radio is Leslie Phillips; given that Jon Pertwee, Ronnie Barker, and Dennis Price were in the Radio cast, this seems odd, but the show ran for fifteen seasons over eighteen years.

The movie itself is a pleasant piece of nonsense, making fun of Navy politics and bureaucracy, offering many a chuckle along its length. It's no classic, but it's good fun.