It’s the Second World War, and road worker Norman Pitkin and his colleague, borough-engineer, Mr Grimsdale (Edward Chapman), are making a nuisance of themselves whilst digging up the road outside an Army barracks.
When the Army command loses patience with Pitkin and Grimsdale, they arrange to have the civilian road workers drafted into the forces.
In error, they are transferred to the paratroops and dropped behind enemy lines in France, where the Germans take Mr Grimsdale prisoner.
Wisdom accidentally slips behind enemy lines but is picked up by the French Resistance. Norman capitalises on his amazing resemblance to a German general and finds himself spearheading a mission to rescue British prisoners from German headquarters. He is soon captured by the Nazis and almost immediately facing a German firing squad.
The film starts brightly enough but the joke quota rapidly declines as the film progresses.
Typical bumbling Norman Wisdom farce in which the star plays dual roles and the love interest is provided by Honor Blackman.
Norman Pitkin/General Schreiber
Norman Wisdom
Lesley Cartland
Honor Blackman
Mr Grimsdale
Edward Chapman
Sergeant Loder
Campbell Singer
Gretchen
Hattie Jacques
Henri Le Blanc
Brian Worth
Captain Wharton
Terence Alexander
Colonel Layton
John Warwick
General Hunt
Arnold Bell
Jean-Claude
André Maranne
Jogenkraut
Victor Beaumont
Captain Ford
Frank Williams
Director
John Paddy Carstairs
