British Comedy Guide
How I Won The War. Lieutenant Ernest Goodbody (Michael Crawford). Copyright: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
How I Won The War

How I Won The War

  • 1967 film

Absurdist anti-war comedy starring Michael Crawford as a hopeless lieutenant in the Second World War. Also features John Lennon, Roy Kinnear, Lee Montague, Jack MacGowran, Michael Hordern and more.

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How I Won The War. Image shows from L to R: Clapper (Roy Kinnear), Drogue (James Cossins), Gripweed (John Lennon), Spool (Ronald Lacey), Juniper (Jack MacGowran), Transom (Lee Montague). Copyright: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Key details

Genre
Film
Released
1967
Stars
Michael Crawford, John Lennon, Roy Kinnear, Lee Montague, Jack MacGowran, Michael Hordern, Jack Hedley, Karl Michael Vogler and more
Writers
Patrick Ryan and Charles Wood
Director
Richard Lester
Producers
Richard Lester and Denis O'Dell
Company

Both anti-war and anti-war-film, How I Won The War is an absurdist, fourth-wall-breaking take on the futility of armed conflict, based in part upon Patrick Ryan's 1963 comic novel of the same name.

Told in parallel with his eventual capture by German troops in Spring 1945 as the Allies close in on the Reich, the film focuses on British Lieutenant Ernest Goodbody, a complete incompetent in charge of a small band of men who view him with rightful disdain. He and his men are tasked with trekking far behind enemy lines in the African desert in order to prepare a perfect English cricket pitch for the coming British troops.

Facing multiple obstacles and calamities en route - many of their, or rather, Goodbody's, own making - the unit face dehydration, starvation, fuel shortage and death at enemy hands before they can fulfil their ultimate task.

Additional details

UK certificate
X
Duration
110 minutes
Distributors

United Artists

Production
Location
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

Most recent repeats
  • Saturday 11th November 2023 at 12:55am on TPTV
  • Monday 21st August 2023 at 2:35am on TPTV
  • Friday 26th May 2023 at 2:30am on TPTV

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