Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969)

Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969), directed Ken Annakin.

Aka Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies. Another entry in the madcap retro-adventure genre of the 1960s. Written and directed by the same people who did Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965).

Very silly. It's not that good but works well enough if you revert to your childhood mind. The simple pleasures of a slapstick road race and the slightest bit of sex farce. I don't know if it could compete with contemporary children's programming. I couldn't follow some of the accents; no subtitles.

I rented it so I could see Susan Hampshire again. She has a beautiful doll-like face and is often quite funny. Tony Curtis tries to have some fun but doesn't really click. Terry Thomas is the reliable comic villain. Peter Cook and Dudley Moore are a hoot as the imperturbable Major and his loyal assistant.

I wonder if the "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Deathrace" comedies could be considered continuations of the genre, updated to contemporary times and the future?