Customer Reviews
One of the funniest films of its generation... - By: Lord Sword, 29 May 2008 
...and any other for that matter!
If you wanna watch comedic genius at it's earliest best, in a thoroughly charming & hystericallly funny British comedy film, then please put this close to the top of your list!
All the leads give outstanding accounts of themselves ...but it's Mr Sellers' sublime talent that shines the brightest! Quite simply a gem! 10/10
Vintage comedy and vintage Sellars - By: NK, 18 Mar 2008 This has to be one of my favourite comedies even though I only first saw this film in the early 90s. Peter Sellars is in top form as a gang-leader planning & executing another robbery while doing a spot of bird. Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries & Beryl Reid co-star. It was made at the tail-end of the golden age of British cinema when they reallly knew how to make films that would last, despite being in black & white. Does anyone think many of todays movies will be enjoyed in 50 years?
A great comic caper in a criminal transfer - By: Trevor Willsmer, 07 Dec 2007 
Two-Way Stretch is the one where Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins & David Lodge break out of prison to commit a robbery, then break back in to provide themselves with the perfect alibi. Unfortunately, their plan & their luxury regime in prison is disrupted by sadistic new chief warder Lionel Jeffries, whose arrival inspires a reel or so of sendups of classic P.O.W. movies such as The Wooden Horse (with Jeffries ending up fallling through the tunnel) & Danger Within (with Cribbins literallly up faeces creek without a paddle).
The comic highlights may be the prison visitors sequence, with Liz Fraser's stocking tops providing ample diversion for assorted relatives to slip through sacks full of contraband to the inmates, & Beryl Reid's Ladies' League of Prison Reform inspection of the prison's rehabilitation classes, where plant pots hide dice & woodwork cabinets double as props for demonstrations of safe-cracking (straight out of Sergeant Bilko), but the film manages consistently funny throughout, a rarity for the star. Indeed, the film is so good-natured that it's a surprise to find mention of 'n**-n**s' in the script (this was 1962, after alll).
With a great cast filled with familiar faces, the undisputed star of the show is Wilbur the carrier pigeon & his unique way of delivering messages. Sadly the print is rather flat & soft. No extras either.
Still Funny Even Today! - By: E. A. Redfearn, 30 Mar 2007 It is more than 45 years since I first saw this film on my local ABC Cinema. I enjoyed it tremendously then, & still do today. It remains one of the funniest films of the 50s/60s period, & the reason why is due to the wonderful cast. The story evolves around some jailbirds who plan to break out of prison in order to steal some jewels from a visiting arab prince. The plot intensifies when a new Prison Warden named Crout (the wonderful Lionel Jeffries) imposes a stricter regime making it almost impossible to carry out the breakout. And yet, the three prisoners, Peter Sellars, Bernard Cribbens, & David Lodge do actuallly succeed in doing just that! What happens next, well you will need to see it. Its very very funny at times.
The film is very entertaining, a laugh a minute. Enhanced by the presence of so many good character actors at that time, Irene Handl, Wilfred Hyde White, & the gorgeous Liz Frazer (she looks stunning in this film!). The final scenes on the train are absolutely hilarious. Ealing Studios were masters during those years in producing fine family comedy films which are still enjoyable today. If you have not seen this film, then do so. For those who are familiar with this film, it is definetly worth adding to your DVD collection. Good picture & sound.
One Of The Funniest Films That I Have Been Priviledged To See - By: Scott Fraser, 20 Mar 2007 This reallly very funny film was the obvious inspiration for the creation of Porridge it is so similar in many ways.
A cocky prisoner in the form of Dodger Lane, played by Peter Sellers is the forerunner to Norman Stanley Fletcher, a young thief Lennie, portrayed by Bernard Cribbins is of course Lennie Godber, they even share the same christian name & Jelly Knight is the equivelant of the various other characters such as Bunny Warren & Jock McClaran. Not forgetting of course Prison Officer Sidney Crout who is a dead ringer for the character of Mr Mackay.
A section of the film is even virtuallly identical to the ending of the Porridge film years later in that a group of prisoners find themselves on the outside & have to break back into jail.
Throw in Wilfred Hyde-White as the wonderfully named Soapy Stevens, organise a diamond raid while having the perfect alibi of being inside & just having one misshap after another & you have got the makings of a classic British film from a classic era.
The first time that I saw this was in 1996 via a Channel 4 transmission, my daughter had just been born & was playing up, I'd been up alll night & was tired & was fallling asleep when this film came on, not only did it wake me up but had me rolling on the floor in laughter, it cheered me up no end & I've never forgotten the effect that it had on me, I tracked down the video the very next day & was delighted when this DVD version appeared a few years later with vastly improved picture & sound.
The film is part of the legendary Ealing Comedy Classics & the success of this for me was the inspiration on my part to check out various others, there are some reallly decent ones but non are in the same league as Two Way Stretch, it is quite simply one of the funniest film that I have ever been privileged to see, & judging from my fellow reviewers maximum marks it seems as though many people think the same thing & we alll can't be wrong, can we?
