Customer Reviews
the little bustards.... - By: Mr. J. G. Ridley, 11 Jan 2008 
At last one of the best 60s British comedies gets a DVD release. The Big Job is a real classic - full of silliness, visual jokes and, best of alll, a great view of contemporary social attitudes courtesy of a superb Talbot Rothwell script. Joan Sims has never been better than as the randy landlady, Dick Emery (who I've never reallly found sympathetic elsewhere) is very good indeed, & there is a lovely cameo from Derek Guyler as a musicallly obsessed Police Sergeant.
There are 3 quite outstanding scenes:-
The first evening meal chez Sims with Emery's explanation of bird watching.
Guyler taking down the particulars of the theft of a lorry full of tools.
Emery & Sims discussing the possibility of changed sleeping arrangements.
Don't miss the gem of a movie!
A mixed bag - By: Idle in an Odeon, 14 May 2007 
This set includes three films;
The Big Job
The Lavender Hill Mob
Make Mine a Million
For a Sid James fan the first of these is the gem. A well cast story of James & his gang attempting to recover some stolen loot plays a little like a live action Roadrunner cartoon. One scheme fails only to be replaced by another doomed plan. There may be no anvil but they do manage to work in a harpoon at one point. Supporting cast includes Sylvia Syms (underused in comedy but very good here), Dick Emery, Jim Dale, Lance Percival & Joan Sims. The collection is worth buying for this film alone as it is funny with a wonderful feel of the period it was made.
The Lavender Hill Mob is one of Ealing Studio's finest comedies without doubt - but hardly a Sid James vehicle. His role as one of the mob - a burglar who carries around press clippings of his most well known work - is good but the film belongs to the main stars Alec Guinness & Stanley Holloway. So an odd choice for a James centered collection.
Make Mine A Million is perhaps the weakest film on offer here. A decidedly average fifties comedy. The story of exploiting television coverage to advertise washing powder doesn't offer much chance for comedy gold. Its watchable of course but James & Askey have to work hard. If nothing else the film illustrates the love hate relationship of British cinema with the rise of television during this time.
Sid James had a long career in British films but, as someone who liked to keep busy, this often took the form of cameos or playing as part of an ensemble. It is a pity that films featuring him in a more central role could not have been included in the set but perhaps the selection illustrates this fact.
