IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
A quirky British Secret Service Agent named Major Hammond tries to discover who is using a secret weapon to steal experimental planes.A quirky British Secret Service Agent named Major Hammond tries to discover who is using a secret weapon to steal experimental planes.A quirky British Secret Service Agent named Major Hammond tries to discover who is using a secret weapon to steal experimental planes.
John Longden
- Peters
- (as John Longdon)
Ronald Adam
- Pollack - Aviation Engineer
- (uncredited)
Patrick Aherne
- Officer
- (uncredited)
Eileen Bennett
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Wallace Bosco
- Bit part
- (uncredited)
Leslie Bradley
- Major Hammond's Assistant
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPatrick Macnee readily confessed that his famous portrayal of John Steed in The Avengers (1961) was, in many respects, based upon Sir Ralph Richardson's performance as the louche hat-wearing, umbrella-wielding Major Charles Hammond in this film.
- GoofsWhen Tony mans the machine gun, he sprays the enemy crew with gunfire. Some of the crew are right in front of the plane, so the plane should be riddled with bullet holes, but no bullet holes can be seen.
- Quotes
Mr. Barrett: All right! All right! Will you as a personal favour take that plane up?
Tony McVane: Well of course I will, you parboiled, pudding-minded, myopic deadhead!
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Avengers (1961)
Featured review
A hidden gem!
Beneath the British B-picture exterior lies a hidden gem of an espionage thriller. Q PLANES is briskly paced and delightfully entertaining, balancing exciting spy intrigue with lighthearted character moments. The villains' dastardly scheme foreshadows James Bond villainy to come, and one can almost hear the John Barry music swell up during certain scenes.
The film is anchored by Ralph Richardson in a droll performance as a slightly Holmesian secret service man: undeniably brilliant, if a tad eccentric and prone to absent-mindedness. The triumvirate of stars is completed by Laurence Olivier as a pilot (and all-around good guy) and Valerie Hobson, who we learn is a newspaper reporter out looking for a scoop (in the grand tradition of such characters).
Top-secret experimental planes are disappearing under mysterious circumstances and Richardson is doing everything he can to get to the bottom of it. The main cast of Richardson, Olivier, and Hobson are great together and the movie manages to blend real comedy with real excitement. This little-known British thriller is a real winner. It's lots of fun and a wonderful surprise. Try to catch it on TCM sometime.
The film is anchored by Ralph Richardson in a droll performance as a slightly Holmesian secret service man: undeniably brilliant, if a tad eccentric and prone to absent-mindedness. The triumvirate of stars is completed by Laurence Olivier as a pilot (and all-around good guy) and Valerie Hobson, who we learn is a newspaper reporter out looking for a scoop (in the grand tradition of such characters).
Top-secret experimental planes are disappearing under mysterious circumstances and Richardson is doing everything he can to get to the bottom of it. The main cast of Richardson, Olivier, and Hobson are great together and the movie manages to blend real comedy with real excitement. This little-known British thriller is a real winner. It's lots of fun and a wonderful surprise. Try to catch it on TCM sometime.
helpful•152
- jimjo1216
- Nov 21, 2011
- How long is Q Planes?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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