The Runaway Bus (1954) User Reviews

Frothy comedy mystery out of Southall Studios.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 19 May 2010]

British comedian Frankie Howerd, best known to TV fans as the star of the historical satire Up Pompeii, makes his feature film debut alongside Margaret Rutherford, George Coulouris, Belinda Lee and English songstress Petula Clark. Howerd plays Percy Lamb, a novice bus driver, who, as London is submerged in thick fog, is assigned to drive the number "13" coach from London airport to another a couple of hours away. With his half dozen or so passengers along for company, Percy promptly gets lost! But that's not the worst of their worries. For in the boot is a load of stolen gold bullion and the master criminal known as "The Banker" is amongst them and will do anything to get their hands on the loot. But just who is "The Banker?". It's written and directed by Val Guest whose writing work for the likes of Will Hay, Arthur Askey and The Crazy Gang puts him firmly on the list of classic British comedy writers.

Safe and inoffensive fun is The Runaway Bus, very much along the lines of Walter Forde's The Ghost Train (Guest writing there too), it zips along apace and is awash with gags both visually and orally. Maybe somewhat surprising, considering all those involved with it, it's probably with its "who is it" core where the film is at its best. Blending comedy with mystery thriller elements can often be a tricky task for some film makers, but thankfully here Guest and his team play it right. There's no obvious hints to who the "baddie" is, thus the element of surprise is high, and the staging of the second half of the movie at a fog enveloped army training range makes for a nice atmospheric feel. There's no great shakes in the acting, but they all are safe and doing what is required. Rutherford of course is the standout performer, while Howerd is only hinting at the ability that would in the years to come make him a much loved comedian in the United Kingdom.

Widely available on DVD now, it will be annoying to some that the transfer is rough and not afforded a clean up. Full of snap, crackle and pop, it does carry a bit of old fashioned value in that respect. But those interested in the DVD should stay away if scratchy old transfers are to be an issue. 7/10

That Eternal British Fog

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 18 January 2012]

Frankie Howerd who for some unexplained reason never got big stardom on the big screen made a very funny feature film debut where he plays a bus driver in The Runaway Bus. In fact part of the plot is that he's driving the bus for the wrong company.

It's supposed to be a regular bus, but a very pushy stewardess for British Overseas Airlines Corporation (BOAC) played by Petula Clark manages to dragoon Howerd into driving a shuttle bus that BOAC has for its passengers. Nothing is flying at Heathrow because of the fog, but the company will shuttle some passengers to another airport where they can make connections.

One of them wants to real bad because they've just stolen several gold bullion bars from the Bank of England and they're trying to affect a getaway. The problem is just who among the passengers is the thief? And the suspicions are not just confined to the passengers.

Complicating things is the fact that Howerd in the fog manages to drive the bus to an abandoned village that the British Army uses for war games. Believe it or not, it's all both pretty funny and suspenseful at the time.

Such various and sundry characters as Margaret Rutherford, George Coulouris, Terence Alexander, and Belinda Lee are all passengers on the bus. They all deliver performances well within their typecasting range.

Howerd never got big screen stardom on either side of the pond. His real fame was on the small screen in the United Kingdom. For me this was a nice introduction to his brand of comedy. I liked it and I think so will you.

Excellent vehicle (ha ha) for Howerd's humour

[alexgreig · 7/10 · 7 December 2006]

Certainly not one of the classic 50s comedies, but it allows Frankie to give full reign to his unique talent. There are rather too many unbelievable plot twists and many of the characters are two dimensional, but there are some good chuckles. Nice to see a young Petula, and also Belinda Lee, one of the many blonde bombshells of the 50s who were hyped as Britain's answer to Marilyn Monroe. Disappointingly, if you enjoy watching 50s films for their shots of towns and villages in the post war period, this one seems to have been shot almost exclusively in the studio and backlot Verdict : If you are a big fan of Frankie Howerd's style, go for it.

runaway fun in the fog

[peachymead-1 · 28 March 2004]

This is a great comedy film,with a large number of British stars on their way up including later pop star Petula Clarke who these days lives in france. The whole set up hinges on the fact that a fog covers the south east England and a Gold bullion robeery has been waiting for this very thing to happen. Master mind the Banker a most deadly crook who is not disccoved till the end of the last reel, and who the players hold a sweep stake on who it is. Frankie Howard is just great and when he climbs a post to find the way only to discover the words 'wet paint', its a laugh a minute. A film to watch over and over as you discover some thing new each time. Pity we can not have fims like this these days simple entertaining fun.

Classic and typical post-war Brit comedy

[audiemurph · 7/10 · 1 January 2012]

If you love the old British comedies of the post-war years, such as those starring Peter Sellers and Alec Guiness, then this movie is right up your alley. Runaway Bus contains all the trademarks of great English comedy: eccentric British characters, fast and witty dialogue, and, what I think makes them really funny, the British habit of saying things in a much more sophisticated and complicated way than us slangy Americans ever would. All enjoyable and innately funny.

Anyway, there are no obvious stars in this film, like those gentlemen mentioned above. This was my first exposure to British star Frankie Howerd (even his name is spelled funny), and once I got used to his never-ending parade of facial contortions, I found him quite amusing. Margaret Rutherford is the only actor (-tress) I recognized, and she played her quirky strong-willed role as wonderfully as ever.

The pacing of the film is quick, but what I think really makes this movie above par is that you are never sure about who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. You will definitely change your mind multiple times, and the script does a wonderful job of leading you down one path only to change direction a few moments later. You think you know who did it, but then you are sure you are wrong. The surprises and one-liners come fast and furious all the way to the final line.

This is a fun film full of classic British motifs. If this is your thing, I highly recommend it.

British comedy drama

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 26 June 2023]

A robbery crew is getting ready to steal a gold shipment from London Heathrow Airport. Thick fog descends and operations are suspended. A group of stranded people get a ride from hapless bus driver Percy Lamb to another airport.

I only know Margaret Rutherford and Petula Clark in this cast and I don't actually recognize Petula Clark as an actress. Maybe I need her to sing. Frankie Howerd is doing some good comedic work. Here's the deal. It's British humor. It's a lot of fog. A better way to use it is for the robber to hijack the bus and force Percy to drive in the fog. That could be some fun action.

A foggy day in London town............................

[ianlouisiana · 7/10 · 22 March 2010]

Remember Smogs?Those terrifying combinations of factory smoke and fog that were eventually eradicated by the Clean Air Act?Well,if you're old enough to have experienced them,"The Runaway Bus" may be just up your street. Set in the halcyon days when London only had one airport and it was actually called London Airport,"The Runaway Bus" relies heavily on plot no 5 in the Movie Writers' Handbook,the travelling companions in peril perhaps best exemplified in its earlier incarnation "Stagecoach". A bus containing a master criminal on the run with gold bullion gets lost in the fog.The bus is driven by Mr Frankie Howerd,a comedian of such peculiar talents that he is almost sui generis.His outrageous personae are only approached by those of his near contemporary Mr Kenneth Williams who lacked Howerd's bombastic streak. Outstanding amongst the passengers is the equally eccentric Miss Margaret Rutherford who,strangely,a few years later was to win an Oscar for her performance in another film about London Airport in the fog - "The V.I.P.s". Stalwarts of British stage,screen and TV happily rhubarb around adding to the fun. In 1957 Mr Howerd found the transition from his true medium - radio - to the movies an uneasy one and "The Runaway Bus" suffered as a consequence.Watched with half a century's hindsight and nostalgia it seems an amusing,and,considering that almost all the cast have gone to the great rehearsal room in the sky,almost poignant. It fills a gap between the innocence of "Doctor in the house" and the sauciness of the rapidly approaching "Carry On" franchise,and fills it very pleasingly.

Lightweight comedy mystery feature

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 9 May 2018]

THE RUNAWAY BUS is a lightweight British comedy feature with some nice mystery and thriller aspects in the mix. The story is set on a foggy night of the year, the location an airport transport bus which is taking the usual diverse group of passengers to a remote location but struggling to find a route through the obscured country roads. There's a bit of a light Agatha Christie feel as it becomes apparent that at least one of the passengers is merely masquerading and actually a robber involved in the theft of some gold bullion. This is a notable feature for the always likeable Frankie Howerd, playing the replacement bus driver involved in all manner of pratfalls and goofy humour; his brand of comedy acting is well established even by this stage of his career. The film is low budget but has lots of humour and a very good supporting cast. Margaret Rutherford is the loudmouth, Terence Alexander a shady rival. Petula Clark is very young, unrecognisable in fact as the friendly but pushy stewardess. George Coulouris is another shady character, and there are bit parts for film regulars Marianne Stone and Sam Kydd.

A mix of thriller and comedy

[myriamlenys · 5/10 · 18 July 2023]

Hundreds of passengers get stranded because of a vast blanket of fog. By way of emergency measure, a relief bus number thirteen is called in in order to drive a handful of travellers to Blackbushe. The bus is about to get lost in the fog, in more ways than one...

While not wholly without merit, "The runaway bus" fails to shine. Viewed as a thriller or crime movie, "The runaway bus" invests too little time in individual characterizations or in clueing. As a result the viewer finds it difficult to try and guess the identity of the robber(s) involved. The denouement seems to fall out of the sky. In more capable hands one of the ideas - a ghost village used only for military purposes - could have generated far more suspense or eeriness.

The comedy is not consistently amusing either. Still, there are a few funny moments here and there, thanks mainly to a magisterial Margaret Rutherford. People working in the travel or the hospitality business will recognize her type of hectoring dictator.

there was a heist....right?

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 21 September 2021]

England, post war, rebuilding. It must be the brit sense of humor, calling it a runaway bus, when it spends most of the movie either traveling at one mile per hour, and just sitting on the side of the road. Similar to Quick Change, where they can't make it out of the city. Everyone fulfills their stereotype.. the pilots are hitting on the ladies, the poor, overworked bus driver (Frank Howerd) never stops grumbling and complaining. And pushy, old Miss Beeston (Ruthorford) tries to boss her way around the whole film. If you have watched her play the same personality type as Miss Marple, you'll see the humor, and why they cast her. The customer service rep has figured something out, since the driver's name doesn't match up... but what's really going on? And where did the stolen gold end up? It all has a fun sense of adventure about it, with the scary fog. Then throw in trip-wire bombs that keep going off. Written and directed by Val Guest. Won a BAFTA in 1961. Wrote many projects, directed many projects. Good one!

Pretty dire.

[diadectes58 · 5/10 · 29 October 2016]

Pretty dire but just about watchable. A rather strange film too. I kept getting the feeling that I was watching two films at the same time: one a rather dull and silly crime thriller, and the other a Carry On film that Fankie Howerd seemed to think he was in. Just watch the movie and them imagine it without Frankie Howerd. See what I mean. He does not contribute anything to the story. He does his routine and the cast just stare at him bewildered. He then shuts up and the cast pick up where they left off and get on with it. It's almost like they started making the film as a regular crime thriller but then had second thoughts, so brought Frankie Howerd in to liven things up, and quickly wrote a few gags and lines for him.

A first-class load of spooky fun

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 11 May 2007]

One of the foundation stones of conventional movie wisdom is that only seven possible story scenarios are suitable for a mass audience. Recently, screenwriter Blake Snyder has expanded this concept to ten: Monster in the House, Dude with a Problem, Fool Triumphant, Superhero, Buddy Love, Out of a Bottle, Institution, Golden Fleece, Rights-of-Passage, and Whydunit.

You'd think that Mr Snyder had taken The Runaway Bus as his model, for Val Guest was inspired to use all but one of the above basics in constructing his heavily-laced plot: Monster in the House? Yes, we do have a major variation on a haunted house sequence. Dude with a Problem? Yes, a big problem. He's lost his way in the fog with a bus-load of eccentric passengers. Fool Triumphant? I'll say! Superhero? No, I'm glad to declare, but it's the only one we miss out on. Buddy Love? Yes, there's a girl on the bus. Two girls to be precise: perky, petite-as-a-picture Petula Clark and emptyheaded-but-wow-of-a-figure Belinda Lee! Out of a Bottle? Not quite the sort of addiction that Snyder implies, but cranky-as-a-hoot-owl Margaret Rutherford certainly gives that impression. Institution? Definitely! The characters find themselves in a "prison", and even the airport itself is virtually cut off and isolated. Golden Fleece? A major strand of the plot. Rights-of-Passage? That's also what it's all about. And Whydunit is actually a Whodunit here and this is the number one element of Guest's scenario. In fact, comedy really takes a second place to the mystery.

For what is to all intents and purposes his movie debut, Frankie Howard seems most fortunate to have gained a big assist from writer/producer/director Val Guest who has surrounded him with a fine cast and great production values. Oddly, although the movie won critical praise, it did only moderately well at the British box office. For once, the critics were right, and picturegoers wrong. Howard's comic gifts are considerable and he comes across as a comedian with a genuinely original and amusing style.

Producer Guest was taking no chances, however. In addition to Frankie, he has cast Margaret Rutherford at her eccentric best, Petula Clark (no, fans, she doesn't sing in The Runaway Bus, but you can't have everything), Belinda Lee (inclined to over-enthusiastically over-act in this, her first feature film, but who's complaining?), Toke Townley (a first-class character actor who spent most of his career playing bit parts), and perennial Hollywood heavy, George Coulouris. Although he doesn't share a single scene with his wife, Margaret Rutherford's real-life husband, Stringer Davis, has a small role as an airport official and one of the funniest lines. Explaining that the emergency bus can only be used in an emergency, he's told that at the reception desk an old lady is haranguing the staff with an umbrella. I love his laconic reply: "That's an emergency!"

Producer/writer/director Guest has also hedged his bets with the screenplay itself by making the mystery and thriller angles of the story as intriguing and suspenseful as other episodes are chucklesome and amusing. The identity of the mystery "Banker" is cleverly disguised, whilst superbly film noirish photography and grand-scale art direction (that must have strained Southall's comparatively small studio space to the limit) contribute splendidly to the spooky atmosphere.

Utterly unfunny, undecided genre, very limited actor.

[claudg1950 · 4/10 · 2 February 2018]

I cannot imagine what people saw in this film. Frankie Howerd is irritating to me, not because he was more gay than Liberace (no problem there) but because the movie is not about him being gay. His character is supposed to be straight, but he was such a bad actor that he behaved all the time like a drag queen. The first few minutes of him --coming in and out of a window while complaining like Jim Parsons on steroids-- painfully last forever. Clumsy Howerd wasn't even capable to decently imitate driving; the mimic he does with the bus' steering wheel is incredibly idiotic. And throughout the film he keeps playing his one-note supposedly funny character, which manages to ruin the other film-noir plot the producers threw in. If forgiveness is granted to Howerd on the argument of his not being an actor but a comedian, then he should have been a comedian (i.e. funny). He wasn't. At some point the screen writers seem to find hilarious to make him fall in a ditch of dirty water. It is clear this type of pie-in-the-face humor is strictly for blue collar types. This is not what we foreigners have in mind when we praise British humour. Margaret Rutherford adds another insufferably rude character to the screen. The sole redeeming factor here is the beauty of an unrecognizable young Petula Clark as the stewardess, and Belinda Lee's sex appeal. Regrettably not reasons enough to like the film.

Too funny; ved-dy excellent British comedy

[richard.fuller1 · 24 July 2001]

Full of stodgy British laughs from almost fifty years ago, this movie was excellent to watch when there was nothing else to do. See an incredibly young Petula Clark (it took me a while to recognize her), Margaret Rutherford as the stereotypical English grandmother complete with fox fur and parasol, but especially the laughs are had by Frankie Howard, virtually unknown to American audiences. As the bus driver of a bus with about a half dozen passengers who are stranded in one of hte legendary London fogs, Howard gets the best laughs just trying to find the bus in the fog to begin with. The movie does valley out but it is interesting to watch to the end. Petula does not sing tho. This was a fun movie, if for nothing else then to see an aged, non-HOllywood film with non-Hollywood actors.

runaway bus

[mossgrymk · 5/10 · 2 November 2020]

Maybe you have to be British and I'm not but my opinion of the comedic talents of Frankie Howerd lies somewhat to the south of Jerry Lewis. Give it a C.

Painfully unfunny and foolish British comedy...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 11 May 2009]

If the sight of MARGARET RUTHERFORD poking everyone around with her umbrella and making an overbearing nuisance of herself is your idea of a fun comedy, THE RUNAWAY BUS is your ticket.

A British comedian by the name of FRANKIE HOWARD mugs his way through most of the broad comedy which involves a group of passengers stuck in the London fog at an airport where nothing is functioning. He's the bus driver who gets them away from the airport in heavy fog. The plot gets thicker when some gold bullion is stowed aboard the bus along with a bunch of odd passengers. PETULA CLARK, in a non-singing role is a perky airlines clerk. GEORGE COULOURIS adds a bit of menace as a mysterious man.

The absurd ending is completely incredible. Typical British misfire with its humor only engaging enough in uneven stretches of comedy.

An easy one to skip, even if you're a Margaret Rutherford fan. Definitely not a comedy for all tastes.

Excellent Black & White - Murder/Comedy/Horror

[chris_hardisty · 10/10 · 5 April 2007]

This film is a must see for any fan of the following movies: The Cat And The Canary (Bob Hope), Any Agatha Christie Movie (Margaret Rutherford ONLY!), Ask A Policeman (Will Hay, Harbottle & Albert), OH! Mr Porter (Will Hay, Harbottle & Albert) or What A Carve Up! (Sid Jmes & Kenneth Moore), The House In Nightmare Park (Frankie Howard). Brilliantly shot movie, fog rolls in and creates a real feeling of horror. Add to this brilliant performances by Frankie (Very Young) and Margaret Rutherford. Watch this film in bed when it's dark outside! Subsitute bus driver (Howard) takes a group of passengers from the airport (where its very foggy) to another destination. Once the bus sets off we hear news of a robbery (done by THE BANKER) bars of gold bullion have been stolen and the other place the police think the gold could be is in the boot of the RUNAWAY BUS. Frankie loses his way the thick fog and soon the RUNAWAY BUS is in the middle of nowhere! The small number of passengers are all behaving very odd for various reasons but is one of them THE BANKER? Brilliant, who done it?

Blurry picture & low volume sound

[deexsocalygal · 5/10 · 19 August 2020]

I would have given a higher rating if the sound & picture quality were better because this is really a very funny enjoyable movie. I think most people will like it if they can get around the poor quality.

Fun movie

[Eighty-Days · 10/10 · 3 September 2007]

I taped this probably about 15 years or so ago, and I enjoyed it very much then. A young Frankie Howerd is hilarious, as is the interplay between Margaret Rutherford and Toke Townley. The young female airhead who keeps saying stupid things gets a bit annoying very quickly, but that's the only drawback. I must confess I have never recognized Petula Clark as the stewardess - she's a relatively good actress whatever else she is. And its so nostalgic that it all takes place in a fog...it's been so long that I've been in England that I miss it! It's an enjoyable film and I recommend it to anyone who likes mystery stories or British comedy.

The caper culprit in this comedy is foggy right up to the end

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 25 July 2020]

There's one thing that will keep this mid-20th century comedy from ever being outdated - London's fog. The Heathrow haze in this film is thicker than pea soup, and will be familiar to all Londoners, most Brits and many tourists who have traveled to or through London. Indeed, the fog itself has a major role in "The Runaway Bus."

This British comedy-caper is a delightful film to watch, with the fog helping to compound the suspense. It's not a laugh-a-minute script, but just a very good mix of dialog, antics and filming. The mystery is too good to give any hints that might dampen the delightful surprise ending. The caper culprit had me stumped all the way.

The cast is perfect for this film. There are only a couple of big names that would be known around the cinematic globe in the mid-20th century - Petula Clark and Margaret Rutherford. The rest of the cast would have been unknown to all but the English audiences of the day. But Frankie Howard as Percy Lamb, George Coulouris as Edward Schroeder, Terence Alexander as Peter Jones and all the rest give top notch performances.

Petula Clark provides a sense of order as a stewardess charged with getting some airline passengers to another airport. Her Lee Nicholls is a contrast with the hapless Percy Lamb who is the emergency relief bus driver. Rutherford's Miss Cynthia Beeston is a familiar cantankerous dowager role.

The title of this film is odd, because the bus is never driven wildly or out of control, as the term "runaway" implies. It would be more accurate to call it a lost bus. Movie buffs who like older movies, British films, and comedy capers should enjoy this film.

Here are a couple of favorite lines.

Percy Lamb, "This would have to happen now, just when I wanted a day off. My grandmother, poor old soul." Duty Officer, "Is she dead?" Percy Lamb, "No, she's home on leave."

Lee Nichols, "I'm sure we all feel safer knowing we're who we say we are."

Clever comedy/thriller

[saints-47173 · 8/10 · 8 July 2018]

Must watch again to get all the intricacies of this very clever comedy/thriller, saved from being dull by Frankie Howerd's unique persona. Must see more Val Guest films!

Don't call me madam!

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 20 December 2023]

The repeated demand by the not quite loveable (here) Margaret Rutherford is very funny as she reminds everybody that she's a single girl. Incorrectly put on a planecl to London rather than to her destination of Dover, she's not in a great mood to begin with when air hostess Petula Clark (whom you won't even recognize as the singer of "Downtown", let alone the daughter of Fred Astaire in "Finian's Rainbow") notifies her and other passengers on the bus they end up on of a delay because of fog. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, they deal with the possibility of crooks being nearby.

Starring Frankie Howerd as the not quite capable bus driver, and featuring veteran character actor George Coulouris and a young Belinda Lee, this mix of suspense and comedy is quite good, low budget but definitely well written and acted. Rutherford, who usually played dotty old ladies who were well mannered and kooky, is deliciously unpleasant here, showing her range. Howerd plays his role as if he was channeling Edward Everett Horton, sharp tongued but not sharp witted. Lots of surprises and shocking twists, adding to the feeling that this bus is riding on rollercoaster tracks.