The Big Job
The Big Job
| 01 January 1965 (USA)
The Big Job Trailers

A gang of hapless crooks, led by Sidney James, successfully perpetrate a robbery only to be caught after the fact. Fifteen years later they emerge from prison intent on retrieving their stolen loot - and discover a police station has been built over its hiding place.

Reviews
ChicDragon

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

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Joanna Mccarty

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

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Bea Swanson

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

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Ella-May O'Brien

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

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Leofwine_draca

When is a Carry On film not a Carry On film? The answer is when it's THE BIG JOB, a fun, lighthearted CARRY ON movie in all but name, sharing the same major cast members, writer, producer, and director as the CARRY ONs. It's a film made in the same spirit too, with lots of humorous moments between the sexes mixed in with slapstick jokes and some old dependables giving solid performances as ever.The opening robbery scene is my favourite part of the film and after that it turns into a loose remake of A FIRE HAS BEEN ARRANGED, where a criminal gang are imprisoned but not before stashing their loot in an old tree. They're released fifteen years later only to discover that the tree now stands in the yard of a newly-built police station, so the rest of the film chronicles their efforts to retrieve it.THE BIG JOB suffers a little from a drawn-out narrative which sees some of the situations feeling rather aimless and unfocused; it's certainly not the finest comedy out there and it doesn't have the finesse of one of the best of the CARRY ONs. However, there's a lot to love. Sid James is on top form as the lead and gets plenty of laughs as the running time goes on. Lance Percival and Dick Emery are equally fun as his companions, and Sylvia Sims makes for an arresting presence as the female of the group. Later, the foursome are joined by the likes of a scatty Jim Dale playing a policeman, Joan Sims as the owner of a boarding house, and the incredibly beautiful Edina Ronay as her daughter.The best part of the film, aside from the hilarious opening sequence, is the climax, in which the criminals decide to dig a tunnel under the road to get to the tree. The gags with the spare earth which spoof all those prisoner of war films are simply delightful and constantly hilarious. There's not one but two strong twist endings as well, so it's just that slightly stodgy mid section that slows this down a bit. Not a lot though; CARRY ON fans will be in their element with THE BIG JOB, which feels like a forgotten instalment in the long-running series.

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pbbuffyhugs

Totally agree with all other reviewers of this brilliant film that it's a Carry On film in everything but name. Made between the filming of Carry On Cleo and Cowboy and starring the usual batch of actors at the time there's probably 2 reasons why this wasn't given the 'Carry On' title - 1 it's in black and white, the carry on series had by now already moved and would stay in colour and 2 - what could it have been called? Carry on Criminal/ Thieving/ Stealing all send out a message that crime is fun so are probably unsuitable, 'Carry on the Big Job' doesn't really work so maybe that's why it's not included in the series proper but let's face it this IS pure Carry On and a fantastic addition to the films the team were making at the time and easily the funniest non Carry On title made by Gerald Thomas and Peter Rogers. I have all the carry on films (and this on DVD) and every year or so I watch them in order and I always include this between Cleo and Cowboy, as far as I'm concerned there were 32 Carry On films - Don't Lose Your Head and Follow That Camel were quickly re-released with the Carry On prefix - although that was just because of a change of distributer, it's a shame this wasn't added because it sits perfectly into the series. Chances are everyone involved treated this as a continuation of the series anyway. A very funny film.

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david-697

Based around the old chestnut of having crooks rob a bank, bury the loot but later find that that the area has been built upon, this is a fun mid-sixties comedy. Not quite a 'Carry On' (it's not as funny, for a start), it does share much of that series style (as well as sharing the production team, writer and three of its stars).Sid James is, well, Sid James in this. A bit muted perhaps, but it's always nice to see him. He is backed expertly by the likes of Dick Emery and Lance Percival, a fine pair of comedians who seldom were seen on the big screen. The big revelation (for me at least) is Sylvia Syms splendid comic performance. Syms is best known for her serious dramatic roles in the likes of 'Victim' or 'Ice Cold In Alex' and it is a pleasant surprise to see her in a comedy.'The Big Job' has its problems, the plot as mentioned above, was hardly original and plans for this movie began in the late fifties. Quite a few writers had a bash at the script (including Spike Milligan) and the final script, by Talbot Rothwell, while fair, was far from the comic masterpieces he was coming up with for the 'Carry On' series proper.If 'The Big Job' isn't a comedy classic, it is an entertaining little movie, well worth catching on one of its many television re-runs.

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legindyoll

This film is made in the great tradition that is `Carry On`. The music shouts Carry On, as do the actors. maybe the movie could have been subtitled `Carry on Nicking`. Sid James as the centre for this production shows the Blueprint for his many performances as what was basically the same character throughout the Carry On series of movies whether it be Henry VIII or Sidney Bliss.

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