There's one thing that will keep this mid-20th century comedy from ever being outdated - London's fog.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."
