Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines -or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKen Annakin
Written byKen Annakin
Jack Davies
Produced byStan Margulies
StarringStuart Whitman
Sarah Miles
Terry-Thomas
Robert Morley
James Fox
Red Skelton
Benny Hill
Jean-Pierre Cassel
Gert Fröbe
Alberto Sordi
CinematographyChristopher Challis
Edited byGordon Stone
Anne V. Coates
Music byRon Goodwin
Production
company
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • 16 June 1965 (1965-06-16)
Running time
138 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom[1]
LanguagesEnglish
Italian
German
French
Budget$6.5 million[2]
Box office$31 million[3]

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes is a 1965 British epic period comedy film that satirises the early years of aviation. Directed and co-written by Ken Annakin, the film stars an international ensemble cast, including Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, Robert Morley, Terry-Thomas, James Fox, Red Skelton, Benny Hill, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Gert Fröbe and Alberto Sordi.[4]

Set in the year 1910, the film follows a fictitious air race from London to Paris, with a £10,000 (equivalent to £1,300,000 in 2023[5]) prize, intended to prove that Britain is "number one in the air".[6] The film is noted for its spectacular flying scenes, featuring dozens of period accurate, life-size working aeroplanes.[7] It was shot in 65mm Todd-AO by cinematographer Christopher Challis, and features a film score composed by Ron Goodwin.

Released in the United Kingdom by 20th Century Fox on 16 June 1965, the film was both a widespread critical and commercial success. It was nominated for three BAFTA Awards, winning for Best British Costume Design – Colour, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The film also received three Golden Globe Award nomination, including for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

  1. ^ a b "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965)". BFI Film Forever. Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. ^ Solomon (1989), p. 254.
  3. ^ "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Box Office Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  5. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Review: 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines'". Britmovie.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference brook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).