delightful . it never pretend to be a masterpiece and but it a mini gem of late seventy british comedy . give that the producer want to sell it abroad and it star an american ( the late character actor richard jordan ) and but at least he isn not the usual dull hollywood hunk type . surround him be the cream of british character act talent and lead by a wonderfully waspish and superior david niven . niven ivan the terrible naturally get the best one liner and all the best reaction shot . he also manage to be surprisingly menace and intimidatingly dangerous . the moment in the snooker club when he drop the charming facade and threaten richard jordan will come a a shock to those viewer who think of niven a be only a light draw room comedy star . he be fill with genuine power and ruthlessness a we see all at once how ivan earn his nickname . all the more surprising give how ill niven be at the time . shortly after film this production he lose his power of speech to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( know a lou gehrig disease ) . this be the last picture niven make where you can hear his own voice and be dub thereafter by the comic impressionist sid caesar . alongside him you can spot numerous familiar face from seventy cinema and television . elke sommer ( flash her breast in true seventy era politically incorrect bimbo mode ) and oliver tobias and michael angelis and brian croucher and davy kaye etc and etc . davy kaye get one of the big laugh a he hold up a security guard catch make a phone call . who you ring . bloody dial a disc . you gormless git . great shot of london street location while make the film a period patina time capsule of red phone box with chunky round dial manual handset and black cab drive by cor blimey and gov . cockney and and lady and gent model all manner of deeply dodgy late seventy retro leisure wear and hair style . unlike the classic ealing comedy of an early era and the hero be allow to get away with his crime and escape to a life in the sun . how time have change . the morality code by which crook in film always have to be see to be punish have long go by the seventy and with anti hero like pinky green earning status through their cheeky anti authoritarianism and determination to cock a snook at a stuffy capitalist establishment of be suit fat cat businessmen . we be encourage to cheer a pinky make off and unpunished and free a a bird with his ill gotten gain . compare that to the end of the lavender hill mob . highly entertaining and quaintly date in it fashion and attitude and and the stuff of late night cult view . perfect to watch at midnight after the pub have shut while if youre of a certain age and be feel a touch nostalgic and and have always want to see david niven in a branch of mcdonalds and silently intimidate an american via the use of a retractable telescope .