Up the Front 1972

During the First World War, Lurk, [Frankie Howerd], a lowly servant in the household of Lord William Mervyn and Lady Linda Gray Twithampton, is hypnotised by The Great Vincento, [Stanley Holloway], and travels to the Western Front to “save England.” Lurk is inspired to bravery, and upon receiving the German master plan for the entire war, which has through an unlikely series of events been tattooed onto his posterior, he becomes a hidden beacon of courage, pursued across France by German intelligence.

After breaking into the British military headquarters to deliver the plans into the hands of General Burke, he is confronted by Mata Hari, [Zsa Zsa Gabor]. In a dizzying turn of events, Mata Hari’s schemes are foiled, and a comic confrontation ensues as Lurk is drawn into a perilous chase. A wild chase scene unfolds in which he is pursued by the nefarious Von Gutz, [Lance Percival], and his henchmen Donner and Blitzen, weaving between corridors and stairwells in a blend of slapstick and suspense. The action swirls around the Allied headquarters as Lurk navigates a series of dizzying escapades, including a lively Can-Can performed by the Famous Buttercup Girls, a spectacle that heightens the chaos and laughter while keeping the mission in sharp focus.

Gradually, the stakes tighten as Lurk, aided by luck and wit, makes a daring move that culminates in presenting the plans to General Burke, though not before a moment of levity and danger that tests his nerve. The moment of triumph arrives when the mission is completed and the information is safely delivered into the hands of British intelligence, securing a medal of honour and a promotion for Lurk, a recognition that seals his transformation from a humble servant to a folk-hero figure.

With the war plan secured, Lurk turns his attention to personal happiness, winning the love of his beloved Fanny, [Madeline Smith], and fending off the wicked Sgt. Major Groping, [Bill Fraser], whose scheming had threatened the mission from the start. This unlikely tale blends humor, theatrical bravado, and wartime intrigue, tracing Lurk’s improbable ascent from subservient duty to courageous action, as he threads through deception, espionage, and romance to emerge as a decorated ally of Britain.