British Comedy Guide
Private's Progress. Pte. Stanley Windrush (Ian Carmichael). Copyright: Charter Film Productions
Private's Progress

Private's Progress

  • 1956 film

Film starring Ian Carmichael as a young undergraduate who is conscripted into the British Army. Also features Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, Terry-Thomas, Peter Jones, William Hartnell and more.

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Private's Progress. Image shows from L to R: Pte. Stanley Windrush (Ian Carmichael), Major Hitchcock (Terry-Thomas). Copyright: Charter Film Productions

Key details

Genre
Film
Released
1956
Stars
Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, Terry-Thomas, Ian Carmichael, Peter Jones, William Hartnell, Thorley Walters, Jill Adams and more
Writers
Alan Hackney, Frank Harvey and John Boulting
Director
John Boulting
Producer
Roy Boulting
Company

It's 1942 and in the middle of his studies, Stanley Windrush is called up to join the forces. Of a respectable family, he's naturally assumed to be Officer material, but quickly proves to be a particularly feckless new recruit and soon flunks out of the officer training course and is stationed as a regular Private at a quiet camp where he can be of no bother.

There, Windrush befriends a fellow Private, crafty layabout Cox. It's not long before the pair are drafted into a division under the command of Brigadier Tracepurcel, Stanley's uncle, who's planning a daring raid far behind enemy lines to liberate a hoard of precious works of art and treasures that've been confiscated by the Nazis.

Additional details

UK certificate
U
Duration
106 minutes
Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Black and white
Soundtrack
Music composed and directed by John Addison and played by the Sinfonia of London.

Website links

Broadcast details

Most recent repeats
  • Monday 25th October 2021 at 3:00pm on TPTV
  • Friday 9th July 2021 at 6:00am on TPTV
  • Thursday 26th November 2020 at 2:30pm on TPTV

Recording details

  • Shepperton Studios

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