A gallant but doomed attempt by director Peter Bogdanovich to film an unfilmable stage farce about a group of ham actors trying to put on a new British stage farce along traditional, trouser-dropping lines.

Half a dozen irresistibly funny moments burst through the tedium of the rest, and remind you how hilarious the original must have been.

Michael Caine and a distinguished company give frantic endeavour in their efforts to raise the few laughs going up to hysteria pitch.

It certainly is fast but not, alas, too funny.