Private's Progress 1956
6.4 / 10
Private's Progress
Stanley Windrush has to interrupt his university education when he is called up towards the end of the war. He quickly proves himself not to be officer material, but befriends wily Private Percival Cox who knows exactly how all the scams work in the confused world of the British Army. And Stanley's brigadier War Office uncle seems to be up to something more than a bit shady too - and they are both soon working for him, behind the enemy lines.
Stanley Windrush has to interrupt his university education when he is called up towards the end of the war. He quickly proves himself not to be officer material, but befriends wily Private Percival Cox who knows exactly how all the scams work in the confused world of the British Army. And Stanley's brigadier War Office uncle seems to be up to something more than a bit shady too - and they are both soon working for him, behind the enemy lines.
Videos & Photos
All 0 Videos & 4 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Pte. Stanley Windrush
... Pvt. Percival Henry Cox
... Major Hitchcock
... Psychiatrist
... Sgt. Sutton
... Brig. Bertram Tracepurcel
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
What a shower you really are. Upper class toff Stanley Windrush gets called to join the Army half way thru his university eduction, keen he may be, but he really is a fish out of water. Brought to us from the greatly talented Boulting brothers, is this most adored of British comedies. It's fish out of water plot has been {and will forever be} done to death, but driving this one on is the sly digs at the British class system so evident in the Armed forces from yore. Windrush can't cut it as the officer his standing suggests he should be, so he is promptly sent down amongst the working class, and it's here that the film appeals mainly on the comedy front. Windrush is in with a group of dodgers and bluffers, the army has taken them in, but they are going to take what they can from the army in the process, legal or not! Yet it's here that Windrush learns the most about affinity, friendships and trust, where the classes being broken down provides scope for real good comedy, to which the meeting of the different classes works so well as the makers keenly prod the inside of the cheek with a sharp tongue. Ian Carmichael is not the most gifted actor to have strode out for Britain, but in the right comedy role he could excel, such is the case here as he delivers the goods as the hapless Windrush. Across the cast list we have got Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, William Hartnell, Ian Bannen and the sublime Terry-Thomas, all names that are familiar with British movie fans from the black and white period. Private's Progress is a very British picture, the humour isn't of the sledge-hammer kind, it's very subtle and very knowing. But it's a film that I'm sure will go down well with anyone who is willing to invest some good, right frame of mind, time with it. Not quite the shower Terry-Thomas would have us believe actually. 7/10
Release Date:
Feb 17, 1956 (United Kingdom)
Run Time:
1hr 37`
MMPA Rating:
NR
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United Kingdom
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Private's Progress
What a shower you really are. Upper class toff Stanley Windrush gets called to join the Army half way thru his university eduction, keen he may be, but he really is a fish out of water. Brought to us from the greatly talented Boulting brothers, is this most adored of British comedies. It's fish out of water plot has been {and will forever be} done to death, but driving this one on is the sly digs at the British class system so evident in the Armed forces from yore. Windrush can't cut it as the officer his standing suggests he should be, so he is promptly sent down amongst the working class, and it's here that the film appeals mainly on the comedy front. Windrush is in with a group of dodgers and bluffers, the army has taken them in, but they are going to take what they can from the army in the process, legal or not! Yet it's here that Windrush learns the most about affinity, friendships and trust, where the classes being broken down provides scope for real good comedy, to which the meeting of the different classes works so well as the makers keenly prod the inside of the cheek with a sharp tongue. Ian Carmichael is not the most gifted actor to have strode out for Britain, but in the right comedy role he could excel, such is the case here as he delivers the goods as the hapless Windrush. Across the cast list we have got Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, William Hartnell, Ian Bannen and the sublime Terry-Thomas, all names that are familiar with British movie fans from the black and white period. Private's Progress is a very British picture, the humour isn't of the sledge-hammer kind, it's very subtle and very knowing. But it's a film that I'm sure will go down well with anyone who is willing to invest some good, right frame of mind, time with it. Not quite the shower Terry-Thomas would have us believe actually. 7/10
Cast & Crew of
Private's Progress
Directors & Credit Writers
Cast
... Pte. Stanley Windrush
... Pvt. Percival Henry Cox
... Major Hitchcock
... Psychiatrist
... Sgt. Sutton
... Brig. Bertram Tracepurcel
... Private Horrocks
... Arthur Egan
... Major Schultz
... Mr. Windrush Sr.
... Prudence Greenslade
... Private George Blake
... Private Dai Jones
... Padre
... Miss Sugden
... Doctor at Medical
... Mr. Spottiswood
SM
Sally Miles... Catherine
... Gerald
... Pat
Produced By
Videos & Photos of
Private's Progress
Photos ( 4 )
Related Movies To
Private's Progress
Heads of State (2025)
0 /10
The UK Prime Minister and US President have a public rivalry that risks their countries' alliance. But when they become targets of a powerful enemy, they're forced to rely on each other as they go on a wild, multinational run. Allied with Noel, a brilliant MI6 agent, they must find a way to thwart a conspiracy that threatens the free world.
Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 02 Jul 2025
Director: Jo Beckett , Ben Howard , Matthew Sharp
Producer: André Nemec , Max Jacoby , John Cena
Stars: Idris Elba , John Cena , Priyanka Chopra Jonas , Paddy Considine , Stephen Root , Carla Gugino
Lilo & Stitch (2025)
0 /10
The wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.
Run Time: 1hr 48` . MMPA: PG . Release: 17 May 2025
Director: Kate Pulley , Richard Oswald , Brian Avery Galligan
Producer: Sande Alessi , Spencer Turley , Tom C. Peitzman
Stars: Chris Sanders , Maia Kealoha , Zach Galifianakis , Billy Magnussen , Sydney Agudong , Courtney B. Vance
Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025)
0 /10
Dora, Diego, and their new friends trek through the perilous dangers of the Amazonian jungle in search of the ancient and powerful treasure of Sol Dorado to keep it out of enemy hands.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG . Release: 02 Jul 2025
Director: Alberto Belli
Producer:
Stars: Samantha Lorraine , Jacob Rodriguez , Mariana Garzón Toro , Christian Gnecco Quintero , Tiago Martinez , Daniella Pineda
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
0 /10
When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG . Release: 20 Jun 2025
Director: Elizabeth Schantz , Maggie Kang , Sean Tadlock
Producer: Julia Kim , Agnes Jungah Lee , Alex Baskin
Stars: Arden Cho , Rolando Davila-Beltran , May Hong , Ji-young Yoo , Ahn Hyo-seop , Yunjin Kim
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
0 /10
Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve.
Run Time: 1hr 41` . MMPA: PG . Release: 31 Mar 2025
Director: Maddy Powell , Laura Hutton , Sophie Calver
Producer: Lydia Winters , Jaclyn Willens , Andrew Lary
Stars: Jack Black , Jason Momoa , Matt Berry , Pauline Chalamet , Jennifer Coolidge , Danielle Brooks
Long Distance (2024)
0 /10
After crash-landing on an alien planet, an asteroid miner must contend with the challenges of his new surroundings, while making his way across the harsh terrain to the only other survivor – a woman who is trapped in her escape pod.
Run Time: 1hr 27` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 12 Jul 2024
Director: Will Speck , Cliff Lanning , Josh Gordon
Producer: Kevin Vafi , Fred Berger , Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
Stars: Anthony Ramos , Naomi Scott , Kristofer Hivju , Zachary Quinto , Izzy Jones , Leon Nurse-Joseph
Baby Blue (2023)
5 /10
A group of teens stumble across the story of now dead serial killer Baby Blue and decide he'd be the perfect subject of a true crime vodcast. But when they start digging, they quickly discover that his murder spree never stopped. Now they are being targeted from beyond the grave.
Run Time: 1hr 30` . MMPA: . Release: 16 Apr 2023
Director: Adam Mason
Producer: Bradley Pilz , Johannes Roberts
Stars: Dylan Sprayberry , Lia McHugh , Anthony Turpel , Aramis Knight , Alexia Ioannides , Oliver Cooper
Open (2025)
0 /10
The perfect summer turns into a blood-soaked nightmare as counselors at an isolated camp are hunted by a killer and the truth behind the murders is darker than anyone imagined. If the killer doesn't get you, the drama definitely will.
Run Time: 1hr 4` . MMPA: . Release: 14 Jun 2025
Director: David Saban
Producer: Eliot Schuler
Stars: Kayla Decilio , Ethan Michaels , Dimitry Bilanicz , Kylie Rose Collins , Marlee Lewis , Mike Lavit
Moana 2 (2024)
0 /10
After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys alongside Maui and a new crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced.
Run Time: 1hr 40` . MMPA: PG . Release: 21 Nov 2024
Director: Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller , David G. Derrick Jr.
Producer: Jared Bush , Christina Chen , Jennifer Lee
Stars: Auli'i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Temuera Morrison , Rachel House , Nicole Scherzinger
Jack in Time for Christmas (2024)
0 /10
Christmas is approaching and Jack Whitehall is racing to get home in time to spend it with his family. Stranded on the other side of the world, he enlists the help of some famous faces and embarks on a far-fetched quest across the globe. His cast of celebrity do-gooders includes Jimmy Fallon, Dave Bautista, Rebel Wilson, Tom Davis, and Michael Bublé. But will they get him back in time for Christmas?
Run Time: 1hr 5` . MMPA: . Release: 02 Dec 2024
Director: Phil Ashton
Producer: Richard Ackerman
Stars: Jack Whitehall , Michael Bublé , Dave Bautista , Rebel Wilson , Jimmy Fallon , Daisy May Cooper
Deep Cover (2025)
0 /10
Kat is an improv comedy teacher beginning to question if she’s missed her shot at success. When an undercover cop offers her the role of a lifetime, she recruits two of her students to infiltrate London’s gangland by impersonating dangerous criminals.
Run Time: 1hr 39` . MMPA: R . Release: 12 Jun 2025
Director: Kelly Maracin Krieg , Tom Kingsley
Producer: Tim Dennison , Annys Hamilton , Laurie MacDonald
Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard , Orlando Bloom , Sean Bean , Paddy Considine , Ian McShane , Nick Mohammed
Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation (2024)
0 /10
When thrill-seeker Cricket tricks his family into taking a "road trip" in space, chaos in the cosmos quickly ensues. Despite growing frustrations between Cricket and his dad, Bill, the two must learn to appreciate each other's unique perspectives in order to prevent Big City from being destroyed by an interstellar disaster.
Run Time: 1hr 22` . MMPA: PG . Release: 06 Jun 2024
Director: Anna O'Brian
Producer: Mike Coughlin , Michael Coughlin , Abigail Swoap
Stars: Chris Houghton , Artemis Pebdani , Marieve Herington , Bob Joles , Wendi McLendon-Covey , Zeno Robinson