Tuesday 28 April 2020

School for Scoundrels (1960 Robert Hamer)

"Oh - hard cheese." It's always an enjoyable hour and a half.

Ian Carmichael had spent quite a stretch on TV before getting any interest, since 1947. Terry-Thomas had an even longer slog, since the thirties, his first film of note Private's Progress in 1956. Hamer's drinking ended his film career here (though clashes with producer Hal Chester didn't sound like they helped) - he was dead within three years. Chester and Patricia Moyes are credited with adapting Stephen Potter's 'Oneupmanship' books but didn't - see earlier review.

Janette Scott, Alistair Sim, Dennis Price, Peter Jones, Edward Chapman, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier.

Erwin Hillier shot it. The Quiller Memorandum was one of his later notables. John Addison wrote the rowdy score.


Love the initial meeting between Sim and Carmichael in which the former constantly one-ups him, firstly in use of surname / 'Mister', then in not returning the pen...

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