Tuesday, March 12, 2019

School for Scoundrels 1960


     This film is based on the Stephen Potter books One Upmanship and Lifemanship.  Henry Palfrey tries hard to impress but he always loses out to his boss or the rotter Raymond Delauney.  He discovers the Lifeman College run by Professor Potter.  He learns the secrets to success.  Does he have the courage to put all his lessons into action?
     Henry meets April Smith but Raymond Delauney muscles in and he’s trying to win April for himself.  Raymond has a very nice and speedy car.  Henry goes to buy a car and he’s cheated into buying a worthless car with a LOT of problems.  It’s because of these incidences that Henry decides to get a backbone by going to the College!!  There are a LOT of funny scenes in this film!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie) 

94 min, Comedy directed by Robert Hamer, Hal E. Chester and Cyril Frankel with Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, Alastair Sim, Janette Scott, Dennis Price, Peter Jones, Edward Chapman, John Le Mesurier, Iren Handl, Kynaston Reeves, Hattie Jacques, Hugh Paddick, Barbara Roscoe.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, Metacritic 44 out of 100 with 28 critics 8 out of 10 with 76 reviews, 71% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 177 reviews,
Book Reviews:  One-Upmanship 5* with 4 reviews,  Lifemanship 5* with 1 review.
Special Note:  Filmed in Hendon, Temple, Lambeth, London and Hertfordshire, Middlesex, England, UK.  This is the first screenplay written by Peter Ustinov and originally he was chosen for Dennis Price’s role as Dunstan Dorchester.  The two used car salesmen were based on characters from a BBC radio comedy series.  The In All Directions program was broadcast during the 1950’s.  The tennis club featured here later appears as The Elizabethan Hotel in the Avengers episode Wish You Were Here of December 2, 1969.  Miss Scott was 22 years old, Ian Carmichael was 40 and Terry Thomas was 49.  The age differences were important in real life but totally ignored for the film Industry.  The Aston Martin DB3S Bellini is listed as one of the top 10 British cars in films.    

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