Film Review
School for Scoundrels is a classic
British film comedy which brings together three of the best-loved comic
actors of the period: Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Alastair
Sim. It was based on Stephen Potter's popular upmanship books, which taught a
generation of readers how to win without actually cheating
(possibly explaining the sudden decline in moral standards in
Britain in the 1950s).
Although Carmichael gets most of the screen-time and Sim is
criminally underused, Terry-Thomas is a delight in the role for which
he is best remembered, the deliciously villainous upper-crust
cad.
The ample supporting cast includes some notable British performers in
small but beautifully formed cameo roles; these include including Irene
Handl, John Le Mesurier, Hattie Jacques, Hugh Paddick, Peter Jones and
Edward Chapman, all excellent. The plodding and predictable
narrative is enlivened by some memorable set-pieces, which include the
hilarious tennis sequence in which Terry-Thomas (at his absolute best)
is driven to exasperation by an even bigger bounder.
School for Scoundrels was the
last film to be directed by Robert Hamer, one of the great and sadly
underrated talents of British cinema. It was Hamer who helmed the
all-time classics
It Always Rains on Sunday
(1947) and
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
and would doubtless have achieved even greater successes had he not
been afflicted with personal crises that drove him to excessive
drinking. It was whilst making
School
for Scoundrels that Hamer hit the bottle and was sacked by his
producer. He would never make another film and died from
pneumonia three years later, aged 52, a great loss to an industry that
badly needed his talents.
© James Travers 2009
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Robert Hamer film:
San Demetrio London (1943)
Film Synopsis
Tired of being put down by others, mild-mannered and thoroughly decent
Henry Palfrey decides to enrol at Mr Potter's School for
Lifemanship. Here, Henry learns how to turn every situation in
life to his advantage, whether it be winning a game of tennis, dealing
with his employees or luring the girl of his dreams away from the
clutches of his rival. When he graduates with flying colours,
Henry wastes no time putting into practice everything that he has
learned. But he soon discovers that low cunning has its
limitations...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.