The Comedy Man is a 1964 British drama film directed by Alvin Rakoff and starring Kenneth More, Cecil Parker, Dennis Price and Billie Whitelaw. It depicts the life of a struggling actor in Swinging London.
More later said that when he read the script he "was profoundly struck by its relevance to my own life, and to the lives of so many actors I had known." However it received limited distribution, being released on a double bill with Lord of the Flies (1963).
Video The Comedy Man
Plot
Sacked from his job in provincial rep, actor Chick Byrd moves into digs in London with Julian, a fellow actor. Julian's career soars after a successful screen test, but Chick's meets with continued failure. Mobilised into action by the suicide of a friend, Chick auditions for a TV commercial and finally finds fame. Confident of his talents for the first time, but fearing he may have sold out, Chick leaves London to return to rep.
Maps The Comedy Man
Cast
- Kenneth More - Chick Byrd
- Cecil Parker - Thomas Rutherford
- Dennis Price - Tommy Morris
- Billie Whitelaw - Judy
- Norman Rossington - Theodore Littleton
- Angela Douglas - Fay Trubshaw
- Edmund Purdom - Julian Baxter
- Frank Finlay - Prout
- Alan Dobie - Jack Lavery
- J.G. Devlin - Sloppitt
- Valerie Croft - Yvonne
- Leila Croft - Pauline
- Gerald Campion - Gerry
- Jacqueline Hill - Sandy Lavery
- Harold Goodwin - Assistant director
- Penny Morrell - Actress
- Naomi Chance - Bit part
- Guy Deghy - Schuyster
- Derek Francis - Merryweather
- Myrtle Reed - Tommy's secretary
- Edwin Richfield - Commercial director
- Gordon Rollings - Skippy
- Eileen Way - Landlady
- Freddie Mills - Indian Chief
- Frank Thornton - Producer
- John Horsley - Co-pilot
- Wally Patch - Bar manager
- Talitha Pol - Actress at Party
- Hamilton Dyce - Burial minister
- Anthony Blackshaw - Bus conductor
- Richard Pearson - Advertising Man
- Maurice Durant - Barman
- Ronald Lacey - Assistant Director
- Chubby Checker - himself
- Jill Adams - Jan Kennedy
- Robert Raglan - Minor role
Critical reception
Radio Times wrote, "written by Peter Yeldham with a nice balance between irony and drama, and directed by Alvin Rakoff with an accurate eye for the dingy environments and brave bonhomie of unemployed actors, this modest British film boasts a superior cast" ; while Allmovie wrote, "matching More's terrific starring performance are such British "regulars" as Dennis Price, Billie Whitelaw, Cecil Parker, Norm Rossington, and Frank Finlay" ; and the Sunday Mirror noted, "Kenneth More in the greatest performance of his career. Brilliantly directed."
References
External links
- The Comedy Man on IMDb
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments