STUDIOCANAL continue their series of restored and re-mastered Blu-ray/4K releases with a collection of Peter Sellers films from an 8-year period in his career from 1955’s The Ladykillers, The Smallest Show On Earth (1957) Carlton-Browne Of The F.O. (1959), I’m All Right Jack (1959), Two-Way Stretch (1960), Only Two Can Play (1962), The Wrong Arm Of The Law (1963), through to Heavens Above! (1963).
Peter Sellers may be best remembered for his global success in massive box office hits like the Blake Edwards’ Pink Panther series, where he played the clumsy Inspector Clouseau with the OTT French accent, or as Chauncy Gardener in his final role, Being There (1979, the year before he died), but in the years before his lauded turn as three separate characters in Stanley Kubrick’s film Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Sellers was honing his skills as a chameleon actor in a string of roles that this boxed set celebrates. Over the course of the eight films, you see Sellers’ innate ability to inhabit characters that are all distinctly different. In the earlier films he has more of a supporting role, but even with limited screentime he still shines. Then, film by film his characters become central to the plot. Such is his ability to transform himself that one of the earliest films in the set, The Smallest Show On Earth from 1957, he perfectly captures the shuffling dipsomaniac projectionist Old Tom, who looks to be in his seventies, while Sellers was only in his thirties at the time.
The 1950s were a time of post-war austerity and a them-and-us hierarchy made up of a wealthy ruling class (the ‘establishment’) versus the working class. It was a time of slam-door trains, more people on bikes than in cars, telephone operators connecting your call, men in demob suits, trilbies, and flat caps, milk carts pulled by horses and butchers wearing straw hats. These things even more clearly seen thanks to the remastering which has produced crisp prints allowing the viewer to see every detail with wonderful clarity. Having recently watch the unrestored version of The Smallest Show On Earth and then watching this new version, Studiocanal should be proud of how these films have been rescued from their blurry past and brought into a pin sharp present.
This set of eight films is noteworthy for featuring a phenomenal rotating cast of some of the best comedy and character actors of the time, including Margaret Rutherford (Blithe Spirit, Miss Marple), Terry Thomas (School for Scoundrels), Terry Scott (Carry On series, Dangermouse), Irene Handl (St Trinian’s series, The Italian Job), John Le Mesurier (Dad’s Army), Liz Fraser (Carry On and St. Trinian’s series), Beryl Reid (The Killing of Sister George), Bernard Cribbins (The Railway Children, Doctor Who), Warren Mitchell (Jabberwocky, Till Death Us Do Part), Roy Kinnear (The Three Musketeers), Arthur Mullard, Lionel Jeffries (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Wilfred Hyde-White (My Fair Lady), Nicholas Parsons (Murder Ahoy!, Just A Minute) and Mr “I say, ding-dong” himself, Leslie Phillips (Carry On, Doctor and Harry Potter series).
The Ladykillers (1955), directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Herbet Lom, Cecil Parker.
The Ladykillers is as close to perfect as a film can get with a well-crafted script and a compelling plot in which a group of bank robbers take a room in the house of the eccentric old lady Mrs Wilberforce and her parrots. The gang pretend to be a group of classical musicians as a cover for their dastardly scheme, but their plan is constantly thwarted by her so they decide she must be killed. This is undoubtably Alec Guinness’s film as the plummy Professor Marcus and Herbert Lom is perfect as the suspicious and volatile Louis. Sellers, as Harry, is the archetypal East End wide boy in his quiff and drape coat and he more than holds his own amongst such a wonderful ensemble cast.
The Smallest Show On Earth (1957), directed by Basil Dearden starring Virginia McKenna, Bill Travers, Peter Sellers, Margaret Rutherford, Leslie Phillips.
Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers are a young married couple that inherit The Bijou, a run-down cinema that the owner of nearby Grand cinema is trying to purchase and knock down to create a new car park. Sellers’ turn as Old Tom is both funny and heart-breaking. The are great scenes where the trains rumbling overhead act as an inadvertent ‘Sensorama‘ to the film, or when they crank the heat up in the cinema while The Devil Riders of Parched Point is playing in order to make money from drinks and ice creams. It is also notable for the fact that the filmmakers used the Gaumont Palace for exteriors of The Grand, a venue better known now as the Hammersmith Odeon or Hammersmith Apollo.
Carlton-Browne Of The F.O. (1959), directed by Roy Boulting, starring Jeffrey Dell, Terry Thomas, Peter Sellers, Luciana Paluzzi, Ian Bannen.
Not one of the best films in the series. This is story of Terry Thomas as bumbling diplomat Carlton Brown of the Foreign Office who is sent to the fictitious country of Gaillardia after an incident wipes out the rulers and leaves Ian Bannen (Gorky Park, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy) as the newly crowned King Loris. Things escalate and soon Russia and America also arrive to meddle in the future of Gaillardia alongside the British. Sellers plays the sleazy and corrupt Prime Minister, Amphibulos, but sadly, it’s not one of his best performances; one lazy stereotype amongst many lazy stereotypes as the film apes a poor South American-style country. However, Terry Thomas is perfect as Brown, and holds your attention whenever he is on screen but it’s a shame the script doesn’t always support his comic ability.
I’m All Right Jack (1959), directed by Roy Boulting starring Ian Carmichael, Peter Sellers, Richard Attenborough, Margaret Rutherford.
Fuelled by the fear of automation and a threat from the Middle East (sound familiar?) this is a satire on British industry where everyone from the workers to the factory bosses are corrupt or incompetent. Carmichael plays posh innocent Stanley Windrush who becomes an unwitting pawn between his devious factory-owning uncle who is attempting to break the union’s work to rule, and the union’s fight to protect their jobs from time and motion studies. Things escalate, battle lines are drawn and Windrush ends up inadvertently sparking a nationwide strike. Sellers’ turn as the uptight and self-important shop steward Fred Kite is perfectly observed. His puffed-up pride and belief in the union is carried in every stiff movement, clipped sentence and bushy eyebrow twitch.
Two-Way Stretch (1960), directed by Robert Day starring Peter Sellers, Lionel Jeffries, Wilfred Hyde-White, Bernard Cribbins, David Lodge.
Sellers plays “Dodger” Lane, a conman inside with his cellmates safecracker “Jelly” Knight (David Lodge) and Cribbins’ pickpocket Lennie “The Dip” Price. They are visited by “Soapy” Stevens (Hyde-White) who has a plan involving them breaking out of prison for one night to commit a diamond heist before breaking back in so as to give them the perfect alibi. The film is a light-hearted romp that has one foot in the humour of a saucy seaside postcard (if you asked the script for an innuendo it would give you one (sorry, not sorry)). While Sellers is excellent as the scheming Lane, Hyde-White is superlative as “Soapy”, perfect when playing his role as a visiting vicar conning the warden. But it’s Jeffries who is the real star as Chief Prison Officer “Sour” Crout, with his ability to leap from a normal speaking voice to barking out ear-splitting commands to the inmates. This feels like a blueprint for Porridge with Ronnie Barker which arrived on TV in 1974.
Only Two Can Play (1962), Sidney Gilliat. Peter Sellers, Virgina Maskell, Kenneth Griffiths, John Le Mesurier.
The film is based on a Kingsley Amis play set in Wales with John Lewis (Sellers) as a librarian who applies for a better paid job. He is married to Jean (Maskell) but has designs on the glamourous Liz (Mai Zetterling) who can help him get the job. This film has not aged well, we are meant to sympathise with the plight of Lewis, a man ‘trapped’ in a marriage with kids, while eying up how green the grass is in a neighbouring valley. Sadly, the story is as wonky as Seller’s Welsh accent (he’s not the only one in the cast whose accent wanders back and forth across the border), and the farce elements are as dated as the interminable bongos which signify ‘sexiness’.
The Wrong Arm Of The Law (1963), directed by Cliff Owen. Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier, Nanette Newman.
More criminal goings-on in this tale of London’s underworld suddenly having all their bank robberies, break-ins etc. being intercepted and stolen by a trio of Australian criminals impersonating the Police. Sellers is “Pearly” Gates who has a front as French gown designer and couturier Charles Jules by day, and heist planner by night. After so many of their jobs are hijacked Gates joins forces with the other London gangs as well as the Police to stop the Australians and return the status quo. Sellers expertly flips between the obsequious Jules designing frocks for posh women and the scheming Gates. Cribbins delivers a great turn as jumpy Irish gang boss “Nervous” O’Toole, even with is somewhat shaky Irish accent, but once again Lionel Jeffries steals most of his scenes as the overconfident and over-zealous Inspector, Fred “Nosy” Parker.
Heavens Above! (1963), directed by John & Roy Boulting. Peter Sellers, Cecil Parker, Brock Peters, Eric Sykes, Roy Kinnear.
The conceit in Heavens Above! is based on a clerical error (pun intended) where there are two vicars called John Smallwood and the wrong one is appointed as vicar of Orbiston Parva, a town that lives in the shadow of the Tranquilax Laxative Factory run by the wealthy Despard family. Smallwood is a vicar who believes in the practical application of his Christian faith. He appoints Matthew Robinson played by Brock Peter (To Kill A Mockingbird), a black dustman, as warden after his kindness on their first meeting, he takes in the Smith family of travellers when they are evicted from Despard land, and rekindles the faith of wealthy Despard matriarch Lady Lucy, persuading her to fund the free distribution of food from her farm to the locals. Sadly, Smallwood’s good intentions are taken advantage by many while putting him at odds with the clergy and the local tradesfolk ultimately leading to the townspeople rioting and trying to attack him. The solution dreamed up by the powers that be is one of the oddest you will see in a film and makes the last 15 minutes totally surreal. It’s one of the most interesting of all his roles in this set. Sellers gives a wonderfully understated performance as the softly spoken Brummie vicar who stays calm and good natured while everyone else is losing their patience with him, think Chauncey Gardiner with a dog collar.
You can watch these films as comedy classics, as curiosities of their time, or simply to see some outstanding performances from Peter Sellers and the stellar cast of stars and supporting actors at the peak of the abilities. There are more than enough laugh out loud moments to enjoy and it’s wonderful to spend time with Sellers and watch his development as a character actor before his personal demons pulled focus from his uncanny ability to portray a multitude of hilarious roles.
The Peter Sellers Collection is released under the Vintage Classics label by STUDIOCANAL
Note: there are moments in a few of these films when you will hear language and opinions expressed that are uncomfortable and jarring to modern ears.
Review by Paul F Cook
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