I wonder why 'The Green Man' (1956) is not more well known. It stars Alistair Sim in full dour-droll mode, and it is a black comedy in the best old British tradition. Add in to the mix some great supporting characters, many with familiar faces, and you have a good old nostalgic giggle.
Sim plays a professional hit man, who enjoys his work of blowing up pompous asses who are too big for their boots. He's had a break during WW2 (the competition was too fierce) but is now intent on finishing off a government minister. This deed is to be carried out at an hotel on the coast called the Green Man. George Cole, playing a vacuum cleaner salesman and Sim's new neighbour (Jill Adams) uncover the plot and chase him down to the coast in order to save the day.
The part of the film set in the hotel is where the comedy turns more slapstick. Terry-Thomas arrives as one of the guests, and is obviously 'carrying on' with the barmaid, played by the fabulous Dora Bryan. The waiter, played by Michael Ripper, has a set of facial expressions that could almost steal the whole film. When Sim's bomb finally does go off - just after being thrown out of the window by Cole - Terry-Thomas looks at his whisky bottle with incredulity. This is a definite highlight - an old joke but one of the best, especially in the hands of a pro like him!
Sim hides his bomb in a radio and is dismayed to find a musical trio playing in the sitting room. Obviously it would be far too rude to put the radio on and activate the bomb when these fine old ladies are playing away. A lot of the comedy stems from his trying to distract them from playing by plying them with drink. I find this an interesting little window on history. Having a communal sitting room with live music for guests really dates this story. Sitting down in a communal area to write letters or listen to the radio is anathema to us now. As time progressed this sitting room would have become a TV room - but now it's rare to find an hotel without a TV in every room. How many hoteliers would go to the expense of hiring live background music for so few guests now? We have become a much more insular society from the days when we would sit and etch our postcards together, accompanied by chamber music or the BBC Light Programme.
Not seen this film yet but it's going on the list! Michael Ripper was the chauffeur guy from Butterflies if memory serves, wasn't he? He did do deadpan very well. And as for communal sitting rooms they do indeed seem to be a thing of the dim and distant past now. I love the idea of them though. I suppose if hotels did bring these areas back they'd only be filled with people tapping away at their phones or laptops in not-so-splendid isolation anyway! No sense of community any more!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I know his face and his name, but I have no idea what else he was in. Michael Ripper is just one of those actors that everyone knows, and yet nobody knows at the same time. If you follow.
ReplyDeleteI do. I seem to recall seeing him in some ridiculous British Hammer Horror from the 60s about some outbreak of killer bees or killer slugs or something similarly outlandish as well. As you say, one of those actors that everyone knows but don't necessarily know they know!
ReplyDeleteThe Deadly Bees! Here we go: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061557/ Fairly awful but worth a look from a historical point of view if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteBlimy, that looks class! But click on his name and it gives you a list of everything he did - he was in everything! Even Worzel Gummidge. Cor.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's quite some CV!
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