School for Scoundrels (1960 film)
| School for Scoundrels | |
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Original UK poster
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| Directed by |
Robert Hamer Cyril Frankel |
| Produced by | Hal E. Chester |
| Screenplay by | Hal E. Chester Patricia Moyes Peter Ustinov (uncredited) Frank Tarloff (uncredited) |
| Based on | the Gamesmanship series by Stephen Potter |
| Starring |
Ian Carmichael Terry-Thomas Janette Scott Alastair Sim |
| Music by | John Addison |
| Cinematography | Erwin Hillier |
| Edited by | Richard Best |
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Production
company |
ABPC
Guardsman Films |
| Distributed by | Associated British Pathé (UK) |
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Release date
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Running time
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97 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
School for Scoundrels is a 1960 British comedy film, directed by Robert Hamer, starring Ian Carmichael and Terry-Thomas, and inspired by the "Gamesmanship" series of books by Stephen Potter. It has been remade twice: in Bollywood in 1975 under the title Chhoti Si Baat, and in Hollywood in 2006 as School for Scoundrels.
Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael) is a failure in sport and love, and the easy victim of conmen and employees alike. So he enrolls at the "School of Lifemanship" in Yeovil, run by Dr. Potter (Alastair Sim). Late for his appointment, he overhears Potter explaining the principles of lifemanship to the new intake:
Well, gentlemen, lifemanship is the science of being one up on your opponents at all times. It is the art of making him feel that somewhere, somehow he has become less than you – less desirable, less worthy – less blessed.
Palfrey is given an object lesson in this when he has his interview with Potter, who proceeds to win a name-calling game. When Palfrey explains that he is a failure, Potter surmises that a woman is involved. In flashback, Palfrey recounts how he first met April Smith (Janette Scott), knocking parcels from her hands when he rushes to catch a bus. He manages to arrange a dinner date with her.
When Palfrey shows up at work, his loafing employees are unconcerned, despite his being the head of the family firm. They pay much more respect to his senior clerk, Gloatbridge (Edward Chapman). In private, Gloatbridge is patronising toward his erstwhile boss, making the business decisions. Palfrey asks him to make a dinner reservation, and has to fend off Gloatbridge's unwanted restaurant suggestion. That night at the restaurant, the head waiter (John Le Mesurier) cannot find Palfrey's booking at first; he does finally locate it under a slightly different name, but still refuses to seat them, as they are late. When Raymond Delauney (Terry-Thomas), a casual acquaintance of Palfrey's, arrives and sees April, he invites them to his table, where he proceeds to try to seduce April and cast Palfrey in a bad light at every opportunity.
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Wikipedia