The Magic Christian

source: The Magic Christian

The Magic Christian

Given toaster917's "Brilliant!!!" and 10/10, for an instant I had to check that we had been watching the same film as I found this absolutely dire and toe-curlingly embarrassing. Unfunny, and I see that Sellers even wanted it abandoned after seeing the first rushes - I'm not surprised. It's only good for celebrity spotting if that is your want, but some of them, for e.g. John Cleese should hold his head in shame for the bit he wrote and appeared in. I'm a big fan of Sellers and had a vague recollection of seeing it when it first came out at the cinema, but the only thing I remembered about it was traffic warden Spike Milligan being bribed to eat a parking ticket he'd issued against Peter.

It's got a lot of good actors doing a lot of poor sketches strung together to make some kind of vague plot. The theme is, people will do anything for money and it illustrates that tediously. It seems terribly dated, a teenager's idea of what might shock or offend but the satire lands with a dull thud. Let's get Laurence Harvey do a striptease while reciting a soliloquy from 'Hamlet', won't that be fun? Yul Brynner in drag? Raquel Welch with a crew of topless slaves? Christopher Lee as a vampire? Just throw anything in. It all comes and goes and leaves no impression. I did laugh once. But can't recall at what, it's that forgettable.

this is a cool movie. I didn't even know it existed but as a monty python fan I jumped at a chance to see what is supposed to be one of the first roles for the troupe. Wow, I was surprised, Peter Sellers is excellent, Ringo Starr doesn't have too many lines, and the satire is great, much like Southern's Dr. Strangelove. See it.

Unusual movie full of British stars which makes it all the more watchable, you name them they are in it! Of particular interest is a un-credited Jimmy Clitheroe later in life but none the less in it along with Christopher Lee, Fred Emney and many more. The film is a tale of how people can be bought with some interesting performances and perhaps something of a experimental film in many ways. Ringo is his typical self and Peter Sellers pretty much steals the screen most of the time drawing us into his performance. The film was based on the original novel by Terry Southern and I just about remember the film coming out back then with Ringo chatting about the public thinking he was 'a mop-top' which struck me as funny back then. Much location filming for this movie which also included Chobham Common amongst other locations. This is now on Blu-Ray and is a superb scan from a good 35mm film print and worth having a look at just to see the host of great old star names.

One of a succession of self-regarding flops typical of Peter Sellars' choice of projects by the end of the sixties when not performing as court jester at Clarence House and Windsor Castle. As Spike Milligan (who plays a traffic warden paid to eat his own ticket) observed, "The whole thing could have been written ABOUT Peter instead of FOR him". We are never told the source of the fabulous wealth that enables Guy Grand to humiliate those less wealthy than himself (i.e. everybody else), but he never seems to show any inclination even towards Christian Grey's nebulous ambition to "end world hunger" rather than just have fun at the expense of others. Yul Brynner does look astonishingly attractive in drag, however.

"The Magic Christian" does what "Wall Street" was famous for, only plays it for laughs. Guy Grand (Peter Sellers) is a rich snob who adopts a homeless man (Ringo Starr) as his son. The two of them go through a series of zany adventures, all of which show how the rich believe that they are allowed to do anything just because they're rich: whether it's cutting the nose off of a classic painting, or bringing in tanks to shoot a bird, these men have no good way to spend their money. The final big scene affirms that people will do anything for money, although I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach. This movie does a great job mocking England's class system much in the same way that "Gosford Park" did. A bevy of guest appearances, among them Richard Attenborough, John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Yul Brynner and Christopher Lee, makes for one really wacky movie, denouncing greed every step of the way. Perfect.

The pinnacle of British silliness at the movies for an entire decade: The mythical 60's. Mike Meyers could only dream of capturing this time and place with as much fun and style. British entertainment royalty by the truck load including half the Beatles, a decent chunck of Monty Python, Christopher Lee in a cape, and the late great Peter Sellers! Who could ask for more? Well there is always Roman Polanski as an innocent being picked up in a bar by a transvestite (who's identity revelation is the my favorite bit). And of course, who can forget Raquel Welch in her prime, and in a leather mini nothing with a whip. All of this in the context of the movie's namesake--The Love Boat cruise from hell. You will never again think of farm manure without recalling this movie's finale! Check it out. buckbucknumber1