The Green Man [1956]

Amazon.co.uk Review

The Green Man is a charming film that carries a wickedly subversive streak of black humour sqarely on the back of Alastair Simms' disgruntled criminal mastermind. Planning to assassinate a windbag MP, his dastardly plot is embroiled in a comedy of errors when George Cole's vacuum cleaning demonstration turns up a corpse in the piano at Simms' Windyridge cottage. Teaming up with the long-legged neighbour Cole tracks down the bomb to a secret hideaway for the MP--a pub called the Green Man. This is the sort of masterful comedy that deftly gets away with confusing the audience who are never sure whose side they should be cheering. When Simms' carefully timed explosive device threatens to decimate a lounge bar trip of old dears, it is hilarious fun to be manipulated into hoping he can speed up their performance enough to whisk them to the safety of a gin and tonic elsewhere. This is a gem in both British comedy and the great Alastair Simms treasury. --Paul Tonks

Customer Reviews:

Highly Entertaining Black Comedy.......2007-09-20

This is a wonderful black comedy starring the incomparable Alastair Sim as a clockmaker, who is secretly one of the world's foremost assassins. He takes a pride in his work, is self-important, and not used to things going wrong. However, when George Cole comes on the scene as a bungling vacuum cleaner salesman, Sim's latest assassination plans begin to unravel. Lots of laughs in this film, which is also available as a double set with 'School for Scoundrels' (Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Alastair Sim).

A British classic.......2007-07-20

This is a marvellous black comedy that holds up to repeated viewings. Starring the great Alistair Sim but also featuring George Cole, Terry Thomas, Dora Bryan and a few other faces you will probably recognise. Sim plays Hawkins a clock-maker by trade but really a freelance assassin. Hawkins wants to kill, or is paid to kill, a pompous and boring man Sir Gregory Upshoot who is having a naughty weekend away at the Green Man.

Things go wrong right from the start. George Cole is a vacuum cleaner salesman who turns up unexpectedly resulting in series of brilliant scenes before the visit to the Green Man. You can tell when watching this that it was based on a play, but this doesn't detract from the clever script and high class performances. Perhaps best of all is the chess game that Hawkins plays with a local Policeman. As Hawkins, Alistair Sim is as always the master of telling you everything from a little contortion of his face, and the chess game scenes are the highlight for me.

Its also a chance to look back to a different age. There are a number of scenes (maybe shot in Surrey or somewhere like that) flmed outside a lovely detached house and the road is empty. Not a car to be seen, and when one does pull up it seems very odd, but in those days cars were comparitively rare.

This used to available as a double bill with School for Scoundrels (not the recent remake!). Now that was some double bill. However the film is worthy of an independent release. Buy now before it gets deleted again.

one and only alastair sim........2006-07-22

an extremely funny black comedy, mainly due to the effortless performance of the ever watchable alastair sim.
the plot of the film has been done before i shouldn't wonder, but is nevertheless very well detailed right up to the closing credits. supporting cast range from good to poor.that's the only reason why i don't give this film 5 stars.
best scene of all, is when sim arrives at the hotel of his latest victim and becomes distracted by the three female musicians. an absolute riot! don't miss it.
a shame that we don't get alastair sim on t.v as often as we should do.

An age of innocence.......2002-10-26

A brilliant movie, taken from the play Meet a Body. Sim is the clock maker with designs on blowing up a rather pompous politician. Sadly his task fails, through the charming antics of Jill Adams and George Cole. Look out for cameo roles from Terry Thomas and Dora Bryan. It is a timeless [ no pun ] British classic . I loved it, check the 'poetry' ending, one of the funniest scenes in cinema.

Classic Alistair Sim.......2001-10-06

If you like Alistair Sim, arguably Britain's finest comedy actor, you'll love this. The range of facial expression he uses to convey his anguish at the thwarting of his plans by circumstances beyond his control is simply superb. Ably assisted by George Cole (as in so many of his films) this film is a gentle comic reminder of a time gone by.

Customer Reviews:

Failure in Asia.......2005-02-27

Gallipoli...Churchills biggest Blunder,this in depth expose of the campaign makes sense of the whole botched plan and why it was doomed to failure from the outset...watch and learn.

Remembering My GrandFather Rifleman James Ford 11th Battalion,The London Regiment who fought at Gallipoli,and survived.

Customer Reviews:

4 classic movies and a disc of extras.......2006-06-03

This is a amazing introudction to Orson Welles if you have never watched one of his movies before, the set includes Stranger,King Lear,David & Goliath and Trial plus a disc of extras.
The Trial is the best of the bunch, well acted, good camera work, wonderful story.
If you have never seen this movie before then I urge to by this boxset and like myself become a fan of Orson Welles...

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