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The Ruling Class (1972) 7.5
A member of the House of Lords dies in a shockingly silly way, leaving his estate to his son. Unfortunately, his son is insane: he thinks he is Jesus Christ. The other somewhat-more ... See full summary » Director:Peter Medak |
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Title: The Ruling Class (1972)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Peter O'Toole | ... | ||
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Hugh Owens | ... |
Toastmaster
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| Harry Andrews | ... |
13th Earl of Gurney
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| Arthur Lowe | ... |
Tucker
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William Mervyn | ... |
Sir Charles
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Coral Browne | ... |
Lady Claire
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James Villiers | ... |
Dinsdale
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| Alastair Sim | ... |
Bishop Lampton
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Hugh Burden | ... |
Matthew Peake
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Michael Bryant | ... |
Dr. Herder
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Henry Woolf | ... |
Inmate
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Griffith Davies | ... |
Inmate
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Oliver MacGreevy | ... |
Inmate
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Kay Walsh | ... |
Mrs. Piggot-Jones
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Patsy Byrne | ... |
Mrs. Treadwell
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
A member of the House of Lords dies in a shockingly silly way, leaving his estate to his son. Unfortunately, his son is insane: he thinks he is Jesus Christ. The other somewhat-more respectable members of their family plot to steal the estate from him. Murder and mayhem ensues. Written by Mark Logan <marklo@west.sun.com>
Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
10 May 1972 (France) See more »Also Known As:
La clase dirigente See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1
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Toastmaster: My Lords. Gentlemen. Pray silence for Ralph Douglas Christopher Alexander Gurney, the thirteenth Earl of Gurney.
13th Earl of Gurney: The aim of the Society of Saint George is to keep Gurney a memory of England. We were once the rulers of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Ruled not by superior force or skill, but by sheer presence.
See more »
(uncredited)
Music by William H. Monk
Lyrics by Cecil F. Alexander
Arranged by John Cameron
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Alastair Sim modeled his characterization of Bishop Lampton on the Primate of All England (chief religious figure in the Church of England), Michael Ramsey (subsequently Baron Ramsay of Canterbury). Portraits of Ramsay in the National Gallery bear a likeness to the physical aspects of Sim's character. See more »Goofs
Claire puts her arms around Jack's neck, but in next shot they are on his shoulders. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Toastmaster: My Lords. Gentlemen. Pray silence for Ralph Douglas Christopher Alexander Gurney, the thirteenth Earl of Gurney.
13th Earl of Gurney: The aim of the Society of Saint George is to keep Gurney a memory of England. We were once the rulers of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Ruled not by superior force or skill, but by sheer presence.
See more »
Soundtracks
"All Things Bright and Beautiful"(uncredited)
Music by William H. Monk
Lyrics by Cecil F. Alexander
Arranged by John Cameron
See more »
No other actor has had a career filled with more idiosyncratic roles than Peter O'Toole, and his role in "The Ruling Class" is perhaps the most idiosyncratic of them all.
O'Toole plays the heir to a British House of Lords who dies accidentally (and bizarrely), leaving his family to hash out the estate. The family is much disturbed by the fact that O'Toole is the heir -- understandably so, since he believes that he's Jesus Christ. Much wackiness ensues, until O'Toole has a change of perspective and decides that instead of Christ, he's Jack the Ripper. More wackiness ensues, the film gets darker and darker in that way that only British films can, and the whole thing may leave you scratching your head but will no doubt also leave you gloriously entertained.
For O'Toole fans, this is a chance to see him single-handedly carry a delirious mess of a movie on his shoulders, and make a rousing success out of it. Much of it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's all a hoot, especially the impromptu musical numbers peppered throughout the film. There's some scathing satire aimed at the British class system, but it's nothing you haven't seen before, and the whole film has the feeling of being the pet project of an undisciplined director. But I highly recommend this, because you've never seen anything quite like it, and it's a chance to see one of our generation's greatest actors strutting his stuff like the pro that he is.
Grade: A