A member of the House of Lords dies, leaving his estate to his son. Unfortunately, his son thinks he is Jesus Christ. The other, somewhat more respectable, members of their family plot to steal the estate from him. Murder and mayhem ensue.
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Title: The Ruling Class (1972)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Hugh Owens | ... | |
| Harry Andrews | ... | ||
| Arthur Lowe | ... | ||
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William Mervyn | ... | |
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Coral Browne | ... | |
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James Villiers | ... |
Dinsdale Gurney
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| Alastair Sim | ... |
Bishop Lampton
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Hugh Burden | ... |
Matthew Peake
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| Peter O'Toole | ... | ||
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Michael Bryant | ... | |
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Henry Woolf | ... |
Inmate
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Griffith Davies | ... |
Inmate
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Oliver MacGreevy | ... |
Inmate
(as Oliver McGreevy)
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Kay Walsh | ... | |
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Patsy Byrne | ... |
Mrs. Pamela 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>
Plot Keywords:
murder | house of lords | electroshock therapy | prostitute | mistaken autoerotic asphyxiation |Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKRelease Date:
25 May 1972 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
A Classe Dominante See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
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 Arthur Sullivan
Lyrics by W.S. Gilbert
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
After the doctor arrives at the manor, Tucker pours drinks. The drink jumps from his hand to the tray. 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
Poor Wand'ring One(uncredited)
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Lyrics by W.S. Gilbert
Arranged by John Cameron
See more »
Peter O'Toole has often played characters who are obsessed and even a bit mad. But in The Ruling Class he is utterly over the top crazy, and it's a bit disquieting how naturally he slips into the role. Yet this is a comedy, a wonderfully bizarre, often black comedy that deals with acceptable and unacceptable behavior -- insanity, and morality, being irrelevant. It's characters mostly belong the English elite, but they simply stand in for all those whose power and prestige demand that appearances be kept up. So this isn't a film for everyone. And some may not like the way it swings from the very flippant to the very dark. It requires a wide range of humor to enjoy it all. Unfortunately, I hear that enjoying it all may be impossible. It seems that all home versions are cut several minutes from the theatrical release, sometimes much more. The longest length available is apparently 141 minutes, so that is the one to get.