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Billy Liar

  • 19631963
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
6.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Billy Liar (1963)
A lazy, irresponsible young clerk (Sir Tom Courtenay) in provincial Northern England lives in his own fantasy world and makes emotionally immature decisions as he alienates friends and family.
Play trailer4:09
1 Video
47 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Romance

A lazy, irresponsible young clerk (Sir Tom Courtenay) in provincial Northern England lives in his own fantasy world and makes emotionally immature decisions as he alienates friends and famil... Read allA lazy, irresponsible young clerk (Sir Tom Courtenay) in provincial Northern England lives in his own fantasy world and makes emotionally immature decisions as he alienates friends and family.A lazy, irresponsible young clerk (Sir Tom Courtenay) in provincial Northern England lives in his own fantasy world and makes emotionally immature decisions as he alienates friends and family.

IMDb RATING
7.3/10
6.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Schlesinger
  • Writers
    • Keith Waterhouse(screenplay)
    • Willis Hall(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Tom Courtenay
    • Julie Christie
    • Wilfred Pickles
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Schlesinger
  • Writers
    • Keith Waterhouse(screenplay)
    • Willis Hall(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Tom Courtenay
    • Julie Christie
    • Wilfred Pickles
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 82User reviews
    • 77Critic reviews
    • 82Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 6 BAFTA Awards
      • 7 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 4:09
    Official Trailer

    Photos47

    Billy Liar (1963)
    Julie Christie and Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar (1963)
    Billy Liar (1963)
    Billy Liar (1963)
    Billy Liar (1963)
    Billy Liar (1963)
    Julie Christie in Billy Liar (1963)
    Julie Christie and Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar (1963)
    Julie Christie in Billy Liar (1963)
    Julie Christie in Billy Liar (1963)
    Julie Christie and Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar (1963)
    Julie Christie in Billy Liar (1963)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tom Courtenay
    Tom Courtenay
    • Billy Fisheras Billy Fisher
    Julie Christie
    Julie Christie
    • Lizas Liz
    Wilfred Pickles
    Wilfred Pickles
    • Geoffrey Fisheras Geoffrey Fisher
    Mona Washbourne
    Mona Washbourne
    • Alice Fisheras Alice Fisher
    Ethel Griffies
    Ethel Griffies
    • Grandma Florenceas Grandma Florence
    Finlay Currie
    Finlay Currie
    • Duxburyas Duxbury
    Gwendolyn Watts
    • Ritaas Rita
    Helen Fraser
    • Barbaraas Barbara
    Leonard Rossiter
    Leonard Rossiter
    • Emanuel Shadrackas Emanuel Shadrack
    Rodney Bewes
    Rodney Bewes
    • Arthur Crabtreeas Arthur Crabtree
    George Innes
    George Innes
    • Stampas Stamp
    Leslie Randall
    • Danny Boonas Danny Boon
    Patrick Barr
    Patrick Barr
    • Insp. MacDonaldas Insp. MacDonald
    Ernest Clark
    Ernest Clark
    • Prison Governoras Prison Governor
    Godfrey Winn
    • Disc Jockeyas Disc Jockey
    Aleksander Browne
    • Bit Partas Bit Part
    • (uncredited)
    James Byron
    • Servicemanas Serviceman
    • (uncredited)
    Douglas Clarke
    • Servicemanas Serviceman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Schlesinger
    • Writers
      • Keith Waterhouse(screenplay) (novel) (play)
      • Willis Hall(screenplay) (play)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Going nowhere fast, Billy Fisher, an incorrigible fantasizer, dreams incessantly of escaping his drab existence and humdrum routine work as an undertakers' clerk in Yorkshire. Seeking refuge from his working-class family and not one but two demanding fiancees in the imaginary country called Ambrosia, more and more, Billy finds himself cut off from reality, picturing himself as its ruler and hero. Then, as Billy's fabrications grow increasingly wilder and problems start piling up, lovely, happy-go-lucky Liz enters the young day-dreamer's life, offering a way out of this fine mess. However, new beginnings are always scary, and Billy must make up his mind: it's either a fresh start in London or an endless beautiful lie in Ambrosia. —Nick Riganas
    • liar
    • compulsive liar
    • kitchen sink realism
    • based on novel
    • character name in title
    • 231 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • one guy... three girls... one ring!
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This movie made a star of Julie Christie, even though she's only in it for a total of twelve minutes.
    • Goofs
      In the opening title sequence, where a woman places a blanket over a balcony and runs off, an arm can be seen popping up from behind the wall and throwing the blanket off the balcony.
    • Quotes

      Billy Fisher: [wearing a monocle and speaking in a posh voice] Cabinet change imminent I see.

      Geoffrey Fisher: You'll be bloody imminent if you don't start getting up in the morning.

    • Connections
      Featured in Film Review: Julie Christie & John Schlesinger (1967)
    • Soundtracks
      Twisterella
      Performed by Muriel Day (dubbed by unknown vocalist)

    User reviews82

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Heads the pack in Kitchen Sink terms...
    "Billy Liar!" impressed me more than many other admirable British pictures of this era, like "Room at the Top", "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" and "This Sporting Life". It managed to generate a more tangible blend of poignancy and amusement. It's not often humour of the "laugh-out-loud" nature, more of the subtle, grim kind. The reality of Britain at that time is I suspect, very well conveyed here, with the old working-class, represented by Councillor Duxbury (astutely played by the fine Finlay Currie) and Billy's family, very much at odds with what they see as an ungrateful, decadent youth. All the performances hit the intended mark, with Leonard Rossiter typically Rossiter, almost as a younger Rigsby, without so much noticeable seediness. Julie Christie is as good as the role allows, an odd role, very much the "dream girl" of Billy and I dare say a good few others. The film expertly avoids sentimentalizing matters by its cunning, apposite last section. The Danny Boon character is, one suspects, all too typical of the TV light entertainer mould in reality. His reliance on cheap non-gags, smug guffaws and "audience banter" is well conveyed in just a few short scenes. It's interesting that Billy seems to aspire so much to write for him in particular... Helen Fraser's character Barbara is wonderfully quaint; a type long gone it seems. One can understand Billy's frustrations with his respectively prudish and plain (Barbara) and ignorant (Rita) girlfriends, and his anger at his family, although some sympathy is correctly reserved for them. The direction is very good by Schlesinger, emphasizing all the right things. The fine context-setting opening montage expertly draws in the viewer, and never at any stage henceforth is anyone's attention likely to wane. The film is most of all Tom Courtenay's; he gives a truly resonant performance, bringing to vivid life a character far removed from the norms of film making at the time. The fantasy sequences are finely done, and all add more deep impression of this character. His digressive tendencies, self-destructive habits, economy with the truth are well balanced by a sense of yearning and imagination. One cannot help but like and relate to the character, a creation that resoundingly rings true. His ambivalence to the class system comes across concisely, in particular. A fine film indeed, with so many of the smaller touches that many films miss. Witty, sad and a seminal film of the era, very much a crossroads in British history. Rating:- **** 1/2/*****
    helpful•54
    5
    • HenryHextonEsq
    • Jun 15, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 16, 1963 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Lažov Bili
    • Filming locations
      • 37 Hinchcliffe Avenue, Baildon, Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Vic Films Productions
      • Waterhall Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $29,153
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

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    May 21The Guardian - Film News
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    Julie Christie movies: 20 greatest films ranked worst to best
    Apr 10Gold Derby

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