The Comedy Man (1964)

Charles Byrd, known as "Chick", has spent his adult life acting in small repertory companies all over the UK, and he's never had much luck. All too aware that he's no longer young, Chick makes one last stab at finding success in London.

Director:

Alvin Rakoff

Writers:

Peter Yeldham (screenplay), Douglas Hayes (novel)

Stars:

Kenneth More, Cecil Parker, Dennis Price

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kenneth More	...	Chick Byrd
Cecil Parker	...	Thomas Rutherford
Dennis Price	...	Tommy Morris
Billie Whitelaw	...	Judy
Norman Rossington	...	Theodore Littleton
Angela Douglas	...	Fay Trubshaw
Edmund Purdom	...	Julian Baxter
Frank Finlay	...	Prout
Alan Dobie	...	Jack Lavery
J.G. Devlin	...	Gus Sloppitt
Valerie Croft	...	Yvonne (as The Croft Twins)
Leila Croft	...	Pauline (as The Croft Twins)
Gerald Campion	...	Gerry
Jacqueline Hill	...	Sandy Lavery
Harold Goodwin	...	Second Assistant Director

Storyline

Charles Byrd, known as "Chick", has spent his adult life acting in small repertory companies all over the UK, and he's never had much luck. All too aware that he's no longer young, Chick makes one last stab at finding success in London.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | independent film | 

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Taglines:

Some men stay 25 all their lives

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 September 1965 (East Germany)

Also Known As:

A színész

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Middlesex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Consant Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many critics noted that the character Edmund Purdom plays - a small-time actor who gets cast in the lead in a Hollywood epic and becomes a star overnight - bore a resemblance to Purdom himself. He went from obscurity to fame in 1954 when he took on the title role in "The Egyptian (1954)" as a late replacement for Marlon Brando, and slipped from fame almost at once when the film proved a costly flop.

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Goofs

During the party when Chick sees Tommy chatting up Fay, he is not smoking, but in a wide shot, he's taking a cigarette from his mouth. He's also holding a glass of wine which disappears in his close-up.

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Soundtracks

Tell All the World About You
(uncredited)
Written by Ray Charles

User Reviews

Comparisons with the book

I saw this film some years ago before Kenneth Moore sadly passed away. Unfortunately he could not do the story justice as the film, due mainly to time I believe, did not portray the character of Nathaniel (Chick) Bird, accurately. It was not able to relay the relationships between Chick and Prout nor with the Twins let alone with the hospital where he worked as a hospital porter before he took on a staring role. Nor did the film show how he created a character and gave the producers of a new film a 'Type' as they called him. Nor did it really display how he and his friend Julian who did go to Hollywood, had been. Nor how he eventually settled with his Stardom and fame and his ever growing love for the woman who changed his life. The book by Douglas Hayes, which sadly is no longer in print. But it is a story that should be re-created in a much more in-depth film that depicts a character which sadly the late Kenneth Moore should never have played.