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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Kenneth More character has a relationship with a much younger woman whom he nicknames "Shrimp", and who is played by Angela Douglas, some 26 years his junior. In real life, More left his wife Edith Barkby for Douglas around the time they made this film together and married her in 1968; his pet name for he was "Shrimp". They remained married until More's death in 1982.

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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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Quotes

Judy: You bloody fool! When are you going to stop acting as if you're twenty-five?
Chick Byrd: It's my favorite age!

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Connections

Featured in Talkies: Remembering Kenneth More: Part One (2019)

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Soundtracks

Honey Breath Commercial
(uncredited)
Music by Bill McGuffie
Lyrics by Brian Fahey

User Reviews

Fascinating show-biz drama

"The Comedy Man" is a drama (with some comedy) about a struggling actor named Chick Byrd in swinging London. This is one of the most accurate depictions of the grotty underside of showbiz. The film is very realistic, sometimes depressingly so. Byrd dreams of stardom, but he lives in a cheap bedsit and collects dole cheques. He can't get a "real" job because he's always making the rounds of casting calls. Byrd is played by Kenneth More, a dramatic actor with comedy experience, who gives an excellent performance here. Billie Whitelaw is excellent too. I won't divulge the movie's ending, except to say that it's unexpected yet very plausible. Watch for a very large man in a very small role: the gigantic union steward wearing a Red Indian war bonnet is played by Freddie Mills. He was Britain's heavyweight champion who tried to parlay his boxing fame into an acting career, but his large size typecast him in Richard Kiel-type roles. I recommend this film.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1964 (UK)

Also Known As:

A színész

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Studios Road, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Consant Films, Grayfilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White