Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Peter Sellers | ... | Sir Guy Grand | |
Ringo Starr | ... | Youngman Grand | |
Isabel Jeans | ... | Dame Agnes Grand | |
Caroline Blakiston | ... | Hon. Esther Grand | |
Wilfrid Hyde-White | ... | Captain Reginald K. Klaus (as Wilfrid Hyde White) | |
Richard Attenborough | ... | Oxford Coach | |
Leonard Frey | ... | Laurence Faggot | |
Laurence Harvey | ... | Hamlet | |
Christopher Lee | ... | Ship's Vampire | |
Spike Milligan | ... | Traffic Warden 27 | |
Roman Polanski | ... | Solitary Drinker | |
Raquel Welch | ... | Priestess of the Whip | |
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Tom Boyle | ... | My Man Jeff |
Victor Maddern | ... | Hot Dog Vendor | |
Terence Alexander | ... | Mad Major |
Sir Guy Grand (Peter Sellers) adopts homeless bum Youngman (Sir Ringo Starr) to be heir to his obscene wealth, and immediately begins bringing him into the intricacies of the family business, which is to prey upon people's greed by use of the vast holdings of the Grand empire. They leave no stone unturned as sporting events, restaurants, art galleries, and traditional pheasant hunts turn into lurid displays of bad manners and profiteering. Things climax at the social event of the season, the inaugural voyage of the new pleasure cruiser, "The Magic Christian". Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>
The Magic Christian is a wonderful piece of film making. It targets fairly & squarely all parts of the establishment and its aim is always true. The main theme of the movie (that everyone has their price) is shown again and again, no more truly than when the Peter Sellars character throws money into a vat of excrement & urine and hordes of "city gents" jump in to retrieve it! I have never seen another film quite like it and although it must be almost 30 years since last my last viewing, its memory is still crystal clear. Sellars, Spike Milligan and Ringo Starr all turn in fine performances and the soundtrack is great featuring Something in the Air and Come & Get It. Make sure you see this film; its message is even more pertinent today than when it was made.