Not everyone is a Peter Sellers fan, but I am one and very much enjoy the best of his films. I'm All Right Jack (1959) finds Sellers in fine fiddle, giving one of his greatest performances as labor leader Fred Kite.

Historical Background: After the six-year run of fine comedies generated by Ealing Studios came to an end in 1955, the mantle of British comedy fell briefly on the shoulders of the Boulting brothers – John and Roy. John and Roy Boulting were twin brothers, born on November 21st, 1913, in Bray, Buckinghamshire, England. They were educated at McGill in Montreal and, in 1937, founded Charter Films. Each served as producer for the films directed for the other. They worked together throughout their lives, except during World War II, when John served in the film unit of the Royal Air Force and Roy in that of the British Army. In 1958, both joined British Lion Films as directors. Some of the early films of the pair drew a great deal of positive critical attention, including most notably Brighton Rock (1947), Seven Days to Noon (1950), and The Magic Box (1951). After 1955, however, the Boulton Brothers made mostly light comedies and farces, of which the present film, I'm All Right Jack (1959), is one of the best. Some of their other good ones included Private's Progress (1956), Lucky Jim (1957), The Brothers in Law (1957), and Carleton Browne of the F.O. (1959). The Boultons used a regular group of comedians that included Ian Carmichael, Dennis Price, Richard Attenborough, and Terry-Thomas. Compared to the Ealing comedies, the Boulton comedies were more thoroughly irreverent.

The great Peter Sellers joined with the Boulton Brothers for such efforts as Carlton Browne of the F.O., I'm All Right Jack, and Heavens Above!. Peter Sellers, born Richard Henry Sellers on September 8th, 1925, in Southsea, England, performed as a child in his parents' comedy routines. During World War II, he served as a camp entertainer for the RAF. He first earned fame as a member of the long running radio show called The Goon Show. Sellers appeared in The Ladykillers (1955), I'm All Right Jack (1959), and The Mouse That Roared (1959). By the end of the fifties, Sellers had an international following. His fame was greatly increased, however, after his appearances in two Stanley Kubrick films, Lolita (1962) and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). He played three different parts in the latter film. Sellers then invented his signature character, Inspector Clouseau, in The Pink Panther (1964), ultimately beating the idea into the ground with, I believe, four sequels. Sellers also excelled in such films as Casino Royale (1967) and Being There (1979). Sellers's deteriorating health was an obstacle during the last years of his career. He died in 1980 from the last of a series of heart attacks.

The Story: Stanley Windrush (Ian Carmichael) is an upperclass young man of limited aptitude, fresh out of the army after World War II and looking for a real job. He interviews for management posts at a detergent plant and at a factory making sweets, but each time precipitates fiascos. His uncle Bertie Tracepurcell (Dennis Price), however, sees a potential for exploiting Windrush's combination of naïve enthusiasm and incompetence to advance a nefarious plan. Tracepurcell and the oily Sid de Vere Cox (Richard Attenborough) want to incite a strike at a missile factory so that an important contract with a foreign government will have to be transferred to another factory, at a higher cost, with Tracepurcell, Cox, and the foreign agent, Mr. Mohammed (Marne Maitland), pocketing the difference. Tracepurcell urges his nephew to try his hand first as a laborer and then work his way up.

Stanley soon discovers that all aspects of his job are strictly regulated by union contracts, overseen by the zealous chief shop steward, Fred Kite (Peter Sellers). When Kite discovers that Stanley is looking for lodging, he suggests his own place, saying, "Mrs. Kite takes in occasionally." Kite would enjoy having a lodger to engage in intelligent conversation, but the idea holds no appeal for Stanley – until Kite's absurdly gorgeous and nubile daughter, Cynthia (Liz Fraser), suddenly appears, flashing glances in Stanley's direction. Soon, Stanley has moved in with the Kites and he and Cynthia are necking in his tiny car.

The firm's personnel manager, Major Hitchcock (Terry-Thomas), has hired a spy, Waters (John Le Mesurier), to run a time and motion study, in an effort to increase productivity. When Stanley inadvertently demonstrates his ability to do his job many times more quickly than he is typically allowed to do by the union, the strike anticipated by Tracepurcell and Cox becomes reality. The labor strife ultimately leads to a climatic confrontation during a television debate show, when Stanley publicly displays the money offered to him as a bribe.

Themes: The theme of the film could be summed up as the idea that all Englishmen are corrupt beyond all redemption. By 1959, the heady impression of Brits pulling together during World War II had given way altogether to the return of the status quo in which every man and every social class pursues selfish interests. I'm All Right Jack suggests a nation in which every group is out to screw the public, each in their own way. The film's title derived from a World War II vintage joke in which a man in a life raft calls out to another still afloat, "I'm All Right Jack." In other words, "It's everyman for himself."

The corporate executives are depicted as arrogant and, worse, corrupt profiteers. That much, however, is typical film fare. What makes I'm All Right Jack unusual is its skewering of the trade unions as well. The unions are seen as intentionally constraining productivity, and thus rendering British industry noncompetitive in relation to foreign companies. Four "workers" are repeatedly seen playing cards because the union refuses to allow them to be laid off. The shop steward, Fred Kite, is portrayed as a petty dictator, a man from the labor class, enamored with the small ways in which he has improved his lot. He's proud, for example, of having once taken a summer course at a university. Kite enjoys arguing for its own sake. Although the film is even-handed to an extent, it comes across as anti-union because it is routine for films to lambaste the greedy upper class but much less so the labor class.

Production Values: The film's script was written by John Boulting, Alan Hackney, and Frank Harvey, based on Alan Hackney's novel Private Life. It is basically witty, intelligent satire that pokes fun at both labor and management, while never taking itself all too seriously. The script is also a bit risqué. Both its framing segments take place in a nudist colony, where round derrieres appear in abundance. There are also some obscene gestures and song lyrics. There're also some ugly racist references, though these are often edited out when the film appears nowadays on television.

Most of the cast is comprised of the great comedic character actors and actresses of the late fifties, from the stock of English acting talent. Margaret Rutherford, for example, does her standard take on the idiocy of the British ruling class. Terry-Thomas, Richard Attenborough, and Dennis Price were all experienced comic actors who knew how to extract every bit of humor inherent in their roles. Liz Fraser has not only the chest for her role but an advanced capacity to find the right reactions to suggestive dialog. Ian Carmichael is especially effective as the witless but sincere Stanley Windrush. He later appeared in School for Scoundrels (1960). It is Peter Sellers, however, to whom the film ultimately belongs. Sellers had that rare gift of entirely disappearing into his roles. Sellers once said, in fact, "If you ask me to play myself, I will not know what to do. I do not know who or what I am." That's a frightening admission looked at from the vantage point of clinical psychology, but something rather special coming from a professional actor. Sellers won a BAFTA as Best Actor for his work in this film.

Bottom-Line: My DVD is part of "The Peter Sellers Collection" and provides a widescreen image with an aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The extras include a theatrical trailer and a Peter Sellers bio. This film is in black-and-white and has a running time of 105 minutes. This is a very good film, though not a great one. If you like satire combined with British comedy, this film should be right down your alley.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older