Vice Versa (1948 film)
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| Vice Versa | |
|---|---|
 Petula Clark and Anthony Newley |
|
| Directed by | Peter Ustinov |
| Produced by | George H. Brown Peter Ustinov |
| Written by | Peter Ustinov |
| Starring | Roger Livesey Anthony Newley Petula Clark Kay Walsh |
| Music by | Antony Hopkins |
| Cinematography | Jack Hilyard |
| Editing by | John D. Guthridge |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors (GFD) |
| Release date(s) | January 1948 |
| Running time | 111 min. |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Vice Versa is a 1948 British comedy film written and directed by Peter Ustinov. It is the third screen adaptation of the 1882 novel of the same name by F. Anstey. The film was produced by Two Cities Films and distributed by General Film Distributors.
The plot was updated and Americanized for a 1988 version with the same title starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage. The 1972 novel Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers, which itself was adapted for the screen in 1976 and 2003, is a variation of the same theme.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
The plot focuses on a Victorian era father and son who switch bodies after the father makes a wish while in possession of the Garuda Stone, a magical Indian jewel. Wealthy and pompous stockbroker Paul Bultitude (Roger Livesey) longs for the carefree days of his youth, and when he casually wishes he could take the place of his son Dick (Anthony Newley) at the start of the school year, he finds himself inhabiting the boy's body, and vice versa. The boy delights in living as an adult and throws lavish parties, flirts with the maid, and makes a move on his father's girlfriend, Fanny Verlayne (Kay Walsh). Meanwhile, the father is tortured by his son's classmates, who accuse him of having become a snob, and he exasperates the headmaster's daughter Dulcie (Petula Clark), who can't understand why her once-attentive beau no longer looks her way.
[edit] Cast
- Roger Livesey ..... Paul Bultitude
- Anthony Newley ..... Dick Bultitude
- Petula Clark ..... Dulcie Grimstone
- Kay Walsh ..... Fanny Verlayne
- Hugh Dempster ..... Colonel Ambrose
- David Hutcheson ..... Marmaduke Paradine
- James Robertson Justice ..... Dr. Grimstone
- Patricia Raine ..... Alice
- Joan Young ..... Mrs. Grimstone
[edit] Critical response
At the time of its release, the critic for Daily Mirror wrote, "Peter Ustinov has deliberately exaggerated in the film. This may bring him into conflict with lovers of the original story. But the fact remains that this spectacular burlesque has many novel touches and gets the laughs. Personally, I enjoyed myself, and I think you will." Monthly Film Bulletin said, "It is funny in patches, but goes on far too long; and the director, who also wrote the screenplay, would have been wiser to cut some of his own additions [to the book]. Anthony Newley . . . is excellent in a long and exacting part, and Petula Clark is attractive as the headmaster's daughter, but it is sad to see as good an actor as Roger Livesey with nothing to do but make an ass of himself." [1] In later years, Leonard Maltin observed, "Parts of it are silly, but much of it is inspired and hilarious." [2]
[edit] References
- ^ Petula Clark Film Companion, published by Meeting Point Publications, London, 1998
- ^ Vice Versa at PetulaClark.net
