Author Pete Grafton
once wrote that though his name isn’t remembered with the likes of Kingsley
Amis or Angus Wilson, in his time novelist Alan Hackney “had his finger on the
life pulse of Britain,” and his work translated so well into “Private’s
Progress” (1956) and “I’m Alright, Jack” (1959), the two Boulting Brothers
comedies sending up every institution every which way. Both star the very
likeable Ian Carmichael as the likeable but naïve Stanley Windrush, whose
uncle, the quietly amoral, opportunistic Bertram Tracepurcel (my adored Dennis
Price, pre-Jeeves) leads his nephew through the world of war and then the world
of work, except Stanley always messes things up by trying to get them right.
“I’m Alright, Jack” is an especially great watch, intriguing in that it attacks
capitalism, socialism, class discrimination - everything all at once, as
Stanley is sent to work in a factory where owners, management, workers, and
unions somehow maintain a delicately balanced, distorted ecosystem that doesn’t
serve anyone in a way that matters. And no-one seems to mind either, until the
over-privileged but well-meaning Stanley upsets the status quo, leading to his
eventual disillusion and banishment (and we finally understand why his father,
the lovely Miles Malleson, has decided to sit out modern life in a nudist
colony).
Satirical films like these can leave one feeling a little worn out and jaded
(by the time Malcolm Muggeridge appears as the single voice of reason amid a
literal riot, you are amazed at how everything has come together and
disheartened at how they’ve fallen apart). But the script is so wonderful, with
beautifully assembled observations and dialogue, and every actor is a joy to
behold in their gracefully nuanced, bright characterisations (lovers of
character actors like myself will find a whole host of their hardworking
favourites, and Peter Sellers famously won a BAFTA for his performance as Fred
Kite), that it’s well worth a considered watch Xo
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