Brothers in Law **** (1957, Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, Jill Adams, Miles Malleson, Raymond Huntley, Eric Barker) – Classic Movie Review 1,846

The Boulting Brothers’ spirited 1957 British comedy film Brothers in Law sends up the UK legal profession. It is based on the 1955 novel by Henry Cecil, and stars Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael and Terry-Thomas. 

Co-writer/director Roy Boulting and his producer brother John Boulting turn their attention to sending up the British law system in 1957 in Brothers in Law, one of their highly successful institutional satirical comedies of the period that began with Private’s Progress in 1956.

The Boultings re-employ their star from the same year’s Lucky Jim, Ian Carmichael, and this time pair him with Richard Attenborough as Roger Thursby and Henry Marshall, young idealistic trainee lawyers sharing a London apartment. Carmichael’s Thursby is an idealistic, over-keen newly qualified barrister who joins his flat mate as a trainee at a London law firm.

Thursby is thrust into various funny situations while dealing with an absent-minded senior partner and confronting a succession of tricky and cantankerous judges as he makes his first few near-disastrous appearances in court. Terry-Thomas also returns from Lucky Jim and stars in the relatively minor role as Alfred Green.

The cosy and predictable British satirical humour, based on the Henry Cecil novel, seems a bit soft and blunted, given the plethora of possibilities offered to send up the copious excesses of lawyers and the British legal profession.

But, still, the movie is genuinely spirited and amusing, with appealing, well-crafted characters. And the fun comedy is safe in the capable hands of the stalwart British comic actors and the Boulting Brothers.

Miles Malleson, Eric Barker, Irene Handl, John le Mesurier and Jill Adams also star. Future director John Schlesinger appears as the assize court solicitor. It is Wyndham Goldie’s last film (as Mr Smith).

Leslie Phillips, Raymond Huntley, Kenneth Griffith, Olive Sloane, Kynaston Reeves, Nicholas Parsons, Edith Sharpe, Brian Oulton, Basil Dignam, Henry B Longhurst, Peggy Ann Clifford, Everley Gregg and Arthur Mullard head the long list of treasurable character actors.

They filmed at National Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, but also on location at the Inns of Court and the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, London.

Attenborough, Carmichael and Terry-Thomas also starred in the Boulting Brothers’ earlier 1956 satire, Private’s Progress.

The 1955 novel Brothers in Law was later made into a television and radio series starring Richard Briers.

Henry Cecil was judge and fiction writer Henry Cecil Leon (19 September 1902 – 23 May 1976).

The cast are Richard Attenborough as Henry Marshall, Ian Carmichael as Roger Thursby, Terry-Thomas as Alfred Green, Jill Adams as Sally Smith, Miles Malleson as Kendall Grimes, Raymond Huntley as Tatlock, Eric Barker as Alec Blair, Nicholas Parsons as Charles Poole, Kynaston Reeves as Judge Lawson, John Le Mesurier as Judge Ryman, Irene Handl as Mrs Potter, Olive Sloane as Mrs Newent, Edith Sharpe as Mrs Thursby, Leslie Phillips as Shopkeeper, Brian Oulton as Client, George Rose as Mark Frost, Kenneth Griffith as Undertaker, Basil Dignam as Judge Emery, Henry B. Longhurst as Reverend Arthur Thursby, Penny Morrell as Rosalie Biddle, Peggy Ann Clifford, Everley Gregg, Arthur Mullard, Wyndham Goldie as Mr Smith, and John Schlesinger as Assize Court Solicitor.

Leslie Phillips married a third time aged 89 on 20 December 2013 and celebrated his 90th birthday on April 20 2014.

Sadly, at the age of 90, Leslie Phillips suffered two strokes six months apart. He died in his sleep after a long illness at home in London on 7 November 2022, aged 98.

http://derekwinnert.com/lucky-jim-1957-ian-carmichael-terry-thomas-hugh-griffith-kenneth-griffith-classic-movie-review-1845/

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1,846

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com/