Vice Versa **** (1947, Roger Livesey, Kay Walsh, Anthony Newley, James Robertson Justice, David Hutcheson, Petula Clark, Joan Young) – Classic Movie Review 13,818

Peter Ustinov’s 1947 British body-swap comedy film Vice Versa is the third film adaptation of F Anstey’s 1882 novel, and stars Roger Livesey, Anthony Newley, Petula Clark, and Kay Walsh.

Writer/ director Peter Ustinov’s 1947 British comedy film Vice Versa stars Roger Livesey, Kay Walsh, Anthony Newley, James Robertson Justice, David Hutcheson, Petula Clark, and Joan Young.  The third film adaptation of F Anstey’s 1882 novel, it was produced by Two Cities Films and distributed by General Film Distributors.

Vice Versa is (almost) the original and certainly one of the best body-swap movies with stuffy Edwardian businessman dad Paul Bultitude (Roger Livesey) and his boarding schoolboy son Dick (Anthony Newley), trading places after Paul makes a casual wish on a special magic stone from India that he could be young again. Paul’s wish is granted and he exchange bodies with his son. Dick’s school chums and his headmaster Dr Grimstone (James Robertson Justice) are equally astounded when the schoolboy smokes cigars.

Vice Versa is written and directed with obvious relish by Ustinov, showing a fine eye for absurdly comic situations and inventive confusions. Livesey and Newley give admirable star turns, and the whole cast appear to be having a ball. Slightly crisper handling and a film maybe 15 or 20 minutes shorter than its 111 minutes would have turned this into an all-time great classic, but nevertheless it is thoroughly entertaining as it is.

Peter Ustinov’s screenplay is based on F Anstey’s novel, first filmed in 1916, and again in 1937, and reworked in 1988 again as Vice Versa.

Cast: Roger Livesey, Kay Walsh, Anthony Newley, James Robertson Justice, David Hutcheson, Petula Clark, Joan Young, Patricia Raine, Kynaston Reeves, Vida Hope, James Kenney, Harcourt Williams, Robert Eddison, James Hayter, Alfie Bass, Hugh Dempster, Ernest Jay.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,818

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