L'académie des coquins

When Henry Palfrey meets the lovely young April Smith he thinks he has things good. However a meeting with them and Raymond Delauney sees Palfrey made to look a fool by the caddish Delauney. To counter his wishy washy ways, Palfrey joins the `Lifemanship' school of Mr Potter. Here he learns all the ploys of a cad. Upon completion of the course he sets his sight on Delauney – but can he avoid becoming that which he hates?

Terry Thomas is famous for his lecherous wretch and here he not only plays it to perfection, but also gets out played at his own game. The plot here is in three acts. Firstly the caddish Delauney outplays Palfrey. Second act Palfrey attends the school and finally Palfrey returns to his life a changed man. All three acts play out very well for different reasons, only the end of act 3 drags a little bit but ends well. The gentle comedy of the time runs through it – it is a very English film in its own way. I enjoyed the vast majority of it.

Ian Carmichael appears a weak choice for the lead but his transformation from coward to cad is well played and he was actually very good. Thomas is well cast although this is what he is famous for I suppose. Sim is pretty good but given too little to do and there are some nice little cameos from Hattie Jacques and (even better) John Le Mesurier.

Overall this is very slight but it is also very enjoyable. It isn't hilarious but it is a very enjoyable film with a good sense of wicked humour running through the film.

This fabulous film is available on DVD at last, twinned with another Alaister Sim classic, THE GREEN MAN. But, the star of this film is the dapper TERRY-THOMAS. Every scene he is in is superb. From the suave cad in the first half of the film to the flustered toff in the second, this is one of his finest performances and stands up to repeat viewings due to his expressive faces and masterful comic timing.

I hear there is going to be a Hollywood remake of this film, which will be a huge mistake as there has been no one like T-T since. I recommend anyone who is a fan of British comedy to see this classic or you will forever be crying 'hard cheese'!

I cannot remember how many times I have watched this film now - it takes me back to a time of charming English etiquette which, being too young, I never witnessed. The range of social situations through which we are taken in the apprenticeship of 'Lifemanship' are hilarious, and in a gentle and exquisitely-understated way. Ian Carmichael is, of course excellent, but my all-time hero, Terry-Thomas, is on the toppest of forms delivering the "Look's like a Polish stomach pump" and "Oh I say, smashing cricket stroke" lines with his unshakeable aplomb. A nostalgic treasure of a film.

Don't hesitate: this jolly little movie is pretty much impeccable.

An excellent script, which never falters. And a BOFFO cast of British actors. The quintessential role for Terry-Thomas (tho' "Magnificent Men" is a close second).

But also fine turns from Alistair Sim, John Le Mesurier, Hugh Paddick, Peter Jones. Hattie Jacques does an hilarious voice-parody of Joan Greenwood. Janette Scott is VERY good in a thankless "skirt" role; what a charming personality.

Old car fans will love this. The sport-cars and the mocked-up vintage "Swiftmobile" are worth the price of admission alone. (Sadly, the production designer / props chaps are as yet uncredited at IMDb: perhaps the information is lost.) Very nice camera-setups. Amusingly cheesy sets. A really excellent score from John Addison that is up to Georges Auric's standard.

This has a very jolly, intimate ambiance: a sense of small scale. Feels rather like the b&w Tati movies.

Ahem. Unlike many British comedies, I can really see the attraction of remaking this: the material is so damned good that it could use another go-round, without necessarily insulting the original.

I read all the Stephen Potter books and this movie captures their charm and wit perfectly. I especially love how Ian Carmichael, as the fledgling gamesman, gets sweet revenge on the car salesman who dealt him an antique lemon. And just to look at Terry Thomas' twitching moustache and gapped tooth semi-sneer sent me into convulsions. A perfect 10!