Rattle of a Simple Man

Difficult to believe that in the era of the British new wave that they were making films as clichéd and patronising as this,not to say generally unfunny.It is clear that Percy is a close relative to Harold with the sole exception of the fact that he is hen pecked by his mother rather than scolded by his father.The characters are all clichés,P_ercy the virgin meeting up with the tart with a heart of gold.The only dark lining being the hint at incest.There has been an attempt to open out the play,the trouble is that sooner or later we come back to the bedroom and have to put up with the antics of Percy.No wonder the British cinema was in such decline if this is the sort of film that they were making.

I've seen this film twice over the years on the late night movies and would gladly buy a copy but it doesn't seem to be available on VHS anywhere from anybody - and believe me, I've looked! This is a pity because for a low budget film in black and white, most of which takes place between two people in one room, it succeeds in holding your interest as you really care what happens to the two principals. The movie takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride as you laugh and cry with them through their hopes, anger, fears and dreams. I would rate this as a 10 out of 10.

I was reminded of this film today in an article from the Guardian newspaper. I saw it at the age of 13 in the local fleapit, now a listed art deco building. I'm pretty sure it came with an X certificate, but I was big for my age and got in to many restricted shows - I'd got into The Birds a few months earlier. I also seem to recall that it was the "B" film and that I rated it far higher than the "A" film. I was blown away.

I only recall snippets now. Percy's petting of a cat. Mum's running to deliver a packed lunch. The rough lads and their baiting. I could empathise with Percy because although I ran with some yobs, I was also studious and had to keep a tight rein on being an outsider.

To my unformed mind, the conversation between Percy and Cyrenne was the love story of the century. I was utterly transfixed. And then (no spoilers) the ending.

I haven't seen it since. Who knows if I'd rate it as highly the second time round? However, it's stayed in my memory all these years, especially the way Corbett transformed himself from his part in Steptoe and Son to this naïve put upon virgin.

If one could shed the baggage of sixty years, I'd say watch it. But I don't think I'd be able to, so the film will remain as a memory of my youth.

Odd little film,obviously from a stage play. Like the backward cousin of the grim up north films from the early 60s.

Needless to say,an enjoyable 90 minutes,if only to watch the absolutely gorgeous Ms Cilento .

I saw the "The Rattle of A Simple Man" probably in the North Atlantic in December of 1965 and still sit up when I hear or read the name of Diane Cilento. She and the movie made that big an impression on me! I've certainly been a fan of British film ever since.

As a 21 year old soldier coming back from Europe on the troop ship USNS General Maurice Rose, I saw the film sitting on the cold hard floor of one of the ship's spaces. I'm not even sure there was a screen; the film may just have been projected on one of the walls of the compartment, and as the ship rocked and rolled over the waves, so, too, did the film. Besides immediately falling in love with Diane Cilento, I can still remember being amazed that the U.S. military - not exactly a paragon of intellect or sophistication, especially in those years - was actually showing this English film to the troops. After all, I had just spent several years of enduring the Army's favoring the commentary of Paul Harvey on Armed Forces Radio and of reading the Army's self-serving coverage in the European Stars and Stripes newspaper.

There is an atmosphere of Britain transmitted in this film that doesn't even exist in Britain, itself, anymore. I hope you enjoy the film now as much as I did then.