B
Before the character Withnail, there was the character Chick Byrd played by Kenneth More. In Alvin Rakoff’s 1964 British drama, Chick is an unemployed actor who has a nonchalant, sarcastic energy that hides his growing fear of not being able to find work. Similar to Withnail, he is anxiously waiting for a call from his agent, shocked when his roommate books a glamorous movie role, and stuck living in a rundown boarding house in Camden Town (although the outside shots were filmed in Paddington).
After getting fired from his job in a small town, Chick returns to London in hopes of finding success. He reconnects with old acquaintances, a group of past-their-prime actors who spend their days at West End pubs and cafes and sadly pass by theaters displaying positive reviews for other actors. Bitter and unpleasant agent Tommy Morris has no interest in Chick, nor does charming Prout or unreliable actor Rutherford, who owes Chick money. However, Chick reunites with former love Judy and also meets a new romantic interest, Fay (played by Angela Douglas, More’s future wife). Tragically, when his friend Jack Lavery (played by Alan Dobie) experiences something terrible, Chick makes a regrettable decision which brings him attention and wealth, but at a cost.
The performance is full of energetic enthusiasm and lively conversations, and the beginning scene, featuring Chick’s disorganized concluding speech, is truly impressive. However, there is a noticeable aspect of being outdated and shabby in The Comedy Man, particularly due to More, who comes across as pretentious and self-contented in his comedic role, despite its melancholic nature. He doesn’t exude professionalism, but rather resembles a conceited regular at a golf club who considers himself a clever individual. Although Chick is meant to be annoying, his level of unpleasantness may be a bit too much. Moreover, there are instances of casual sexism and homophobia, which modern audiences can acknowledge and forgive, but lack any cleverness or humanity as seen in other films of that time period.
With that being said, the cast of this film, made up of well-known actors, delivers a strong performance – although it is disheartening to see Dennis Price, the iconic lead from Kind Hearts and Coronets, not being utilized adequately in a British movie. It offers a vivid depiction of Britain in the 1960s.
Source: theguardian.com
