Only When I Larf ** (1968, Richard Attenborough, David Hemmings, Alexandra Stewart) – Classic Movie Review 9765

Director Basil Dearden’s painless 1968 Only When I Larf is an enjoyably tolerable Sixties British crime caper comedy with brightness, if not subtlety to commend it. It features one of Richard Attenborough’s more flamboyant performances as an ex-brigadier master conman called Silas Lowther, who is adept at disguises.

Silas joins with young fellow tricksters Bob (David Hemmings) and Liz (Alexandra Stewart) in a scrap metal scam that takes its cue (though not its ending) from the novel Only When I Larf by Len Deighton, in which various critically injured folk bravely reply the line of the title when asked ‘Does it hurt?’

Also in the cast are Nicholas Pennell, Melissa Stribling, Terence Alexander, Edric Connor, Calvin Lockhart, Clifton Jones, Brian Grellis, David Healy, Alan Gifford, David Lodge, and Gaston Chikhani.

Len Deighton developed the subject as a novel and a movie project simultaneously, and is also co-producer of this movie, so it hit cinemas only a few weeks after the publication of the novel.

British author Len Deighton [Leonard Cyril Deighton] (born 18 February 1929) is best known for his spy novels. His first novel, The IPCRESS File, was published in 1962. Films from his work include The Ipcress File (1965), Funeral in Berlin (1966), Billion Dollar Brain (1967) and Spy Story (1976).

He was the writer and co-producer of Richard Attenborough’s film Oh! What a Lovely War in 1969 but did not like the film-making process, and took his name off the credits.

Only When I Larf is directed by Basil Dearden, runs 104 minutes, is made by Beecord and Deighton-Duffy, is released by Paramount, is written by John Salmon and Patrick Tilley, based on the novel Only When I Larf by Len Deighton, is shot by Anthony B Richmond, is produced by Len Deighton, Brian Duffy and Hugh Attwooll, and is scored by Ron Grainer.

The cast are Richard Attenborough as Silas Lowther, David Hemmings as Bob, Alexandra Stewart as Liz Mason, Nicholas Pennell as Spencer, Melissa Stribling as Diana, Terence Alexander as Gee Gee Gray, Edric Connor as Awana, Clifton Jones as General Sakut, Calvin Lockhart as Ali Lin, Brian Grellis as Carlton head waiter Spider, David Healy as Jones, Alan Gifford as Poster, David Lodge, and Gaston Chikhani.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9765

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