Some Will, Some Won’t ** (1970, Ronnie Corbett, Thora Hird, Michael Hordern, Barbara Murray, Leslie Phillips, Wilfrid Brambell, Dennis Price, Arthur Lowe) – Classic Movie Review 11,455

Director Duncan Wood’s 1970 British comedy film Some Will, Some Won’t is an ill-advised remake of the 1951 classic Laughter in Paradise, but stars a lovely ensemble British cast, including Ronnie Corbett, Thora Hird, Michael Hordern, Barbara Murray, Leslie Phillips, Wilfrid Brambell, Dennis Price, and Arthur Lowe.

When eccentric practical joker Henry Russell (Wilfrid Brambell) dies, his four surviving relatives (Ronnie Corbett, Thora Hird, Michael Hordern and Leslie Phillips) are told they will each inherit £150,000 in his will if they complete a bizarre stipulated untypical act or project.

The four family members are bossy Agnes Russell (Thora Hird) who must work for a month as a maid, shy Herbert (Ronnie Corbett) who must rob a bank, womanising Simon (Leslie Phillips) who must marry the first single woman he speaks to, and crime writer Denniston (Michael Hordern) who must commit a real-life crime and be sent to jail for a month.

Some Will, Some Won’t is a feeble new 1970 version of the superb 1951 Laughter in Paradise, with the top-rate veteran British comedy performers raising just a few smiles from the excellent source material ineffectively reworked by Lew Schwartz from the original screenplay by Jack Davies and Michael Pertwee. For lovers of old British movies and old British performers, it is redeemed by the cast.

Laughter in Paradise (1951) was produced by Mario Zampi and edited by his son, Giulio Zampi, who produces this film. Both films are made by Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), but this became an early release of Nat Cohen’s Anglo-EMI.

The cast are Ronnie Corbett as Herbert Russell, Thora Hird as Agnes Russell, Michael Hordern as Denniston Russell, Barbara Murray as Lucille Grayson, Leslie Phillips as Simon Russell, Wilfrid Brambell as Henry Russell, Dennis Price as Benson, James Robertson Justice as Sir Charles Robson, Sheila Steafel as Sheila Wilcott, Eleanor Summerfield as Elizabeth Robson, Arthur Lowe as Police Sergeant, Harold Goodwin as Williams, Noel Howlett as solicitor Endicott, Diana King as Mrs Craik, Stephen Lewis as Police Constable Arthur, Norman Mitchell as Policeman, John Nettleton as Wagstaff, Brian Oulton as Mr. Dale, Frank Thornton as Hotel Manager, David Lander as Ricci, Claire Davenport as Blowzy Woman, Robin Tolhurst as Lettie, and Vicki Woolf as Janine.

Leslie Phillips CBE (born 20 April 1924) made his stage debut at 10 in Peter Pan with Anna Neagle at the London Palladium.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,455

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