ComedyDrama

The Ruling Class

When the Earl of Gurney dies in a cross-dressing accident, his schizophrenic son, Jack, inherits the Gurney estate. Jack is not the average nobleman; he sings and dances across the estate and thinks he is Jesus reincarnated. Believing that Jack is mentally unfit to own the estate, the Gurney family plots to steal Jack's inheritance. As their outrageous schemes fail, the family strives to cure Jack of his bizarre behavior, with disastrous results.

Release Date : 1972-09-13

Language :GermanEnglishFrenchItalianLatin

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Keep Films

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Jack 14th Earl of Gurney

Original Name : Peter O'Toole

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bishop Lampton

Original Name : Alastair Sim

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tucker

Original Name : Arthur Lowe

Gender : Male

Character Name : 13th Earl of Gurney

Original Name : Harry Andrews

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady Claire Gurney

Original Name : Coral Browne

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Herder

Original Name : Michael Bryant

Gender : Male

Character Name : McKyle

Original Name : Nigel Green

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Charles Gurney

Original Name : William Mervyn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grace Shelley

Original Name : Carolyn Seymour

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dinsdale

Original Name : James Villiers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Piggott-Jones

Original Name : Kay Walsh

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Treadwell

Original Name : Patsy Byrne

Gender : Female

Character Name : Truscott

Original Name : Graham Crowden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Matthew Peake

Original Name : Hugh Burden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inspector Brockett

Original Name : James Grout

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fraser

Original Name : James Hazeldine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nurse Brice

Original Name : Joan Cooper

Gender : Male

Character Name : Toastmaster

Original Name : Hugh Owens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inmate

Original Name : Henry Woolf

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inmate

Original Name : Griffith Davies

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inmate

Original Name : Oliver MacGreevy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Herder's Assistant

Original Name : Neil Kennedy

Gender : Male

Character Name : McKyle's Assistant

Original Name : Cyril Appleton

Gender : Male

Character Name : McKyle's Assistant

Original Name : Leslie Schofield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Poacher

Original Name : Declan Mulholland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord

Original Name : Ronald Adam

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord

Original Name : Julian D'Albie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord

Original Name : Llewellyn Rees

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Chancellor

Original Name : Kenneth Benda

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord (uncredited)

Original Name : Ernest Blyth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord (uncredited)

Original Name : Terence Conoley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord (uncredited)

Original Name : George Hilsdon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Midwife (uncredited)

Original Name : Margaret Lacey

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gurney Village Pedestrian (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Reynell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Various Roles (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Rietti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peer (uncredited)

Original Name : Guy Standeven

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord (uncredited)

Original Name : John Tatham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Corpse (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Wood

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-05-28

The isn't actually a very good film, I felt - but it is does feature an extraordinary performance from Peter O'Toole as the "Earl of Gurney", about to take his seat in the house of Lords after his father has an untimely accident involving a noose and a tutu. His family are horrified at the prospect. Why? Well, that's because the new peer happens to believe he is Jesus. He spends much of his day contemplating or sleeping erect on his cruciform ornament in the great hall whilst the remainder of his rather eccentric family, and their boozy butter "Tucker" (Arthur Lowe) go about their business. They decide the only way to deal with him is to marry him off, beget an heir, then parcel him off to the asylum so they can resume their ordinary lives... What's probably most notable about this very theatrical black comedy is that it deals with just about everything from religion to vivisection, blasphemy (for many) to insinuendo (that's insidious innuendo in case you didn't know) and almost certainly would not be made now, 50 years on - being about as politically incorrect as it conceivable to be. British cinema always seems to take rather dim view of the church when it comes to comedy, and here Alastair Sim nobly continues with that tradition; Lowe is super as the butler - who's inherited £30,00 from the deceased so is in clover (when he is sober) and the two performances from William Mervyn and Coral Browne as his principal protagonists are amusing as their dastardly scheme takes shape. Sadly, though, it's all way too intense a pace to sustain, and despite the Oscar-nominated efforts of the star, the story begins to run out of steam quite quickly and the joke to wear a bit thin. There is nothing at all subtle about the humour and after a while I just stopped laughing. It is a beautifully shot film, the former Astor residence of Cliveden providing the setting for the ancestral family home, and the score from John Cameron mixes the original with just about everything from sea shanty fo high opera to ably support this preposterous swipe at the class system. It is too long, indeed it is far too long, but at times it shows creative British film making at it's most innovative and amusing and fans of O'Toole will probably appreciate (as would he, I suspect) the wedding scenes near the end... Fun, but over-stretched.