User reviews

Humilliated in sport,losing his girl to a cad, and always taken advantage of-Henry Palfrey decides enough is enough and enrols himself at the College Of Lifemanship to learn self improvement strategies.

School For Scoundrels is inspired by a trio of parody self-help books written by Stephen Potter called Gamesmanship, Lifemanship & Oneupmanship, with the subsequent result being a deftly charming satire backed up with very knowing comedy. Taking the lead role of Henry Palfrey is Ian Carmichael, though a star of many funny and successful British comedies, Carmichael is not someone I would normally term as a confident leading man, but here he does well and I think that is probably down to having the ebullient Terry-Thomas to feed off.

Terry-Thomas is here in full caddish rapscallion mode as Henry's love rival Raymond Delauney, a devilishly funny character who firmly has us begging Henry to get the better of him come the end. Some delightful laughs to be had here, from the duos tennis matches, to Henry's turning of the tables on an unscrupulous car salesmen. School For Scoundrels is never ever less than a funny movie.

However the film is far from perfect, Alistair Sim isn't given that much to do as Henry's mentor, Professor Stephen Potter, and this ultimately feels like a wasted opportunity. The direction is also pretty patchy, which when I delved further is sadly understandable. Robert Hamer was the perfect choice to direct because nestling on his CV is the majestic Kind Hearts And Coronets. But Hamer was fired shortly after filming began after lapsing back into alcoholism (he would die three years later), so the film was completed by Hal Chester and Cyril Frankel.

Frayed edges aside though, School For Soudrels still holds up well today, and when one witnesses the poor standard of the 2006 remake, this 1960 offering is something of a comedic gem to be cherished forever and always.

Hard cheese old boy 8/10

A classic, (and very, very funny) British comedy that seems to have slipped through the net, (despite having been picked up and remade last year with Billy Bob Thornton). Aficianados, of course, love the film with a passion and for good reason since it represents a high point in the careers of Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and director Robert Hamer, (sadly this was the last thing Hamer did).

It's based on the Oneupmanship books of Stephen Potter, in themselves classics of British humour, and here Potter is played by the great and inimitable Alastair Sim, though Sim takes a back seat in this one. Surprisingly, the writers Hal E Chester and Paricia Moyes, who adapted Potter's books, have managed to pull together something of a coherent plot rather than just a series of sketches as initially nerdy Carmichael starts putting Sim's Dark Arts into practice as he goes head-to-head with the dastardly Thomas for the virtue of Janette Scott. Anyone who has ever wondered what the point of Terry-Thomas was need look no further than here. He's a comic fireball and he ignites every scene he's in. Seek this one out.

This is the ultimate Terry Thomas film. He gets to act out being the most wonderful cad, stealing girls off poor saps arms, driving open top sports cars are a furious pace, and generally getting the chance to utter 'hard cheese old boy'. Carmicheal is excellent, bewildered to begin with and slowly learning the dark arts of Upmanship. I implore all to see this film, as always the golden rule is - if a film as Alistair Sim in it, its got to be worth a look. Currently avialable on a 2 film DVD release, with another UK B&W comedy classic. Buy and enjoy.

This fabulous film is available on DVD at last, twinned with another Alaister Sim classic, THE GREEN MAN. But, the star of this film is the dapper TERRY-THOMAS. Every scene he is in is superb. From the suave cad in the first half of the film to the flustered toff in the second, this is one of his finest performances and stands up to repeat viewings due to his expressive faces and masterful comic timing.

I hear there is going to be a Hollywood remake of this film, which will be a huge mistake as there has been no one like T-T since. I recommend anyone who is a fan of British comedy to see this classic or you will forever be crying 'hard cheese'!

I cannot remember how many times I have watched this film now - it takes me back to a time of charming English etiquette which, being too young, I never witnessed. The range of social situations through which we are taken in the apprenticeship of 'Lifemanship' are hilarious, and in a gentle and exquisitely-understated way. Ian Carmichael is, of course excellent, but my all-time hero, Terry-Thomas, is on the toppest of forms delivering the "Look's like a Polish stomach pump" and "Oh I say, smashing cricket stroke" lines with his unshakeable aplomb. A nostalgic treasure of a film.

Don't hesitate: this jolly little movie is pretty much impeccable.

An excellent script, which never falters. And a BOFFO cast of British actors. The quintessential role for Terry-Thomas (tho' "Magnificent Men" is a close second).

But also fine turns from Alistair Sim, John Le Mesurier, Hugh Paddick, Peter Jones. Hattie Jacques does an hilarious voice-parody of Joan Greenwood. Janette Scott is VERY good in a thankless "skirt" role; what a charming personality.

Old car fans will love this. The sport-cars and the mocked-up vintage "Swiftmobile" are worth the price of admission alone. (Sadly, the production designer / props chaps are as yet uncredited at IMDb: perhaps the information is lost.) Very nice camera-setups. Amusingly cheesy sets. A really excellent score from John Addison that is up to Georges Auric's standard.

This has a very jolly, intimate ambiance: a sense of small scale. Feels rather like the b&w Tati movies.

Ahem. Unlike many British comedies, I can really see the attraction of remaking this: the material is so damned good that it could use another go-round, without necessarily insulting the original.

(64%) A superbly watchable classic British comedy that may dabble in silliness from time to time, but there's very few films from this era that are more fun. The cast is filled with some of the better performers of the time with the always very good Alastair Sim as the essentially the headmaster of this school for cheats, the perfectly cast rival Terry-Thomas, with the ideally good Ian Carmichael in the lead role. Memorable scenes involve the now classic wreck of a car sold by some dodgy dealers, and the very fun "hard cheese old boy" tennis sequences. Anyone fond of classic comedy should without doubt give this a look.

I read all the Stephen Potter books and this movie captures their charm and wit perfectly. I especially love how Ian Carmichael, as the fledgling gamesman, gets sweet revenge on the car salesman who dealt him an antique lemon. And just to look at Terry Thomas' twitching moustache and gapped tooth semi-sneer sent me into convulsions. A perfect 10!

School for scoundrels is an actual essay about "what it means to be a man" and male insecurity. pick up artistry if you may. solid concepts of theories about what's manly or not, what makes women fall in love...and above all the notion that women aren't much more than a prize for the real masculinity. they don't have wishes on their own, they are merely fascinated by fancy dinners, big cars and a luscious life. and they ultimately are the evidence that the men next to them are a real man: after all he was able to "get" her.

now you wonder how long pop culture teach men to behave a certain way. Henry Palfrey is a high class man but seems to be a loser: he's not respected by anyone. he's not the best as impressing women - no car, no sense of fashion, and mostly no self respect. he let's others control and decide for him in all aspects of life. that's why he decides to join the college of lifemanship where he will be told how to be a "proper man" - this college is nothing more than the modern "pick up schools" popularized mostly by Neil Strauss 40 years later (that now regrets a lot of it) and his book "the game".

now yes: i had a lot of pity for Henry at the beggining. what is he really when he just was completely surpassed by Delauney at "winning" apirl? a loser. a complete loser that can't even take a girl to a date. this school plays with men insecurities - and henry will start to follow a certain script in order to become the real guy he wants to be. but will he be able not to lose his soul in the process?

My problem with the movie is that it takes too long measuring the "value" of delauney vs henry. the prize in their eyes is april, but we're just presented with two characters with not a lot of deepness (and april is almost a prop as a character) being against each other because one is "manly" and the other isn't. each scene seems to work more as a comedy sketch than exactly a film. i don't find any characer utterly memorable, even though i did like henry in general.

the movie is more a comedy, even though is very subtle too subtle for me. i think "the art of self defense" which is this pretty much is more laughable. but maybe that's my problem. my main issue here is how the story is a bit repetitive somehow and how we're just watching pawns doing stuff that wants to be laughable and sometimes succeeds.

but yes, the art of self defense and fight club are part of these type of films. this movie is an important piece because it shows the idea f what's a man or not is old. the cliches are old. the "pick up artistry" is pretty old too: we've been fed the same crap all over again, and a lot if not most of us still falls for it from time to time. i know i do. it's a very poignant movie that feels short because i didn't find the characters very compelling nor the situations very laughable. also think the script could be better crafted.

but i understand why this is a gem for a lot of people: i also keeo wuth tenderness the classic portuguese comedy films from the 40's even knowing that if i was a completely impartial viewer i wouldn't love them as much. still: this is very poignant and relevant now a days. should be seen by men and women, with everyone knowing that we're not that far from this tree now a days.

How could a British comedy starring Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Alastair Sim could be bad ? In the case of Schools fro Scoundrels, you have the perfect typical old British comedy with wonderful actors. This is the kind of movie that makes you feel good and I guaranty a lot of laughs while viewing this jewel. One of the best comedies starring Terry-Thomas I know (another one I recommend is "Make Mine Mink").

Stephen Potter's biography tells that, before this happy film version was made, Cary Grant was keen, with American producer Carl Foreman, to make a film about Potter's brilliant (now sadly out-of-print)Oneupmanship books. The problem that confronted Grand and Foreman was that they couldn't find anyway to make the humour "American". In the end they dropped it and this rather Ealing-esque film was made instead. This film is just great fun and a reminder of what British cinema at its best can offer. Thank goodness Grant and Foreman didn't give it the "American" treatment. Thank heavens also for a sterling case, in which Terry-Thomas particularly stands out. Tennis, anyone?

This film is perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon, when you can set back and enjoy a sunny English summer, complete with cads, bounders and unsportsmen like behaviour. Lovely. This is the perfect Terry-Thomas movie, doing exactly what he does best, being suave and impressing the ladies with his nifty sportscar and well waxed moustouche. Tip Top.

Oh I say, School for Scoundrels is surely the ultimate films for cads and caddish wannabees. Forget the battle of the sexes or the classes which was a popular theme in British films of the 1960s. This is about winners and losers.

Ian Carmichael is Henry Palfrey who wants to woo the delectable April Smith a girl he has bumped into but is made to look foolish by his chum Raymond Delauney (Terry Thomas) who is out to steal her.

Palfrey also is not having much luck at his firm and his attempt to buy a sports car goes wrong as well. He joins the Lifemanship school where the headmaster played by Alistair Sim soon sorts him out in the ways of gamesmanship and oneupmanship.

Ian Carmichael plays the weak willed Palfrey really well but soon after his time at school he is transformed as the cad on the make. He plays a blinder as you really are on his side with him when he gets his revenge on the garage that sold him the duff car. Then he plays the return game of tennis with Thomas.

Terry Thomas, well what can you say. It's the trademark Thomas performance. The moment he claps eyes on April he turns lecherous and uses his weasel charms to get his way.

Of course as the table turn you see Thomas getting frustrated, exasperated and even more bad tempered.

Alistair Sim again gives another vintage performance as the wily headmaster of the school teaching Palfrey valuable life lessons.

The film has cameos from British character actors of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Irene Handle, Dennis Price, Hattie Jacques, Hugh Paddick, Peter Jones, John Le Mesurier.

The film is a vintage delight. Light and frothy enough with some genteel laughs and held together by Ian Carmichael. It gives space to Terry Thomas and Alistair Sim to shine.

In a sense School For Scoundrels was years ahead of its time because today what Alastair Sim was be doing would be called motivational speaking. I'd hate to think what he could be charging today for his self improvement lectures.

Ian Carmichael has some self esteem issues, he just thinks he's a loser in the game of life. Most especially a pretty girl he literally ran into played by Janette Scott is being given a first class rush by that cad Terry-Thomas.

I think you can figure what happens after Carmichael takes a few courses at Sim's College of Oneupmanship. Just see the two contrasting tennis games that are played by the rivals.

Terry-Thomas with that rakish mustache is so perfect when burlesques Snidely Whiplash like villains on the screen.

And Norman Vincent Peale might have approved of Sim's take on the power of positive thinking. Not exactly what Peale had in mind, but much more fun.

This is classic British comedy at its finest. Having watched it dozens of times over the years it was only the other day when I noticed the following gaff: Early in the film when Palfrey has been stitched up by Delauney at the restaurant he is outside with April when Delauney toots his wolf whistle horn on his 'new Belini 2.6' sports car. He stops and offers one of them a lift making the point that he can 'only give one of you a lift as its a two-seater'.

Later in the film when Palfrey fresh from the college of lifemanship is winding Delauney up by keeping him waiting outside his flat to take him to a return tennis match when Palfrey does get in Delauney's two seater Delauney clearly annoyed with Palfrey sternly remarks 'come on we are picking April up on the way' and after much ado on the roads when they get to April's, tired of waiting she has made her own way. Good job really as three in a two seater doesn't work.

Overall this is wonderful movie with great performances from all and as for the odd blunder well its hard cheese really!