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Rattle of a Simple Man
Rattle of a Simple Man
	Film poster
Directed by	Muriel Box
Written by	Charles Dyer
Produced by	William J. Gell
Starring	Diane Cilento; Harry H. Corbett; Michael Medwin; Thora Hird
Cinematography	Reginald H. Wyer
Edited by	Frederick Wilson
Music by	Stanley Black
Production; company	Sydney Box Productions
Distributed by	Warner-Pathé Distributors (UK); Continental Distributing (US)
Release dates	7 September 1964 (London); 20 December 1964 (US);
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Languages	English, Italian
Budget	£141,500

Rattle of a Simple Man is a 1964 British comedy-drama film directed by Muriel Box and starring Diane Cilento, Harry H. Corbett and Michael Medwin.^[2] It was written by Charles Dyer, based on his 1962 play La Crécelle (Rattle of a Simple Man).

A naive Northern man on a trip to London becomes involved with a prostitute.

Plot

Percy Winthram is a 39-year-old socially inept, anxious virgin who pretends to be younger. He travels by coach to London from Manchester with a group of friends to watch the FA Cup Final. The group have a night out in Soho and a £50 bet leads Percy to spend the evening with prostitute Cyrenne.

Cast

Diane Cilento as Cyrenne
Harry H. Corbett as Percy Winthram
Michael Medwin as Ginger
Thora Hird as Mrs. Winthram
Charles Dyer as Chalky
Hugh Futcher as Ozzie
Carole Gray as district nurse
Barbara Archer as Iris
David Saire as Mario
Alexander Davion as Ricardo
John Ronane as Willie
Michael Robbins as George
George Roderick as Papa
Marie Burke as Mama
Bryan Mosley as Mr. Stratton (uncredited)
Marianne Stone as barmaid
Brian Wilde as Fred
Ingrid Anthofer as 1st stripper
Karen Kaufman as 2nd stripper
Terence Brook as strip club barman
Eric Mason as strip club dorrman
Thelma Taylor as strip club waitress
David Burke as Jack
Paul Ferris as Mike
Frank Hawkins as crying man
Roy Patrick as sailor
Doug Robinson as Big Joe
Christine Taylor as party girl
Marjie Lawrence as barmaid (uncredited)

Production

Sydney Box emerged from a temporary retirement from filmmaking to buy the rights to the play for £50,000.^[3] Box originally wanted Peter Sellers for the lead role but he was too expensive.^[1]

Reception

Box office

The film was not a success at the box office.^[1]

Critical

Variety commented that "most of the charm and tenderness that occasionally illuminated Charles Dyer’s successful play has been lost in this coarsened, fatuous film. Only a lively, vivid performance by Diane Cilento in a contrived role holds much interest, though a sound cast does spartan work in juggling the sparse material."^[4]

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Such merit as Charles Dyer's stage original possessed sprang from the fact that it was almost entirely a two-hander, a carefully modulated duologue between Percy and Cyrenne in which the humour almost counterbalanced the sentimentality. Here, everything has been conventionally opened out and coarsened. Harry Corbett grossly overplays the coy gaucherie; the Italian family (including sinister, black-shirted brother, lecherous stepfather and grieving mama) is pure melodrama; and the whole atmosphere of London sin is fetchingly ludicrous. Miraculously, though, by her astringent playing Diane Cilento almost achieves the impossible in creating a character out of nothing."^[5]

Leslie Halliwell said: "Archetypal farcical situation with sentiment added to string it out to twice its proper length. Production values modest but adequate."^[6]

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "Harry H Corbett strays into Norman Wisdom territory in this disappointing comedy from the husband-and-wife team of Sydney and Muriel Box. In adapting his play for the big screen, Charles Dyer so overdoes the pathos that what few laughs there are seem rather cruel and out of place. As the innocent following his football team to Wembley, Corbett is unconvincingly wide-eyed, although his scenes with prostitute Diane Cilento have a certain sweetness about them."^[7]

Sky Movies called it "a rather touching and at times richly amusing extended playlet about an 'innocent' football fan from the north, and the night he spends talking to a London prostitute in her flat. Not very plausible, perhaps, but winningly done. As Cyrenne, the streetwalker, Diane Cilento is persuasive and just right. And Harry H Corbett was able to break away completely from his Steptoe image. Michael Medwin is also very good as Corbett's big-talking friend."^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Andrew Spicer, Sydney Box Manchester Uni Press 2006 p 183-183
^ "Rattle of a Simple Man". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
^ Pearson, Kenneth. "Sydney Box company makes a bid for British Lion Films." Sunday Times [London, England] 29 Dec. 1963: [1]. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
^ "Advertisement". Variety. January 1964.
^ "Rattle of a Simple Man". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 31 (360): 151. 1 January 1964. ProQuest 1305825671 – via ProQuest.
^ Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 839. ISBN 0586088946.
^ Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 757. ISBN 9780992936440.
^ "Rattle of a Simple Man". Find and Watch.