IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

Alastair Sim was one of the greatest character actors in the history of British cinema, but he is largely unknown in the United States. If he is remembered at all on this side of the pond, it is largely for his portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol (originally released in England as Scrooge). U.S. film fanatics may also know Sim from his turn in Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright (1950) or in the mysteries Green for Danger (1946) and An Inspector Calls (1954). However, like Alec Guinness, Alastair Sim was just as adept at comedy as drama; and in England, he is probably best loved for light, humorous fare, such as The Belles of St. Trinian’s (1954, in which he played the headmistress of a girl’s school), Laughter in Paradise (1951), and School for Scoundrels (1960). An excellent example of Sim’s comedic gifts is on display in the The Green Man (1956), but that comedy has been less-seen due to a lack of existing prints in good condition. Happily, on June 1st, Kino Lorber will introduce the film to American audiences with their Blu-ray of the film’s recent 4K restoration.

The Green Man is a black comedy farce about a professional assassin whose latest hit job is disrupted by a nosy vacuum cleaner salesman. Like prior comedies of murder, such as Monsieur Verdoux (1947) and Kind Hearts of Coronets (1949), the story is narrated by the killer, letting the audience know from the start that his best laid plans are about to go awry. The killer, in this case, is Hawkins (Alastair Sim), a watchmaker, who also excels at designing camouflaged explosive devices. His particular specialty is in the disposal of pompous individuals, which the world would be better off without. His latest target is Member of Parliament, Sir Gregory Upshott (Raymond Huntley), whom Hawkins plans to do in while the MP is engaged in an extramarital affair at the seaside hotel, The Green Man. Unfortunately for Hawkins, a vacuum cleaner salesman (George Cole) arrives just as the job is about to commence, and he catches wind of the plot. The situation quickly devolves into pure farce, as Hawkins and the salesman try to stay one step in front of the other, while simultaneously racing against an actual ticking time bomb.

The Green Man has been compared to the dark comedies of Ealing Studios, including Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) and The Ladykillers (1955), but it is a bit more broadly farcical than those films. Still, it succeeds in a similar way, by taking the darker aspects of the storyline completely seriously. The screenplay makes it abundantly clear that Hawkins and his less professional accomplice (John Chandos) are ruthless murderers, who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. The situation may be farcical, but the stakes are real. People are going to get hurt. The film is also refreshingly frank regarding the naughty extramarital business that the guests at The Green Man are getting up to.

Sim is absolutely hilarious in the part. However, his comic mugging never diminishes the threat of his character. He is always believably amoral and malicious. It is a terrific comic performance, which I won’t diminish by over-analyzing.

While Sim serves up a comedic feast on his own, the supporting performers add lots of spice to the offering. George Cole provides a likeable, eager adversary for Sim to play against, and Jill Adams (in the role of Sim’s next door neighbor, who joins forces with the salesman) makes a beautiful and intelligent leading lady. Cole and Adams have a nice romantic chemistry, which provides a welcome counterpoint to the homicidal aspects of the plot.

Scene-stealing cad Terry-Thomas also shows up in a small part in the final third of the film. His role is is mainly an excuse to add a bit of mistaken identity to the farce. While Terry-Thomas is given little to do, he is such a confident comic presence that he walks away with every scene in which he appears.

If you’ve only seen Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, The Green Man is an excellent introduction to another aspect of the great actor’s career.  It may not be as sophisticated or essential as the Ealing comedies to which it has been compared, but it is a breezy, amusing 80-mintes of fun. I very much expect that I will revisit this ‘pleasant little comedy about unpleasant subject matter’ often in the future.

U.K./B&W-80m./Dir: Robert Day/Wr: Frank Launder & Sidney Gilliat from their play “Meet a Body”/Cast: Alastair Sim, George Cole, Terry-Thomas, Jill Adams, Raymond Huntley, Colin Gordon, Avril Angers, Dora Bryan, John Chandos, Cyril Chamberlain, Eileen Moore, Richard Wattis

For Fans of: If you like the classic British comedies of Ealing Studios, such as Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) and The Ladykillers (1955), you’ll very likely enjoy this too.

Video: It has been said that this Alastair Sim comedy was lesser known due to the lack of good quality prints and film elements. However, you’d never know that when viewing Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ new Blu-ray. The Green Man has received a fantastic high-definition transfer from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. The picture quality is excellent. The film displays a few minor scratches here and there (which I didn’t notice until I specifically looked for them), but overall the picture quality is sharp and clear, with excellent contrast and appropriate film grain.  The disc’s sound is also beautifully clear, with no age-related hiss. Whether you are a fan of the film or a newbie, you should have no complaints about the presentation of the film.

Included in the package are the following extras:

• A new, full-length audio commentary by film historian David Del Valle, which details the production of the film and the personalities involved. It is a well-researched and entertaining track. While a lot of information is imparted, the discussion is never dry, and it is a quality addition to a quality film.
• Trailers for Murder, He Says (1945), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), One, Two, Three (19621), Inspector Clouseau (1968), and The Producers (1967).
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

Streaming: At the time of this review, The Green Man was not streaming on any of the major subscription services.  It was also unavailable for purchase or rental through any digital retailers.

More to Explore: Four additional British comedies starring Alastair “Scrooge” Sim were released in the Blu-ray box set, Alastair Sim’s School for Laughter. Included were The Belles of St. Trinian’s (1954), School for Scoundrels (1960), Laughter in Paradise (1951), and Hue and Cry (1947).

Trivia: George Cole co-starred with Alastair Sim in several films, including playing the younger version of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1951). This was no coincidence. After co-starring with a 15-year-old Cole on the stage, Sim helped guide the young actor’s career and trained him in how to lose his Cockney accent. Sim and his wife even took the young actor into their home, when he was starting out as a teenage actor. The relationship between Sim and Cole has been described as an unofficial adoption.

For More Info: The life and career of Alastair Sim has been chronicled in Alastair Sim by Mark Simpson.