If you like classic British comedy's this could be for you
a great cast with George Cole as a mild mannered henpecked man
who get hypnotised which completely changes his character.
Two future Doctor Who actors Jon Pertwee & William Hartnell
appear together on screen with support from Joan Sims.
11 Reviews
Enjoyable, if a tad stilted.
hitchcockthelegend13 September 2008
Will Any Gentlemen...? is adapted from the stage play by Vernon Sylvanie. Where the play was apparently joyous in its farcical ideals, this adaptation struggles to convince as a farcical whole. The plot revolves around George Cole's spineless bank clerk, Henry Sterling, who whilst attending a music hall show, falls under Mendoza the hypnotist's spell (Alan Badel looking like Satan!). This brings about a complete character change in Henry, he is now a womanizer and shifty in the extreme, this of course causes much consternation to Henry's wife, who enlists Mendoza to track down Henry and snap him out of this dubious spell.
Some solid laughs come about as the farce rate ups during the final third, but some of the dialogue is terribly twee and the cast in the main struggle to deliver fun lines with any great conviction, with Jon Pertwee as Charley Sterling particularly looking out of place. However, the picture is not a total waste of time, it has a certain charming appeal and at the least it does put a smile on ones face from time to time. Ultimately, though, a better cast and a stronger director could have made this into a British treasure. 5/10
Some solid laughs come about as the farce rate ups during the final third, but some of the dialogue is terribly twee and the cast in the main struggle to deliver fun lines with any great conviction, with Jon Pertwee as Charley Sterling particularly looking out of place. However, the picture is not a total waste of time, it has a certain charming appeal and at the least it does put a smile on ones face from time to time. Ultimately, though, a better cast and a stronger director could have made this into a British treasure. 5/10
Ahh, what jolly good fun!
rocdoc200423 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
When I was a lot younger I saw a lot of UK TV on the ABC in Australia - I fell in love with the Goodies, Kenny Everrett, Dave Allen and so on. I remember seeing a distinguished Jon Pertwee offering food for thought on Whodunit, and I am still watching all seven series of Minder daily, starring George Cole.
Suddenly late one night I randomly land on this fun movie and had a hoot watching it. It was great to watch classic UK actors from this era (especially Pertwee and Cole) having a shot at ham drama and comedy. It was wonderful to see these talented actors on the young side of prime, something I had never seen before.
The movie is the tale of stage hypnotism (which I found unusual and charming). The hilarity derives from the fact George has lost all his inhibitions due to being hypnotised. Typical British hijinks, tempered with a stiff upper lip, ensues.
Regardless of what others say, I found this movie to be a delight, the story is fun and bright and the acting animated. I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy it.
Suddenly late one night I randomly land on this fun movie and had a hoot watching it. It was great to watch classic UK actors from this era (especially Pertwee and Cole) having a shot at ham drama and comedy. It was wonderful to see these talented actors on the young side of prime, something I had never seen before.
The movie is the tale of stage hypnotism (which I found unusual and charming). The hilarity derives from the fact George has lost all his inhibitions due to being hypnotised. Typical British hijinks, tempered with a stiff upper lip, ensues.
Regardless of what others say, I found this movie to be a delight, the story is fun and bright and the acting animated. I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy it.
Misses the bullseye but still good fun
Marco_Trevisiol13 February 2012
While this film version of a then popular stage show never quite gathers the momentum to be a full success, it's likable and fitfully amusing.
The biggest weakness is how the key plot function of George Cole's character turns from a meek bank clerk to an unstoppable force of nature in an instant. There's no trigger for this to occur so it seems like it only exists when it's convenient for the plot and therefore feels contrived and forced. As a lot of humour and narrative is reliant on this, it's a significant problem for the film.
Still, after a slow start the film becomes increasingly fun. This is mainly due to an excellent cast. Cole is good, but some of the supporting performances are even better. Joan Sims is a delight as Cole's maid and Alan Badel - completely unrecognisable from his usual upper- class persona - is a delight as the hypnotist who begins all of Cole's problems.
Worth a look.
The biggest weakness is how the key plot function of George Cole's character turns from a meek bank clerk to an unstoppable force of nature in an instant. There's no trigger for this to occur so it seems like it only exists when it's convenient for the plot and therefore feels contrived and forced. As a lot of humour and narrative is reliant on this, it's a significant problem for the film.
Still, after a slow start the film becomes increasingly fun. This is mainly due to an excellent cast. Cole is good, but some of the supporting performances are even better. Joan Sims is a delight as Cole's maid and Alan Badel - completely unrecognisable from his usual upper- class persona - is a delight as the hypnotist who begins all of Cole's problems.
Worth a look.
similar storyline to office space
ksf-222 March 2024
Story of what can happen when hypnosis goes all wrong. Timid bank clerk henry sterling ends up on stage, gets hypnotized, and has no memory of flirting with angel, the hypnotist's assistant. Apparently, he was never brought out of the hypnosis. And now he doesn't even want to go to work. Pretty similar story to office space, from 1999. This one stars george cole, jon pertwee, veronica hurst. It's okay. The first twenty minutes are actually a bit annoying. All running around, no-one really listens to anyone. No likeable characters. The incompetent doctor, flitting about. But it calms down, and comes to a happy place. It's okay. An old fashioned farce. Nobody wakes up dead! Office space did a much better job with it. This story started as a play. The film directed by michael anderson... he was nominated for around the world in eighty days. Based on the play by vernon sylvaine.
woeful adaptation of a stage success
malcolmgsw25 November 2013
I wonder if the director of this film went to see a stage performance of this film and decided to keep all the stage directions and mannerisms in the film.It seems that every line is shouted and the actors indulge in the most cringe worthy mugging.perhaps the only actor exempt from this criticism is George Cole.Incidentally the poor put upon member of the audience in the music hall sitting next to George Cole is none other than Richard Massingham who made public information shorts.There is a good cast including John Pertwee,James Hayter,Sid James,Diana decker but they are all wasted.It is woefully unfunny,although the technicolour photography gives a certain freshness to the picture.
Dull and tedious farce!
geoffm6029516 December 2020
With a strong cast of well known character actors, I expected a much more entertaining film. George Cole, plays the upright and meek, bank employee Henry Sterling, who suffers from sudden temporary fits of 'womanising' and playing the 'cad' which land him in all all sorts of marital and work problems. His 'Jekyll and Hyde' shenanigans is made worse by his scatty brother, played by Jon Pertwee. Enter all sorts of idiosyncratic characters, such as James Hayter playing a 'mad hatter' doctor, as Henry's lothario habits and misunderstandings land him in one crisis after another. Although the pace is fast and furious, the storyline borders on the absurd and infantile, and long before the end, the scenes showing Henry, morphing into a sort of 'Brian Rix' become too much! I found the character of George Cole annoying and frankly irritating! He was never a photogenic male lead and the idea that eligible young woman would swoon over him, seemed faintly ridiculous. A tedious film with too many cringeworthy scenes.
Worth it for the cast alone
Leofwine_draca14 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
WILL ANY GENTLEMAN...? isn't a great British comedy; it pales when compared to many of the best of the 1950s, particularly those made by Ealing or in the latter part of the decade, the early CARRY ONs. However, in terms of the cast alone it's worth watching, and the farcical plotting is amusing enough. George Cole shines as a shy bank clerk who finds himself transformed under hypnosis into a real lothario, so there's a kind of Jekyll & Hyde vibe going on here. The cast is exemplary with familiar face after familiar face appearing; particularly amusing is Joan Sims in her first-ever role.
"See a Doctor! See Two or Three Doctors!!"
richardchatten16 February 2020
A romping Technicolor farce vaguely indebted to Jeckyll & Hyde adapted by Vernon Sylvaine from his own West End hit of 1950, that basically extends to feature length the section in 'Laughter in Paradise' in which George Cole is forced to publicly make a fool of himself.
A once-in-a-lifetime supporting cast ranges from Alan Badel to Richard Massingham (and two future Doctor Whos); and there are some quite naughty jokes like the provenance of the paper used to replace the banknotes (while what George Cole does to Joan Sims, in her film debut, would get him fired and ostracised today...)!
A once-in-a-lifetime supporting cast ranges from Alan Badel to Richard Massingham (and two future Doctor Whos); and there are some quite naughty jokes like the provenance of the paper used to replace the banknotes (while what George Cole does to Joan Sims, in her film debut, would get him fired and ostracised today...)!
Will Any Gentleman
John-ridley3316 February 2020
Just another case of Hollywood pinching an idea from British comedies. Seven years after the release of "Will Any Gentleman," Hollywood come up with "The Nutty Professor". Not an exact remake but the idea is not far removed.
I'd get hypnotized too if there were a bunch of people I wanted to dump from my life.
mark.waltz9 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The best way to annihilate friends, family and coworkers is to tell them what you really think of them. Meek clerk George Cole inadvertently gets himself into hot water when he's dragged into a music hall, put under by magician Alan Badel, and emerges a completely different person. He's trying to prevent neer do well brother Jon Pertwee from further trouble, and ends up in more. He's got a beautiful but controlling wife (Veronica Hurst), a harridan of a mother-in-law (Heather Thatcher) and an amorous maid, a demanding boss, and thanks to the confusion, trouble with the law.
Delightfully goofy farce based on a hit British play, this is colorful and nonstop farce, energetic and the type of play they rarely write anymore, although there have been a few spoofs such as "Noises Off!" and "The Play Gone Wrong". Cole is terrifically funny, getting a part that is a funny man's dream. The color photography takes good advantage of the situations, along with a few onstage dance numbers and other music hall style acts. Maybe not for all modern tastes, but for those who just need a good 90 minutes of silliness, they can't go wrong with this.
Delightfully goofy farce based on a hit British play, this is colorful and nonstop farce, energetic and the type of play they rarely write anymore, although there have been a few spoofs such as "Noises Off!" and "The Play Gone Wrong". Cole is terrifically funny, getting a part that is a funny man's dream. The color photography takes good advantage of the situations, along with a few onstage dance numbers and other music hall style acts. Maybe not for all modern tastes, but for those who just need a good 90 minutes of silliness, they can't go wrong with this.
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