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Amazon.co.uk Review
In School for Scoundrels wimpy Ian Carmichael wants to impress girls and get one over on all-round show-off and cad Terry Thomas (playing gloriously to type). Discovering Alastair Simms' unorthodox school Carmichael happily enrols and learns the quaint tricks of the day for securing the admiration of a fair lady. Ultimately as a star pupil he teaches the Master a thing or two about true love when everything turns out just fine in the end. Appealing to all male sensibilities is the idea of a magical set of simple rules for winning someone's affections. Set in the tweed-rich environment of an English boarding school makes this an even quainter notion. To watch this classic comedy is to cock one's snoot at womanisers everywhere while unavoidably making a mental list of anything that might actually work! The three central performances are brilliantly realised, particularly the role reversal between Carmichael and Thomas. Try playing a tennis match after a viewing without calling "hard cheese". -Paul Tonks
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A fun portrayal of how to get on in life. What a cast, too! Alastair Sim, Terry Thomas, Ian Carmichael, Hattie Jacques, to name but a few.
When Ian Carmichael literally runs into the girl of his dreams, he is swept off his feet. However, he soon loses her to the eternal "bounder" Terry Thomas, who always seems to have the edge on him! Even down to buying a car ("It looks like a Polish stomach pump"), in order to impress the young lady, poor Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael) just doesn't have what it takes. Until, that is, he enrols in the school of Lifemanship, run by none other than Alastair Sim.
As you would expect from such an impressive line-up of stars, this is definitely a film not to be missed. John Le Mesurier even gives a small, but convincing part as the Matre d', whose ears wiggle when he hears the sound of a Pound note being crumpled behind him, to attract his attention!
If you're feeling that life is always dealing you a bad hand, you should seriously consider joining the Shool of Lifemanship; you might enrol for their Interpolated Accountancy class, or even their Wooemanship class! Either way, if you watch this film, you won't be a loser! ("He, who is not one up, is one down!")
A lot of what is portrayed, is very true to life and even more relevant, even in today's bustling, insincere and two-faced society!
When Ian Carmichael literally runs into the girl of his dreams, he is swept off his feet. However, he soon loses her to the eternal "bounder" Terry Thomas, who always seems to have the edge on him! Even down to buying a car ("It looks like a Polish stomach pump"), in order to impress the young lady, poor Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael) just doesn't have what it takes. Until, that is, he enrols in the school of Lifemanship, run by none other than Alastair Sim.
As you would expect from such an impressive line-up of stars, this is definitely a film not to be missed. John Le Mesurier even gives a small, but convincing part as the Matre d', whose ears wiggle when he hears the sound of a Pound note being crumpled behind him, to attract his attention!
If you're feeling that life is always dealing you a bad hand, you should seriously consider joining the Shool of Lifemanship; you might enrol for their Interpolated Accountancy class, or even their Wooemanship class! Either way, if you watch this film, you won't be a loser! ("He, who is not one up, is one down!")
A lot of what is portrayed, is very true to life and even more relevant, even in today's bustling, insincere and two-faced society!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Green Man and School For Scoundrels are two of Alaistair Sim's greatest comedy efforts.
In the Green Man we see Sim as an assassin who is chased across England (by a very young George Cole) while attempting to kill his next victim.
In the School for Scoundrels we get a lively comedy starring Ian Carmichael and Terry Thomas. Sim's plays the professor of the school for rougues (ie Stephen Potts) teaching Carmichael how to take revenge on his nemesis by "winning without actually cheating" and to win the girl of his dreams. Based on the Books by the real Stephen Potter (Gamesmanship and Lifemanship) there is a real story and a lot of fun.
"Hard Cheese" for anyone who misses the opportunity to watch this set.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This film is a showcase of British Post-war film making and the stars and production values that made it this way. Sims, Carmichael and Thomas excel in their roles as teacher, pupil and cad in this superb visualisation of Stephen Potter's writings on One-Upmanship. The film itself is stuffed full of stars of the era, Peter Jones, Hattie Jacques and Irene Handl to name but three. There isn't a duff performance from anyone.
Carmichael plays his usual middle-class English male marooned in a sea of indifference, power struggles and self-interest. However he has help this time. Guided by the wit and wisdom of Alastair Sim, he gains strength, confronts and battles his real-life demons to win the girl (played by Janette Scott, real-life daughter of the late Thora Hird).
I never cease to wonder at the ignorance of people who point-blank refuse to watch a movie just because it is shot in black and white. It saddens me that they deny themselves the pleasure of viewing classics like this.
This film is an excellent introduction to the genre of the British post-war film comedy. Buy it, buy it now.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An English gem
This must be possibly the best english film ever,it has everything in it from dark sarcasm to hilarious comedy,listen carefully to the beautiful diction and wonderfully class... Read more
Published 25 days ago by bob burns
Help Required - Great Disappointment
Unfortunately we have been unable to watch the School for Scoundrels video as the sound does not work. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Bluey
School For Scoundrels - I Liked It
This is one of those post war British comedies that I used to see on Sat or Sun afternoons when we still only had three TV channels. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Nac_Macfeegle
Very entertaining period piece
This film has, I think, a flat spot in its early stages, the reprise in which the down-trodden Ian Carmichael character is explaining how he came to enroll in the School of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Will Stevens
No 'hard cheese' here; this movie's a winner
The story opens in London, and concerns pathetic Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael), a milquetoast who earns no respect from anybody, least of all April, the beautiful girl he wants to... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Kona
Education is a Wonderful thing
The scene opens somewhere on the Thames Embankment, a beautiful prospect for which we must show eternal gratitude to Sir Joseph Bazalgette saviour of 19th Century London, it is a... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Captain Chaos (Semper Vigilans)
A delight
What a hugely enjoyable film! The cast is brilliant, with great turns by the likes of Alistair Sim and Terry-Thomas, along with fine cameos from Peter Jones et al, and the story... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Trish980
It's a Bellini!
'Oh to be in England now that April's here'..
'Hard Cheese!'
One of my favorite films ever!
'Hard Cheese!'
One of my favorite films ever!
Published 20 months ago by Benster09
School for Scoundrels
Terry Thomas was a first class actor but these days is much under-rated and has been largely forgotten. If you love old films evoking an England long gone this is great. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Bridgette A. Evans
hilarious
All you need to know about this movie is that it is hilarious! Thats the short version. Lets be honest most films with Alastair Sim are great and with Terry Thomas at his most... Read more
Published 21 months ago by S. Stewart
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