141 The Wrong Box

[MichaelB]

(Bryan Forbes, 1966)
Release date: 19 Nov 2018
Limited Blu-ray Edition (World Blu-ray premiere)

Pre-order here

Two warring elderly brothers and their respective heirs are determined that each will outlive the other in an attempt to hold onto the family fortune, and will stop at nothing – even murder – to achieve their goal.

Bryan Forbes’ riotous black comedy, based on the 1889 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, stars some of the greatest talents of the day, including Peter Sellers, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Tony Hancock, Ralph Richardson, Nanette Newman and John Mills.

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• The British Entertainment History Project Interview with Bryan Forbes (1994): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker in conversation with Roy Fowler
• New and exclusive audio commentary with film historians Josephine Botting and Vic Pratt
• Interview with Nanette Newman (2018): the award-winning actor talks about The Wrong Box and her work with husband Bryan Forbes
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: promotional photography and publicity material
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Vic Pratt, an overview of contemporary critical responses and historic articles on the film
• World premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited Edition of 3,000 copies
• All extras subject to change

#PHILTD141
BBFC cert: U
REGION FREE
EAN: 5037899071892

[domino harvey]

Another one of the boxed names in credits/posters we were talking about years ago!

[KJones77]

Has anyone seen this one? Intrigued by it because of the great cast.

[swo17]

I saw it recently off TCM knowing that Indicator would be releasing it. It struck me as something like a proper British It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Take from that what you will.

[DeParis]

Glad this is finally coming out on Blu Ray, I'm a fan.

I'd agree with swo17's assessment that the film is somewhat like a drier Mad Mad Mad Mad World, complete with the overstuffed climax. I do like The Wrong Box a lot more than Mad World though, it benefits from its strong cast and by its gently dark sense of humor. I think the film is worth checking out if you're a fan of Blake Edwards' early Pink Panther movies, Bedazzled, or other '60s comedies in that vein.

[MichaelB]

Full and final specs:

[domino harvey]

I saw it recently off TCM knowing that Indicator would be releasing it. It struck me as something like a proper British It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Take from that what you will.

I just watched this and truer words have never been spoken. The one saving grace is that unlike Kramer's film, this isn't eighteen hours long. But it is still a movie where I quickly realized I was not going to laugh once, and in that it never let me down. Movies like this, pitched at such a frenetic note, are either great or awful, as commitment to a consistent tone like this allows for little ambivalence. If you think zany stupidity is the height of comic gold, you will have won a tontine of your own with this film. All others can cross this off their lists

[Roscoe]

I saw it recently off TCM knowing that Indicator would be releasing it. It struck me as something like a proper British It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Take from that what you will.

I just watched this and truer words have never been spoken. The one saving grace is that unlike Kramer's film, this isn't eighteen hours long. But it is still a movie where I quickly realized I was not going to laugh once, and in that it never let me down. Movies like this, pitched at such a frenetic note, are either great or awful, as commitment to a consistent tone like this allows for little ambivalence. If you think zany stupidity is the height of comic gold, you will have won a tontine of your own with this film. All others can cross this off their lists

Well, I can't entirely agree, but I can't entirely disagree. THE WRONG BOX strains to be funny too much, yeah. But I do love Richardson's unstoppable monologues about utter trivia, and Wilfred Lawson's butler. And Peter Sellers' cameo as Dr. Pratt always makes me smile, when he mentions that eggs don't make good pets "you can never get them in at night, they're too quiet."

[domino harvey]

I thought the Sellers cameo was agonizing, but I do agree that Richardson and Lawson come out of this best

Also, RE: Caine's name being in a box, it appears this was carried over from the initial art, which boxed Caine's name alongside a reminder to audiences that he was in the Ipcress File

[MichaelB]

Also, RE: Caine's name being in a box, it appears this was carried over from the initial art, which boxed Caine's name alongside a reminder to audiences that he was in the Ipcress File

Whether that was the initial reason, it was Alfie that was Caine's most recent hit - as the trailer for The Wrong Box rather shamelessly reveals.

Incidentally, while Caine opted not to be interviewed on camera for this release, he was kind enough to chat to the BFI's Jo Botting, so her commentary has rather more primary research than these things often do.

[domino harvey]

Yep, Alfie came out a few months before the Wrong Box and became a better advertising point, but the key art had presumably already been set before anyone realized what a smash Alfie was going to be:





This appears even appears internationally:



But not unreasonably, the UK branch of Columbia at least quickly adapted:

[KJones77]

I saw it recently off TCM knowing that Indicator would be releasing it. It struck me as something like a proper British It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Take from that what you will.

I just watched this and truer words have never been spoken. The one saving grace is that unlike Kramer's film, this isn't eighteen hours long. But it is still a movie where I quickly realized I was not going to laugh once, and in that it never let me down. Movies like this, pitched at such a frenetic note, are either great or awful, as commitment to a consistent tone like this allows for little ambivalence. If you think zany stupidity is the height of comic gold, you will have won a tontine of your own with this film. All others can cross this off their lists

While I didn't find it as bad as you, this one definitely peaks in the first five minutes with a very funny montage.

From there, it is all down hill.

[domino harvey]

For me, the opening is when I knew I was in trouble: the conceit of the prologue is solid grounds for comedy, and the set-up allows for eight or nine chances to land on a good joke, but every last one fell flat for me and dread quickly crept in

[MichaelB]

For a decidedly different take, here's Mondo Digital.

[MichaelB]

Glenn Erickson.