Our screening of this classic satire on church and local politics celebrates the 100th anniversary of its star, Peter Sellers.
Sellers plays Smallwood, an idealistic prison chaplain who, due to an administrative blunder, is made vicar of a leafy Surrey parish. After introducing radical political ideas about redistribution, Smallwood inspires the wrath of local bigwigs and businesspeople. In the struggle between kindness and capitalism, which side will win out?
Sellers gives one of his iconic early performances in this scathing political commentary by the Boulting brothers, whose work defined British cinematic satire in the 1950s and 60s. Starring a riotous who’s who of British comedy – including Cecil Parker, Eric Sykes, Irene Handl, Brock Peters, Bernard Miles, Ian Carmichael, Roy Kinnear, and William Hartnell – this film has never looked better due to a dazzling 4K restoration.