What a Carve Up! (1961)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Pat Jackson

Writers:

Ray Cooney (writer)
Tony Hilton (writer)

Release Date:

1963 (Austria)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

It's Corpus Delectable.......

Plot:

Ernie's uncle Gabriel has just died but to claim his inheritance he must spend the night in the ancestral home with the rest of his relatives...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Remake | Based On Novel | Independent Film

Cast

Sid James	...	Sid Butler
Kenneth Connor	...	Ernie Broughton
Shirley Eaton	...	Linda Dickson
Donald Pleasence	...	Everett Sloane
Dennis Price	...	Guy Broughton
Michael Gough	...	Fisk - the Butler
Valerie Taylor	...	Janet Broughton
Esma Cannon	...	Aunt Emily
George Woodbridge	...	Dr. Edward Broughton
Michael Gwynn	...	Malcolm Broughton
Philip O'Flynn	...	Arkwright / Gabriel Broughton
Timothy Bateson	...	Porter
Frederick Piper	...	Hearse Driver

Also Known As:

No Place Like Homicide! (USA)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

New World Films Ltd.

Movie Connections:

Remake of The Ghoul (1933)

An enjoyable movie for a lazy Sunday afternoon

I often wonder if movies like this had the audiences of the time rolling in the aisles or did folk react in much the same way most people today would, with a certain cynical boredom? Personally, I'm a fan of all sorts of humour, and that includes the light silliness of movies like this. Few people, probably nobody in fact, will get belly-laughs from this film, but my girlfriend and I, and her sister, watched it together smiling and chuckling all the way through. We were entertained and we'd watch it again.

Part of the appeal, of course, for a thirty-something like me is that strange nostalgia for a time you never experienced and certainly never was. Even though it's an unrealistic spooky murder mystery, you'd still quite like to be there with the characters, enjoying this curiously innocent world where people die in a remarkable bloodless fashion.

There's a good cast, full of recognisable faces - there's fun to had from finally realising that you're looking at a very young Michael Gough and playing a butler long before Alfred in the first four Batman movies.

It's ultimately absurd, but it's a well-put-together little film, with a great cast, an atmospheric set and a light but entertaining plot, perfect for lazy Sunday afternoon viewing.