Lord Loam has modern ideas about his household, he believes in treating his servants as his equals - at least sometimes. His butler, Crichton, still believes that members of the serving class should know their place and be happy there. But when the Loam family are shipwrecked on a desert island with the self-reliant Crichton and lady's maid Tweeny, the class system is put to the test.
Paradise Lagoon, El admirable Crichton, L'incomparabile Crichton, Zustände wie im Paradies, 孤岛历险记, L'Admirable Crichton
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Oh, the Admirable Kryten,
Yep the spelling is off, while everyone is throwing out Gilligan's Island, Triangle of Sadness, etc. I'm throwing my hat in with "The Boys from the Dwarf!"
If anyone is reading this who knows the importance of changing the bulb for red alert, the word smeg outside of a make of fridge, or what is Blue Midget, may get the Kryten spelling.
Yes this class comedy from the writer of Peter Pan and the major first Bond director, about the Butler who becomes master when his upper class rulers are stranded on a desert island, was the inspiration for everyone's fav neurotic android, who nipples pick up Jazz FM.
You can also argue it influenced Swept Away (both versions) and the Quantum Leap episode which ripped off, sorry homages Swept Away when Sam ends up on an island with Brooke Shields.
Well there is a lot to enjoy in this sociopolitical comedy that has some moments of emotional entanglement. First off this cast was equally enjoyable at showing there arrogant demeanor all the while our titular character played by the wonderful Kenneth More keeps an emotionally separated dry response that reminded me of the 90's series "Jeeves and Wooster". This "Swiss family Robinson" makes a decent (might I say) idyllic life for themselves on an deserted island and sure there is some dalliances but not as salacious as Lina Wertmüller's "Swept away". The ending broke my heart but reaffirmed my thoughts on the upper class but at least I can admire one character.
A Butler’s wisdom No.1:
To me the most beautiful thing in the world is a haughty English aristocratic home with everyone kept in his place.
Charmingly old-fashioned adaptation of a 1902 stage play by J.M. Barrie, best known as the author of Peter Pan. Set for the most part on a (Techni-)colour suffused South Seas island (actually shot in Bermuda), it fortunately doesn’t much resemble filmed theater. The story is a lively, amusing satire of the British class system, although never particularly biting and careful not to rock the boat too much.
Great character actor Cecil Parker is delightful as Lord Loam, a wealthy high society patriarch who, by an unlikely stroke of bad luck, gets stranded on an uninhabited…
There is ironic brilliance to this. It's gentle and prodding of the painful ridicule of the daily social strata, of the societal inequalities that we impotently swim along with.
As a film fan, I'm discovering treasure everyday by finally exploring the vast neverending vault of the past. I'd never heard of Kenneth More before this afternoon. A man who saw active service in the Royal Navy during World War 2. A celebrated stage actor who has a theatre named after him.
More is great. I love his performance and screen smarts. The inherent politeness of the role seems effortless in his hands, but I guess the most talented people make technical things look simple.
I will never tire of 1950's…
and to absolutely no one's surprise i have yet another old british man i find hot. will i stan? stay tuned
Lewis Gilbert's rich pre-Bond career continues to be all but unexplored by anyone other than the six of us here on Letterboxd who have nothing but Talking Pictures TV on during the day. Because what other station is there?
The Admirable Crichton should have been one of his best - actually, maybe it is, but it irked me in its final third after doing such fine work in its first hour or so. A reversal of a class comedy that happens after an aristocratic family are left stranded on an island with servants Kenneth More and Diane Cilento, there's some really good stuff happening in the opening stages here.
It presents More of being that kind of member of the…
Charming class comedy about an ennobled family helmed by Cecil Parker shipwrecked on a Pacific island with their manservant Crichton (Kenneth More). It's based on a play by J M Barrie and deals with the inequality of man in a flighty, fantastical way. More, a man whose charms I have yet to discern, is utterly irresistible to the four women shipwrecked with him (whatever...) and yet he hesitates before the palpable loveliness of Diane Cilento. Reliably scene-stealing moments from Martita Hunt and Miles Malleson back in Blighty but the majority of the film takes place on the island idyll and the light handling from director Lewis Gilbert makes the stranding there a pleasant breeze.
Glad to see this on letterboxd under it's original title rather than the ridiculous US title Paradise Lagoon. As it happens the version I watched on YouTube was Paradise Lagoon...🤬
Big screen adaptation of JM Barrie's play is a jolly comic romp, taking a swipe, albiet gently, at the British upper classes, a class which I can still say to this day are as pointless and useless as this bunch.
More, as butler Crighton, anchors the film brilliantly as the selfless figure who teaches his masters not only to be happier but some humility too.
The ill equipped family are shipwrecked on a desert island and eventually turn to the far more resourceful Crichton to lead them, the roles are…
It was an amusing film, of how stranded on a deserted island quickly reverses the class order.
My favourite highlight was the scene where the girls were swimming in the lake!
And wearing island cloths is a bonus!
But, it loses the point due to the ending; it was rather sad that Crichton and Mary never stayed together, and he rode off with Tweeny. Don't get me wrong, she is a lovely girl, but it was obvious that Mary and Crichton were in love, and it felt disappointing that he "settled" for the other girl.
Nevertheless, it was indeed a decent film.
A comedy of manners and class, helped by the source play by JM Barrie, and a central performance as the butler turned shipwreck saviour from Kenneth More.
In the scenes outside of the island have fun spotting familiar character faces. On the island, the ruling class are shown to be shallow, self-serving, and, when their guard is down, rather fun, but all good things come to an end.
"he would have equality for all. but what good would that do?"
what a depressing bite of reality! in the admirable crichton, we see what the line between social classes really mean: nothing, but we pay so much attention to it anyway. that's how our society has molded us and that's how we continue to mold our society
this movie is simply an underrated piece of art; there is just so much to love about it! the characters were perfectly cast- from the amazing kenneth more as the titular character to the overtly exaggerated diane cilento who played the naïve, but good-hearted tweeny; every character's quirks and actions just fit perfectly. the music, the costumes, and the cinematography were all…
Thoroughly sweet and charming adaptation of JM Barie’s play about a wealthy family and their household staff getting shipwrecked and gradually changing rolls. A little bit Giligan’s Island and a little bit Triangle of Sadness, but very endearing and entertaining.
