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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1960s
    Movies - 1960s Movies - M 3 Mins Read

    Magic Christian, The (1969)

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    Eccentric millionaire Guy Grand (Peter Sellers) knows that most folk will do anything for money and sets out to prove it with the help of his adopted hobo son, Youngman Grand (Ringo Starr), in this riotously funny satire written by Terry Southern and director McGrath, from Southern’s novel.

    Sir Guy and his adoptive son proceed to test what people will do for money with a series of practical jokes and surrealist hoaxes . . .

    At the theatre, Laurence Harvey combines his Hamlet recital with a striptease. When given a parking ticket by a traffic warden (Spike Milligan), he pays the warden £500 to eat the ticket.

    At Sotheby’s auction house, Guy buys a Rembrandt from the auction director and proceeds to destroy it by cutting the nose out.

    He also buys off the Oxford boat race team and its manager (Richard Attenborough) into sabotaging Cambridge.

    The beautiful people of London set sail down the Thames on the luxury liner Magic Christian bound for New York, under the captaincy of drunken Reginald K. Klaus (Wilfred Hyde-White) and powered by the Priestess of the Whip (Raquel Welch).

    But the ship proves un-seaworthy when the ship’s vampire (Christopher Lee) makes his way to the bridge.

    Ultimately, on the banks of the River Thames, they build a cesspool of blood, urine and excrement, then throw money into it, offering it up for free to anyone prepared to fish it out.

    Sellers gives a bright and stylish performance as the blimpish Sir Guy Grand, but Ringo Starr’s effort to project himself as a non-Beatle actor is a distinct non-event.

    Paul McCartney lent a hand by writing and producing the sublime theme song, Come And Get It.

    Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
    Peter Sellers:
    Youngman Grand, Esq
    Ringo Starr
    Dame Agnes Grand
    Isabel Jeans
    Hon Esther Grand
    Caroline Blakiston
    Oxford coach
    Richard Attenborough
    Laurence Faggot
    Leonard Frey
    Hamlet
    Laurence Harvey
    Ship’s vampire
    Christopher Lee
    Traffic warden #27
    Spike Milligan
    Solitary drinker
    Roman Polanski
    Priestess of the Whip
    Raquel Welch
    Hot dog vendor
    Victor Maddern
    Mad Major
    Terence Alexander
    Pompous Toff
    Peter Bayliss
    Auctioneer at Sotheby’s
    Patrick Cargill
    Mr Dougdale
    John Cleese
    Sommelier
    Clive Dunn
    Ginger Horton
    Hattie Jacques
    Lord Hampton
    Jeremy Lloyd
    Ship’s guide
    David Lodge
    Winthrop
    Dennis Price
    Sir Herbert
    Roland Culver
    Sir John
    John Le Mesurier
    Sir Lionel
    Michael Trubshawe
    Transvestite cabaret singer
    Yul Brynner
    Capt Reginald K Klaus
    Wilfrid Hyde-White
    John Lennon
    Himself

    Director
    Joseph McGrath

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