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