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re: Terry Thomas - The Ultimate English CAD....

posted 19 years ago by carl170
11 replies | jump to latest

Here is one of the great English actors that always gets over looked. This is the film that brings everyone to grips with him being the "World best cad".

He also utters the classic saying - "Hard cheese old boy"...

Brilliant, brilliant actor....

Is there, or was there any one close to his style of acting ever?? He is more English than David Niven(*sterotypical speaking!) And that takes a lot of beating....

American actors rule the roost usually. But ever so often - there comes an actor like Terry Thomas that makes you stand up and take notice...

I wish Hollywood had of used him earlier in his life....They missed out on a great talent. He should have appeared in many more big budget films then he did.

He was also in the brilliant film called - "How to murder your wife"

I think he was so under used.

[–] carl170 18 years ago

Just got the film from WWW.PLAY.COM - AND WATCHED IT LAST NIGHT. Very, very good movie, especially from the middle to the end. Terry Thomas and Alister Sims are excellant. So is Ian Carmichael and Jannette Scott. A feel good movie, and also one that will make you smile and chuckle to yourselves. The tricks and ploys are what you would expect are in here in a film that contains Terry Thomas. He is brilliant!

I'm so glad that I have this movie. Get this for christmas yourselves and enjoy this film.

Please get this film. Tell your friends aout it.

I hope that the remake - which should be coming out in 2006, really is done with care and attention. I hope that they will put more emphasis on the school stage of Ian Carmichael's character.

I just hope that they do a good job on this film overall, and not mess it up!

Please give me your thoughts on this film if you indeed do watch it. Or have see it. Is it just me that thinks that this film is excellant????

Carl Brown
Ipswich, England

[–] texaustin 18 years ago

You are not the only one who loves School For Scoundrels - it's one of my favourite British comedy films, of a kind they stopped making in the late fifties / early sixties. There are some classic scenes to cherish and Carmichael, Thomas and Sim are perfect for their roles. There are also numerous character actors to spot, including the late Peter Jones as a dodgy used car salesman. A joy to watch over and over again.

[–] mac_alain 18 years ago

American actors rule the roost usually.

Ermmm... how do you mean exactly?

Highy enjoyable movie, probably shot on a relatively small budget. Still stands the test of time. Loved it. Great cast of British charactor actors, take the two salesmen for instance and of course Terry-Thomas

9/10 if not 10/10

[–] mcaroon62 18 years ago

In the 50s and 60s, there was a hatful of great British character actor/comedians
such as Ian Carmichael, Lionel Jeffries, Alec Guiness and of course Peter Sellars, to name a few. Check out Ealing Comedies and anything by the Boulting Brothers. But yes, Terry Thomas was brilliant !

[–] Adams5905 14 years ago

Ironically, of course, TT’s character isn’t really a cad at all, but just a forceful, self-confident individual. It’s Palfrey who becomes the ‘bounder’, but then pulls back at the last moment, in order to win the delicious April (Janette Scott, whatever happened to her?). The closing shot, however, shows Delauney marching off towards the ‘School of Lifemanship’. How lethal would his become after graduation? Is this why we remember him with such affection ?..Good Show!

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...

[–] pjwoodall1 12 years ago

I always thought he would have a great Flashman if he'd been younger. Years ago I had a comedy album by TT which featured his version of Allan Sherman's "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh(spelling could be wrong) which was "Hello Mater, Hello Pater." I also had albums by Peter Ustinov, Peter Sellers, the Goons and one with Sellers and Sophia Loren.

Then there was Fool Brittania, a satire of the Profumo scandal featuring Sellers, Joan Collins, Lesalie Bricusse, Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. It was written by Newley and Bricusse and was banned from the British Airwaves.

[–] lexp2005 10 years ago

pj I remember "Fool Britannia" fondly as I did have an LP record before it was banned.It was brilliant to say the least!!!
For you to recall Profumo and Christine Keeler with Mandy Rice-Davies affair you must be around my vintage 80+

[–] Prismark10 10 years ago

Terry was born to play the ultimate English Cad!

Its that man again!!

[–] greenbudgie 9 years ago

Great English cad. I liked the film while he was one up. But when he started to lose out to drippy Ian Carmichael, I lost interest in 'School For Scoundrels.'

[–] maitch-1 8 years ago

He is by far and away the best ever cad!

Watching SFS now, and he has just called Ian Carmichael's character a "rotter" and a "stinker."

If anyone would know, it is the great character of a bounder that Terry Thomas created in so many brilliant films.

I've just watched him in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." That film is littered with famous actors and comedians known the world over, but for mine, all the scenes that Terry is in are the best in the entire movie.

I suppose it is the same as John Wayne effectively playing the same character in every movie he was in, but I can't help but wonder how Terry would have gone playing a different, serious role. I think he would have been great.

"Take away the pain, but leave the swelling."

[–] mikecrisp 7 years ago

Re maitch-1. It's hardly a serious role but in 'Brothers In Law' (also with Ian Carmichael) he plays a Cockney wide boy and does it very well. He was, I think, a good actor, not only in the 'Hard cheese, old boy' type part. He was an excellent stand up comedian too.