Nothing But The Best

This 1964 British black comedy stars Alan Bates as an ambitious young man eager to carve out a career with a London estate agents firm and strikes a deal with an upper class drunken layabout – played by Denholm Elliott – in his quest to get to the top.

We get a pretty good idea where we are heading with the film's opening shot of protagonist James Brewster (Alan Bates), addressing the camera with the line: “Face it, it's a filthy stinking world - but there are some smashing things in it.” And this determined young man fully intends to get his hands on them. Brewster has succeeded in getting himself a pretty good job, that is to say one with prospects, for a prodigious West End estate and auctioneers office (“Property sharks in the nicest possible way”) and is determined to get to the top. However, there’s but one difficulty: he comes from a pretty lower middle class suburban background and has not one valuable connection in the world! We see managing director Mr. Horton (Harry Andrews) breeze into the office bowler-hatted and sporting an overcoat with a velvet collar (not forgetting the red carnation). We also see where young Brewster has his sights firmly set. He has a keen and sharp mind and fortunately for him, luck is invariably on his side. To demonstrate how young Brewster works when he is asked to clinch a deal between an ambitious property developer and a merchant banker, well, it’s bluff, bluff, bluff... out of which he arranges an important appointment.

This clever ploy nearly backfires as Brewster finds himself sharing a lunchtime table (and forgets his appointment) with a chap called Charles Prince (Denholm Elliott) in one of those overcrowded cheap quick service cafe's that were popular at the time. Brewster soon realises that this shady n'er do well has everything that he lacks - that is to say an ultra-privileged background and the absolute arrogance and confidence of his class. Prince, it appears, has been booted out of the family home for reasons only too obvious but still gets his family allowance (a Trustafarian as we say these days), lucky sod! Fortunately (once again) for Brewster, our Charlie is in between places (probably having done countless moonlight flits) and he suggests he moves into his rather humble digs in an unfashionable part of town. He has already an inkling as to what kind of chap Prince is, for within seconds of their meeting, Prince tells him he was sacked for forging a few cheques and he knows only too well what Brewster is after: a mentor. One of Prince’s mottos is “When one does nothing, it's very important to keep fit.” For a while, Prince is only too happy to go along with this. It costs him nothing, as he never puts his hand into his privileged pocket and for young Brewster, he's getting a relatively cheap crash course in how the other half lives or shall we say, goes about it.

This actually provides Denholm Elliott with a number of excellent one-liners that he delivers beautifully e.g. “My father believes everyone should work their way up from the bottom - the trouble is the bottom is such a long way down.” On a trip to Cambridge, after Prince has informed 'our hero' that his college would have to have been there (no surprise that screenwriter Frederick Raphael was at that very college) and tells him about the difference between red brick universities and blue brick universities. This relationship is doomed from the start. Brewster has been wearing Prince's posh clothes to impress his would-be clientele and when Prince suddenly comes into a lot of money, something has got to be done... Well, we all know just how ruthless Brewster is and now he's about to move into top gear. He's had his eye on the bosses’ daughter Ann (Millicent Martin) since first clapping eyes on her. Ok, she also has an eye for him - could she read that determined look in his ambitious eyes? Only trouble is, she has a boyfriend, namely the terribly posh Hugh (James Villiers) and it isn't going to be too difficult for Brewster to demonstrate his superior business acumen over this toffee nosed fellow and win Ann’s affection. But we know it can’t all be plain sailing for Brewster. He did somewhat underestimate his lascivious landlady Mrs. March (Pauline Delaney… oh, that lipstick) with whom he has a pretty good relationship anyway. Once again, luck is on his side with her being a kindred spirit of sorts. There is, however, the question of.... but that's for the viewer to find out.

Frederick Raphael really has done a splendid job of adapting and greatly expanding Stanley Ellin's short story, though Ellin is probably best known for 'The Speciality of the House’. Alan Bates is extremely well cast in the lead, delivering just the right light touch and he was in fact not upstaged by the always more than capable Denholm Elliott (here providing a perfect foil). Millicent Martin was at the time an actress very much in the news as a result of the infamous 60's scathing satire That Was The Week That Was. Ron Grainer delivered the score and Millicent Martin provided the vocals. Nicholas Roeg was drafted in as a cinematographer. A nice touch is when we see a pub sign 'The Young Pretender' every now and then, appearing in shots with no reference. Clearly this IS a reference to young Brewster however, as that is precisely what he is.

This 4K restoration (available on Blu-ray and DVD) offers the following Extras:
‘The Best of Everything: Interview with screenwriter Frederick Raphael / University of London interview with Clive Donner from 1972 / Behind the Scenes stills gallery / Trailer.