Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48713 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-04-14
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Black & White, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 166 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Green Man and School for Scoundrels are gems of both British comedy and the great Alastair Sim treasury. The Green Man is a charming film that carries a wickedly subversive streak of black humour squarely on the back of Alastair Sim's disgruntled criminal mastermind. Planning to assassinate a windbag MP, his dastardly plot is embroiled in a comedy of errors when George Cole's vacuum cleaning demonstration turns up a corpse in the piano at Sim's Windyridge cottage. Teaming up with the long-legged neighbour Cole tracks down the bomb to a secret hideaway for the MP--a pub called the Green Man. This is the sort of masterful comedy that deftly gets away with confusing the audience, who are never sure whose side they should be cheering.

In School for Scoundrels wimpy Ian Carmichael wants to impress girls and get one over on all-round show-off and cad Terry Thomas (playing gloriously to type). Discovering Alastair Sim's unorthodox school Carmichael happily enrols and learns the quaint tricks of the day for securing the admiration of a fair lady. Ultimately as a star pupil he teaches the Master a thing or two about true love when everything turns out just fine in the end. The three central performances are brilliantly realised, particularly the role reversal between Carmichael and Thomas. Try playing a tennis match after a viewing without calling "hard cheese". --Paul Tonks

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
This double-feature of Alastair Sim movies featuring the equally inimitable Terry-Thomas is a wonderful thing. In THE GREEN MAN Sim plays Hawkins, a timid mild-mannered clockmaker, in reluctant retirement from his rather exciting career as an International Assassination Expert. Suddenly a mission comes his way and he wheedles his way into secretary Marigold's affections to glean vital information for his cunning plan to kill Sir Gregory Upshott. But she knows too much and must go too. George Cole stars in a great turn as a vacuum cleaner salesman charming the pop socks off Jill Adam's soon-to-be-wed beauty. Terry-Thomas is the married, dashing, sports car-driving lover of Dora Bryan who tends bar at The Green Man hotel where the killing must take place. This is a classic matinee movie full of fabulous farcical scenes as Sim tries to fulfill his mission and avoid detection.
The SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS is a college where Alastair Sim teaches oneupmanship. Ian Carmichael plays the hapless new student Palfrey who's unlucky in everything. Terry-Thomas plays the already one-up cad Raymond Delauney who Palfrey must beat for affections of April (Janette Scott). During the tennis scene you'll be in hysterics as Terry-Thomas, in response to bad play from Carmichael, repeatedly calls "Hard Cheese". It's great to see the competition hot-up between them with Sim cooly standing by with advice.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant
I am only 19 years old yet I think the Green man is the funniest movie I have ever seen compared with today modern trash. Alsiter Sim is a national treasure and a very young George cole is hilarious as he tries to sell a vacuum caleaner to people who are not interested. There are also cameos by Arthur Lowe and Arthur Brough who went on to star as Mr Granger in Are You Being Served.

Wonderful fun
The Green Man and School For Scoundrels are two of Alaistair Sim's greatest comedy efforts.

In the Green Man we see Sim as an assassin who is chased across England (by a very young George Cole) while attempting to kill his next victim.

In the School for Scoundrels we get a lively comedy starring Ian Carmichael and Terry Thomas. Sim's plays the professor of the school for rougues (ie Stephen Potts) teaching Carmichael how to take revenge on his nemesis by "winning without actually cheating" and to win the girl of his dreams. Based on the Books by the real Stephen Potter (Gamesmanship and Lifemanship) there is a real story and a lot of fun.

"Hard Cheese" for anyone who misses the opportunity to watch this set.

Fabulous British Comedy
As an American I am envious that Green Man and School for Scoundrels are now available on DVD in the UK. I have School for Soundrels on a Video and Green Man recorded from Channel 4--and converted by me to NTSB from PAL. They are two of the funniest movies ever made, and Alistair Sim may be the most delightfully droll actor ever to appear on film. To think, both of the movies on one DVD! I can't say enough about how wonderful each movie is. I only hope that the DVD will be released in the US. If this is a successful DVD, maybe Sim's equally delightful "Green for Danger" will also get released. (The UK seems to be running ahead of the US in releasing classic movies on DVD--I have also noticed with envy that FanFan la Tulipe with Gerard Philipe is now available in the UK--all I have is a video ofan old BBC broadcast of this wonderful movie.)