Mr. Topaze

Mr. Topaze
British quad poster by Tom Chantrell
Directed by Peter Sellers
Produced by Pierre Rouve
Written by Pierre Rouve
Johnny Speight (script associate)
Based on the play Topaze by Marcel Pagnol
Starring Peter Sellers
Nadia Gray
Herbert Lom
Leo McKern
Music by George Martin
Georges Van Parys
Cinematography John Wilcox
Edited by Geoffrey Foot
Production
company
Dimitri De Grunwald Production
Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox
Release date
  • 4 April 1961 (1961-04-04) (London)
Running time
 97 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Mr. Topaze (released in U.S. as I Like Money) is Peter Sellers' directorial debut in 1961.[1] Starring Sellers, Nadia Gray and Leo McKern, as well as Herbert Lom.[2] His son Michael Sellers plays in the film in the role of Gaston. The film is based on the eponymous play by Marcel Pagnol.[3]

Out of distribution for many years, a print exists in the British Film Institute National Archive, which makes it available for viewing on their website. [4] The film was shown during the 2003 Cardiff Independent Film Festival.[5]

Plot

Mr. Topaze (Peter Sellers) is an unassuming school teacher in an unassuming small French town who is honest to a fault. He is fired when he refuses to give a passing grade to a bad student, the grandson of a wealthy Baroness (Martita Hunt). Castel Benac (Herbert Lom), a government official who runs a crooked financial business on the side, is persuaded by his mistress, Suzy (Nadia Gray), a musical comedy actress, to hire Mr. Topaze as the front man for his business. Gradually, Topaze becomes a rapacious financier who sacrifices his honesty for success and, in a final stroke of business bravado, fires Benac and acquires Suzy in the deal. An old friend and colleague, Tamise (Michael Gough) questions him and tells Topaze that what he now says and practices indicates there are no more honest men.

Cast

Critical reception

In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote, "for the most part, Mr. Sellers keeps himself too rigidly in hand—and the blame is his, because he is also the fellow who directed the film. He avoids the comic opportunities, takes the role too seriously," concluding that, "As a consequence, he's just a little boring—and that's death for a Sellers character."[6]

Bibliography

  • Lewis, Roger (1995). The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. London: Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-09-974700-0.

References

  1. ↑ "I Like Money (1961) - Peter Sellers - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  2. ↑ "Mr. Topaze (1961)".
  3. ↑ Sikov, Ed (19 August 2011). "Mr Strangelove: A Biography of Peter Sellers". Pan Macmillan – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Calvario, Liz (30 April 2016). "Peter Sellers' 'Lost' 1961 Directorial Debut 'Mr. Topaze' Was Restored From His Original Prints".
  5. ↑ "britmovie.co.uk / Mr. Topaze".
  6. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (19 May 1962). "Screen: Sellers Stars in 'I Like Money'; Film Based on Play by Marcel Pagnol Comedian Attempts a Serio-Comic Role The Cast" – via NYTimes.com.
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