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	* {{British Comedy Guide\|film\|very_important_person\|Very Important Person}}		* {{British Comedy Guide\|film\|very_important_person\|Very Important Person}}

	~~{{Ken Annakin}}~~

	[[Category:1960s war comedy films]]		[[Category:1960s war comedy films]]

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	~~{{EngvarB\|date=September 2013}}~~
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	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	~~\| name = Very Important Person~~
	\| image = Very Important Person 1961 cinema poster.jpg		\| image = Very Important Person 1961 cinema poster.jpg
	\| caption = Original British cinema poster		\| caption = Original British cinema poster

Kurt: 1 revision imported

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en>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: add Category:1960s British films

2022-09-04T17:19:53Z

add Category:1960s British films

New page

{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Very Important Person
| image = Very Important Person 1961 cinema poster.jpg
| caption = Original British cinema poster
| director = [[Ken Annakin]]
| producer = Leslie Parkyn [[Julian Wintle]]
| writer = [[Jack Davies (screenwriter)|Jack Davies]] Henry Blyth
| based_on = 
| starring = [[James Robertson Justice]] [[Stanley Baxter]] [[Leslie Phillips]]
| music = [[Reg Owen]]
| cinematography = [[Ernest Steward]]
| editing = Ralph Sheldon
| studio = [[Independent Artists (company)|Independent Artists]]
| distributor = [[Rank Organisation]] (UK) Union Film Distributors (US)
| released = {{Film date|1961|04|20|UK|1962|07|30|US|df=y}}
| country = United Kingdom
| runtime = 98 min.
| language = English
| budget =
}}
'''''Very Important Person''''' (retitled '''''A Coming Out Party''''' in the United States) is a 1961 British [[comedy film]] directed by [[Ken Annakin]] and written by [[Jack Davies (screenwriter)|Jack Davies]] and Henry Blyth. The cast includes several well-known British comedy and character actors, including [[James Robertson Justice]], [[Stanley Baxter]] in a dual role as a dour Scottish prisoner and a German prisoner-of-war camp officer, [[Eric Sykes]], [[John Le Mesurier]], [[Leslie Phillips]] and [[Richard Wattis]].

The film had its world premiere on 20 April 1961 at the [[Odeon West End|Leicester Square Theatre]] in London's West End and went on general release in late May on Rank's second string National circuit.

It was released in the U.S. as ''Coming-Out Party''.<ref name=nytimes/>

==Plot==
Sir Ernest Pease ([[James Robertson Justice]]), a brilliant but acerbic scientist, is the subject of a television programme based on ''[[This Is Your Life (UK TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' during which he is re-united with past acquaintances. He does not remember the senior British Army officer at all! A flashback ensues.

In 1942, Pease is in charge of very important aircraft research during the [[World War II|Second World War]]. He needs to take a trip on a bomber to gain first-hand knowledge of the environment under which his special equipment is to be used. However, no one must know who he is. He goes as Lieutenant Farrow, a [[Royal Navy]] [[public relations]] officer. The bomber is hit over [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] and, ignoring a crewman's warning, Pease is sucked out through a hole in the side of the aeroplane, but parachutes safely to the ground.

He is captured and sent to a [[prisoner of war]] camp mostly occupied by [[Royal Air Force]] officers. His excellent command of German causes him to be suspected of being a spy, but when his real identity becomes known to Group Captain Travers ([[Norman Bird]]), the senior British officer, he informs the men in his hut of his importance and that his escape is a top priority. Among Pease's roommates are Jimmy Cooper ([[Leslie Phillips]]), "Jock" Everett ([[Stanley Baxter]]), and "Bonzo" Baines ([[Jeremy Lloyd]]).

Pease is offered an opportunity to escape through a tunnel with two other men. However, he expects the pair to be easily recaptured (which does in fact occur). He instead plans to go into hiding after a fake escape attempt. He presumes the Germans will search for him for two weeks then presume he has got away, at which point they will step down the search and he can more safely escape.

When the Germans eventually assume he has succeeded in getting away and lose interest, he will walk out of the camp, disguised as one of three visiting Swiss [[Red Cross]] observers, along with Cooper and Baines (which has echoes of a real Second World War escape from Spangenberg by RAF officers [[Dominic Bruce]], the "Medium Sized Man" of Colditz fame; [[Pete Tunstall]]; and "Useless" Eustace Newborn, who escaped dressed as Swiss Red Cross doctors). Crucial to the plan is that Everett looks like the camp Lager (compound) officer, Major Stampfel (also played by Baxter, even though he describes him as "hideously ugly"). He must impersonate Stampfel, as he will be escorting the delegation. The escape committee, headed by Wing Commander Piggott ([[John Le Mesurier]]), are very dissatisfied with Pease's plan, but Pease is determined to see it through. The plan nearly comes unstuck at the last moment, when another prisoner, "Grassy" Green (John Forrest), is revealed as an astute undercover [[Luftwaffe]] intelligence officer. He takes them at gunpoint, but mistakes Everett for Stampfel and is "dealt with". Pease, Cooper and Baines walk out of the camp and eventually make their way back home.

Returning to the television programme, Pease is reunited with Baines, now a leading designer of ladies' foundation garments; Cooper, a missionary in India; Everett, a West London undertaker; and Stampfel, who has become a popular entertainment manager at a British holiday camp.

==Cast==
{{Div col}}
* [[James Robertson Justice]] – Sir Ernest Pease, aka Lt. Farrow RN
* [[Leslie Phillips]] – Jimmy Cooper
* [[Stanley Baxter]] – "Jock" Everett / Major Stampfel
* [[Eric Sykes]] – Willoughby, Sports Officer
* [[Richard Wattis]] – Woodcock, Entertainments Officer
* [[Godfrey Winn]] – Himself
* [[Colin Gordon]] – Briggs
* [[John Le Mesurier]] – Piggott, head of the escape committee
* [[Norman Bird]] – Travers
* [[Jeremy Lloyd]] – "Bonzo" Baines
* John Forrest – "Grassy" Green
* [[Jean Cadell]] – Lady telling story on the TV show in the opening scene
* Peter Myers – Shaw
* [[Ronnie Stevens (actor)|Ronnie Stevens]] – Hankley
* [[Ronald Leigh-Hunt]] – Clynes
* [[Steve Plytas]] – Luftwaffe officer
* [[John Ringham]] – Plum Pouding
* [[Joseph Furst]] – Luftwaffe interrogator
* [[Norman Shelley]] – Fred Whittaker
* [[Brian Oulton]] – 1st scientist in corridor
* [[Frederick Piper]] – 2nd scientist in corridor
* [[Joan Haythorne]] – Miss Rogers, Pease's secretary
{{Div col end}}

==Inspiration==
The escape plan, to walk out of the camp dressed as Red Cross observers, was used in real life. It was briefly mentioned in [[Paul Brickhill]]'s book ''The Great Escape''.

There were in fact two such 'Swiss Commission' escapes from German POW camps holding RAF prisoners – Oflag IXA/H, Spangenberg, in 1941, and Oflag VIB, Warburg, in 1942. The escape in ''Very Important Person'' is based on the latter, which was an Army–RAF joint effort, and not the one mentioned by Paul Brickhill. Both escapes are described by Charles Rollings in his books ''Wire and Walls'' and ''Wire and Worse''.

The film's screenplay was later made into a [[novelisation]] with the same title by [[John Foley (author)|John Foley]], which has erroneously caused John Foley to sometimes be credited as author of the novel upon which the film is based. However, it was the other way around: his novel is based on the film.<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Important-Person-written-script-Davies/dp/B000X9JP5O Amazon UK: ''Very Important Person. A book written by J. Foley, based on a film script by Jack Davies.''] Retrieved 2012-09-08</ref><ref>[http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=408717648&searchurl=an%3DJohn%2BFoley%26ds%3D30%26sortby%3D13%26tn%3DVERY%2BIMPORTANT%2BPERSON AbeBooks: ''Very Important Person, Foley, John (based on the film script by Jack Davies)''] Retrieved 2012-09-08</ref>

==Trivia==
The [[Windmill Theatre]] mentioned at the end of the film was a famous variety and revue theatre which featured [[tableaux vivants]] similar to the [[Folies Bergère]] and [[Moulin Rouge]] in Paris. It continued to operated throughout [[WWII]] despite blackouts and [[the Blitz]] on London, and boasted "We Never Closed."

==Critical reception==
''[[The New York Times]]'' described the film as "trifling, even as modest British comedies go," and "burdened, rather than helped, by the presence of James Robertson Justice in a ponderous role," though Leslie Phillips and Stanley Baxter were found to be "particularly droll."<ref name=nytimes>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1962/07/31/archives/screen-british-comingout-partycomedy-on-prisoners-of-war-at-the.html|title=Screen: British 'Coming-Out Party':Comedy on Prisoners of War at the Plaza|first=Bosley|last=Crowther|date=31 July 1962|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> The ''[[Radio Times]]'' however, noted a "winning comedy" with "witty script", "polished playing" - "Stanley Baxter gives one of his best film performances" - and "deft comic support from Leslie Phillips, Eric Sykes and the deliciously deadpan Richard Wattis."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-a0l44s/very-important-person/|title=Very Important Person (1961)|website=Radio Times}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{BFI}}
* {{BBFC title|AFF017259|Very Important Person}}
* {{IMDb title|0055593|Very Important Person}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{British Comedy Guide|film|very_important_person|Very Important Person}}

{{Ken Annakin}}

[[Category:1960s war comedy films]]
[[Category:1961 films]]
[[Category:British aviation films]]
[[Category:British war comedy films]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ken Annakin]]
[[Category:World War II aviation films]]
[[Category:World War II prisoner of war films]]
[[Category:Military humor in film]]
[[Category:1961 comedy films]]
[[Category:1960s British films]]

Very Important Person (film) - Revision history

Kurt at 13:08, 1 October 2024

Kurt at 19:01, 11 March 2023

Kurt at 17:50, 9 February 2023

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: add Category:1960s British films