The V.I.P.'s

Director: Anthony Asquith Anthony Asquith

Overview

Terrence Rattigan, the playwright who brought us the multicharactered, multistoried Separate Tables, again offers us an episodic cross-section of humanity in The V.I.P.'s. When a heavy London fog paralyzes all air traffic, the lives of several people are profoundly affected. As indicated by the title, most of the characters in this portmanteau film are of the social and/or financial elite. Elizabeth Taylor wishes to leave her enormously wealthy husband Richard Burton in favor of playboy Louis Jourdan. Peripatetic European film producer Orson Welles is hoping to escape London with his newest protegee Elsa Martinelli in order to avoid paying his income tax. Australian businessman Rod Taylor, accompanied by his devoted (and adoring) secretary Maggie Smith, is anxious to head to New York to stave off a hostile takeover of his firm. And impoverished aristocrat Margaret Rutherford (who won an Oscar for her performance) would rather not go to Florida to accept a job as a social arbiter, but the wolf must be kept from the door. Before the fog disperses, you can be sure that at least one of the many plotlines will intersect with another. David Frost, in a tiny part as a reporter, was fond of recalling in later years that, while the major stars of The VIPS were introduced in the opening titles with animated limousines, he was consigned a tiny Volkswagen; alas, no such cartoon joke appears in the film, though on occasion the actors-particularly Mr. Welles-behave as though they were cartoons. Mercilessly skewered by the critics, The VIPS was a winner at the box-office, due in great part to the Cleopatra-inspired publicity concerning the top-billed Liz Taylor and Dick Burton.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/30/2020
UPC:	0883929712199
Original Release:	1963
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Language:	English
Time:	1:59:00
Sales rank:	34,923

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Elizabeth Taylor	Frances Andros,Les Mangam
Richard Burton	Paul Andros
Louis Jourdan	Marc Champselle
Elsa Martinelli	Gloria Gritti
Margaret Rutherford	Duchess of Brighton
Maggie Smith	Miss Mead
Orson Welles	Max Buda
Linda Christian	Miriam
Dennis Price	Cmdr. Millbank
Richard Wattis	Sanders
Ronald Fraser	Joslin,Air Hostess
David Frost	Reporter
Robert Coote	John Coburn
Joan Benham	Miss Potter
Michael Hordern	Airport Director
Lance Percival	BOAC Official
Martin Miller	Dr. Schwutzbacher
Peter Sallis	Doctor
Stringer Davis	Hotel Waiter,Porter
Clifton Jones	Jamaican Passenger
Terry Alexander	Captain,Captain
Jill Carson	Air Hostess
Raymond Austin	Rolls Chauffeur,Rolls Chauffeur
Joyce Carey	Mrs. Damer
Peter Illing	Mr. Damer
Maggie McGrath	Waitress
Richard Caldicot	Hotel Representative
Frank Williams	Assistant to Airport Director
Rosemary Dorken	Airport Announcer
Pamela Buckley	Airport Announcer
Angus Lennie	Meteorological Man
Duncan Lewis	Hotel Receptionist
Richard Briers	Meteorological Official
Richard Caldicott	Hotel Representative
Ann Castle	Lady Reporter
Clifford Mollison	Mr. River the Hotel Manager
Gordon Sterne	Official
Reginald Beckwith	Head Waiter
John Blythe	Barman
Lewis Fiander	(uncredited) Third Reporter
Virginia Bedard	Visitor
Cal McCord	Visitor

Technical Credits

Terence Rattigan

Anthony Asquith	Director
Terence Rattigan	Screenwriter
Anatole de Grunwald	Producer
Tom Howard	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

A Grand Hotel set in an airport, The V.I.P.'s is the kind of movie critic Judith Crist calls a "wallow." Terrence Rattigan's screenplay has to work hard just to scratch the surface of his characters and their situations, and even then it rarely rises above the level of elementary soap opera. In other circumstances, this would sink the film, but Rattigan, director Anthony Asquith and everyone else involved understands that V.I.P.'s is really just about surface attributes and giving the audience a little glamour, and perhaps tossing in a few sure-fire plot mechanisms and "big" scenes to keep things moving. It's also about giving wonderful character actress Margaret Rutherford a chance to shine, and this it does in spades. Rutherford, one of the silver screen's most endearing personalities, has played roles like the dotty Duchess numerous times before, but she's as fresh and delightful as ever here, working that slightly mealy mouth of hers over her lines and pouring a great deal of attention into expressing the simplest of thoughts. Maggie Smith is also exceptional, eloquently conveying the care and heartbreak of her character with a lingering glance and keeping her characteristic (and often effective) mannerisms under control. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton -- the reasons for the film's existence and its tremendous financial success -- do what is required of them, namely look glamorous and suffer glossily, but they don't really attempt to rise to another level. The V.I.P's is unsatisfying as great filmmaking, but as soap operatic stargazing, it's quite successful.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler