School for Scoundrels, 1960...
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...0FFFHFUHQTl2i9
Based on the Stephen Potter "One Upmanship" and "Lifemanship" books, Henry Palfrey tries hard to impress but always loses out to the rotter Delauney. Then he discovers the Lifeman college run by "Professor" Potter and discovers the secrets of success.
Much of it was shot by
Cyril Frankel, as original director
Robert Hamer, who was an alcoholic, kept showing up for work drunk.
The burbling sound made by Palfrey's car is the same sound effect used for Sidney Stratton's experiments in "The Man in the White Suit" (1951).
In this film in 1960, Ms Scott was 22 years old, while Ian Carmichael was 40 and Terry Thomas was already 49! A slightly scandalous age difference that was important at the time in real life, but totally ignored for the film industry.
The replacement car for The Swiftmobile, which was based upon a
1928 4½ litre Open four-seater Bentley, with a custom two-seat open body. The car, minus the body, was sold by the studio in 1961 for £50, and re-sold (with a new body) at an auction in 2003 for £110,000. The replacement sported Reg PJB 828, and is most probably a big Austin Healey 3000 launched just a couple of years earlier. Despite being first registered in 1958 it wasn't registered on uk roads until 1989 and was last on the roads in 2012, apparently it's red now but hard to tell if that's the original colour in B&W. The vehicle is currently off-road declared SORN by some lucky owner. Reminiscent of MG in style the Austin body was in fact built by Jensen and typically paired with a 125-150 hp engine unit - heady stuff for the 1950's hence why the 3000 was a regular race winner easily capable of over 100mph. Still popular today at anything from £20-£90k, but £50,000 can secure a fully refurbished as new example - a far cry from the original £825 (inc front discs but not optional heater or radio) + a huge £350 tax!
The 'Bellini' sports car driven by Terry-Thomas in the film, is in reality the actual Aston Martin DB3S which was once driven by Sterling Moss in the Mila Migilia and has been valued recently at £7 million.
