Saturday Matinee: The Magic Christian

“The Magic Christian” (1969) is a British satire directed by Joseph McGrath and loosely adapted from the 1959 novel of the same name by Terry Southern, who co-wrote the screenplay with McGrath. Peter Sellers stars as billionaire Sir Guy Grand, who adopts a homeless man (Ringo Starr) and demonstrates to his new heir how virtually everyone in the world can be bought through an escalating series of pranks. Cameo appearances are made by John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Raquel Welch, Spike Milligan, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Yul Brynner among others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_CQD6z9Gtk

Saturday Matinee: The Loved One

“The Loved One” (1965) is a satire directed by Tony Richardson with a screenplay by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood based on a novel by Evelyn Waugh. The plot centers on the journey of young English expat Dennis (Robert Morse) who struggles to navigate the more confusing aspects of Los Angeles culture, particularly politics, romance and the Hollywood cemetery industry. The film was shocking and offensive for audiences of its time and though it may seem tamer from today’s perspective, it retains a cleverly subversive quality and much of the satirical humor holds up well. Features a great supporting cast including Jonathan Winters, Anjanette Comer, Rod Steiger, John Gielgud, Roddy McDowall, James Coburn, Milton Berle, Dana Andrews and Liberace.

Watch the full film here.