Actors must lead a tough life: not only does the trade deny them the luxury of a steady income, but the challenge of constantly changing roles can throw their own identity out of shape. Or so one English actor (Kenneth More) discovers as he sinks to success in this caustic but witty comedy drama, in which the extroverted façade of the dedicated thespian stands revealed for what it really is: a protective shield against the burden of inconsistent work, the humiliation of endless auditions, and the hunger for popular acclaim. More's luck begins to turn after professional desperation and a need for quick cash lead him to accept a job in the lucrative but disreputable world of television advertising. Nothing, he soon learns, corrupts like fame and fortune, especially when neither is earned (it's easier to be morally pure when you're a starving artist). The film was made in 1963, but is so rarely revived that it qualifies as a lost treasure of sorts.
Review of The Comedy Man
