RATTLE OF A SIMPLE MAN

UK, 1964, 96 minutes, Black and white.
Diane Cilento, Harry Corbett, Thora Hird, Michael Medwin, Charles Dyer.
Directed by Muriel Box.

Rattle of a Simple Man refers to the character played by Harry H. Corbett (best known for Steptoe and Son on television) who is a Manchester United supporter going down to London for a big match. He has his rattle as a support. After drinking with his mates, the shy young man is urged to have a bet that he can spend a night with a prostitute.

What happens is mainly conversation, the interaction between the young man and the prostitute, played by Diane Cilento. The film is good-natured – opening up the characters of the young man and the prostitute, the contrast between simplicity and experience, and the positive interaction between the two of them.

The film was written by Charles Dyer, later to write the Richard Burton- Rex Harrison vehicle, Staircase. Dyer himself plays one of the mates as does Michael Medwin. Thora Hird appears as Corbett’s mother.

The film was directed by Muriel Box, wife of and co-writer with Sidney Box. This gives it a feminine perspective. Muriel Box had directed a number of films in the 40s and 50s including The Beachcomber, Simon and Laura, The Truth About Women.

1. The two meanings of the title, of the word rattle? How did they indicate and illustrate the themes of the film?

2. How human and real was the film? What audience sympathies did it evoke?

3. The importance of the sequence of Percy and his mother at the bus? The influence of his mother on Percy?

4. The picture of the football crowd: Ginger and Charlie etc; their boyish attitudes towards football, their reaction to the game, their celebration in the city, boys in the bar, their talk, their drinking, their bets? How well done was this? An accurate picture of ordinary men like them?

5. Percy: what kind of person was he? How shy, taunted? What masks did he wear? How unreal was his life? Why did he lie about his age? His response to their jibes? His approach to Cyrenne?, the relationship with Cyrenne, how did they become involved? The nature of their talk, the domestic chatter, washing up etc, the sexual realities and their avoidance? Percy shocked or not?

6. Cyrenne: as a tart in the hotel, her talking on of the bet, her leading Percy on? Why? Her need for money, her playing the prostitute's role? when did she begin to relate humanly to Percy? What was she really like inside?

7. Trace the changing stages of their relationship when their real selves began to emerge, when they began to relate to each other as persons and not in roles, the growing friendship, the hostilities, the suspicion, the lies, the telling of truth, the avoidance of the relationship, the hurts?

8. Were the melodramatic Italian interludes necessary? Did they help the film? Did they throw light on the character of Cyrenne and explain her and her work? How?

9. How were these sequences balanced by the episode of Ginger and his flirting, his being bashed and robbed?

10. What did Percy learn during his walks? When did he begin to discover the truth about himself? Why did he finally confront Cyrenne about the truth? How did this change him into being a more forthright positive person?

11. Why did he leave her? Did he really want to leave her?

12. When did he change his mind? Why?

13. What future did the two have together? If they married, would they have a successful marriage? Percy's mother? Cyrenne's family?

14. This film was principally about two people and relationships. Was it a valuable insight into persons and relationships?