ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE

UK, 1969, 92 minutes. Colour.
Beryl Reid, Harry Andrews, Peter Mc Enery, Alan Webb.
Directed by Douglas Hickox.

Entertaining Mr. Sloane is a rather disturbing film, especially for an audience unused to black comedy and for an audience who dislikes it. Based on a play written by Joe Orton (who wrote the bizarrely entertaining Loot) , it is quite irreverent, vulgar at times and amoral, reversing established values and working logically within this contrived amoral framework. Greed, sexuality, murder are the areas of logical-illogical probing. Dialogue is witty but frank and blunt, acting is clever although most of the principal characters are presenting caricatures. Sets, colours and decor are garish and reflect the situation. A clever film only for those who relish black comedy.

1. How ironic is the title?

2. This film is obviously 'black' comedy: What is 'black' comedy? It is obviously outrageous: How outrageous can it be? Is good taste the only limitation - or is good taste a limitation?

3. What relationship to orthodox morality has black comedy? Although it flouts moral standards, it could not make its impact without the audience's knowing (and accepting?) conventional moral standards (otherwise it is not black or outrageous). Is this true?

4. What is the purpose of black comedy - merely to flout conventions or to flout with a purpose? How moralising is black comedy?

5. Is shocking conventional people, seeking out hypocritical attitudes sufficient reason for portraying black comedy?

6. In the light of the preceding questions and discussion, is this film truly a black comedy?

7. What impact did the opening sequence have - Kath in the cemetery and her discovery of Mr. Sloane?

8. Why did she take him in? Was she deceiving herself or was she only trying to deceive him?

9. Did Sloane play up to her or wasn't he intelligent enough to grasp the situation and was he merely an opportunist?

10. When you found out about Sloane's past and saw him in action. what did you think of him as a character?

11. Did Ed deceive himself about his homosexuality or did he know what he was doing in employing Sloane?

12. What role did the father have in the film? Why was he so ugly, dirty, spying and spiteful? Did he explain his children? What hold did he try to exert over Sloane?

13. Did Sloane realize what he was letting himself in for? Did you feel sorry for him?

14.Were the goings on of brother and sister funny? Why? Were they in good taste? Were they sick? What was the purpose for the audience?

15. How was his anger at the father. Sloane's greatest mistake?

16. How clever were brother and sister in taking possession of Sloane?

17. How callous were they about their father? Were the scenes with his corpse funny -or too macabre? What were they satirising?

18. Why was Sloane bisexual? What tone did this give to the proceedings?

19. How wise should the audience of black comedy be? Was this effective black comedy?