THE V.I.P's
UK, 1963, 118 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Louis Jourdan, Rod Taylor, Maggie Smith, Margaret Rutherford, Orson Welles, Elsa Martinelli, Linda Christian, Richard Wattis, Dennis Price, Robert Coote, Michael Hordern, David Frost, Lance Percival, Ronald Fraser.
Directed by Anthony Asquith.
The V.I.P's was the first cinema follow-up to the Richard Burton - Elizabeth Taylor happenings during the filming of Cleopatra. What happened was that they were able to star in a vehicle drawn from the old Grand Hotel style (up-dated to the V.I.P. lounge of London airport), written by playwright Terence Rattigan and directed by tasteful director Anthony Asquith. (They combined talents for the better film - The Yellow Rolls Royce - the next year).
The film is a romance, mainly designed for audiences who like big stars in easy to take drama and sentiment plus glamour. The Burtons perform as usual. More convincing, perhaps, are Maggie Smith and Rod Taylor in another sub-plot. Orson Welles hams his role enjoyably as a continental director and Margaret Rutherford won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her daffy Duchess of Brighton.
1. What makes a V.I.P.? Is it an intrinsic quality or is it an external tag that can come and go?
2. Is the V.I.P. lounge of a major airport an interesting place? Why? Why do V.I.P's get this particular treatment?
3. Mr. Sanders and his job - of what value is it?
4. Did the film give an interesting background to the running of an airport and its hazards?
5. Discuss the characters as the main interest of the film:
- Paul and Frances Andros; Marc Champselle; Les Mangrum; Miss Mead; Miriam Marshall; Max Buda; Gloria Gritti; The Duchess of Brighton.
6. What did each of these characters contribute to the film?
7. What did you think of the actors performances, well done, convincing?
8. Comment on the overall effect of chance and people's lives - the ironies of the fog.
Paul and Frances Andros: your first impressions, helicopter, gifts, wealth society? Frances having everything she wanted? Was she enviable? Paul and his business? What were your first impressions of Marc Champselle - playboy, society parasite, charm? Were you surprised that they were running off together? Why were they? Did they love each other? Why had the Andros marriage gone wrong? Why did there seem no hope of reconciliation? Did the film give sufficient insight into the love of Frances and Marc? Had Marc changed? The effect of the knowledge on Paul, his confronting them at the airport, his scenes at the hotel with Frances? Did he understand what had happened or why? Why did Frances ultimately go back? Did she have good reason? Would they be happy? Who received most of your sympathy -Paul, Frances, Marc? Why?
Les Mangrum - business, Australian, pride in his deals, the tenseness of the business takeover, the fog, his being let down, his disappointment. Miss Mead - devotion and love, complete sympathy and support? Could Mangrum have done without her? Miriam Marshall - love, and devotion to her money, giving insight to Mangrum about himself and Miss Mead? Was Miss Mead's encounter with Paul Andros credible? Were you glad that it happened? Why?
Max Buda and Gloria Gritti - why was this episode included? Comedy? Satire on the film world? Reporters? Financial arrangements?
