The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer is a 1970 British satirical film directed by Kevin Billington, and starring Peter Cook, Vanessa Howard and John Cleese. It was co-written by Cook, Cleese, Graham Chapman and Billington.^[1] The film was devised and produced by David Frost under the pseudonym "David Paradine".

The film satirised the growing influence of

Relying on a combination of charisma and deception—and murder—he then rapidly works his way up the political ladder to become prime minister (after throwing his predecessor off an oil rig). Rimmer introduces direct democracy by holding endless referendums on trivial or complex matters via postal voting and televoting, which generates so much voter apathy that the populace actively protests against the reform. Having introduced direct democracy in a bid to gain ultimate power, Rimmer holds one final vote to 'streamline government', which would effectively give him dictatorial powers; with the populace exhausted, the proposal passes. Ferret attempts to assassinate Rimmer as he and his wife ride through the capital in an open-topped convertible, but fails and falls to his death.

Cast

Production

The concept of the film was devised by David Frost in 1967, and the first draft of the screenplay was then co-written by Cleese and Chapman, during a three-month sabbatical in Ibiza. Cook was lined up to star, but it took another two years before funding could be secured. It was the third of three films Cook was contracted to make for Columbia, the previous two being The Wrong Box and A Dandy in Aspic.^[3]

Cook, Cleese, Chapman and director Kevin Billington jointly reworked the script prior to filming, and Cook reportedly made a strong contribution to the final script. It was produced during 1969, and the team hoped it would maximise its topicality with a release prior to the forthcoming UK general elections (the result of which it in fact predicted). However, the studio feared that it might become a source of controversy, so the film was held back until November 1970, almost a year after the election, thus losing most of its topical 'punch'.^[3]

The film is also notable for its distinguished cast of well-known British comedy and character actors, including Cleese and Chapman,

The story satirises many well-known British political figures including Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, and Enoch Powell, and although the resemblances were played down at the time of the film's release, Cook later admitted that the title character of Rimmer was heavily based on David Frost himself. Like Frost, Rimmer effectively appears from nowhere, "rises without trace" (the famous phrase coined by Jonathan Miller to describe Frost's ascent to prominence) and becomes one of the most influential people in the country. The imitation even extended to Cook copying Frost's standard greeting of the time, "Super to see you", and the coincidental fact that the set of Rimmer's living room was almost identical to Frost's real living room, even though the designer had never seen it.^[3]

Alongside the more overt satire and parodies of prominent public figures, the movie also includes numerous hidden jokes and visual gags. For example, in the scene in which Arthur Lowe gropes his secretary's legs as she stands in front of a shelf, the spine of one of the folders on the shelf is clearly marked with a swastika. In Harold Pinter's cameo appearance as fictional TV host Steven Hench, the initials of his show's title, "Steven Hench is Talking To You" spell S-H-I-T-T-Y. Most obvious is that of the surname, Rimmer, which is a slang term for someone who engages in oral intercourse with the anus, i.e., an arselicker.

Cook admitted later that he had partly based his portrayal of the Rimmer character on David Frost, who provided funding for the film^[4] and took an executive producer credit.

The commercial and critical failure of the movie, which did not receive an American release, effectively dashed Cook's hopes of establishing himself as a solo screen star; although he appeared in many more film and TV projects, he only co-starred (with Dudley Moore) in one other film, and Rimmer proved to be his only solo starring film role.^[2][3]

Release

The film had its world premiere on 12 November 1970 as the first film at the newly-opened Warner Rendezvous in Leicester Square, London.^[5]

Critical reception

Variety wrote: "Though Cook plays it gently, he is most effective. ... It's a pity that Frost's first effort did not get away rather more from the expected image, but it's still a bright entertainment. Kevin Billington's direction is sometimes not acid enough for the situations but he, with Cook, John Cleese and Graham Chapman, have built up a screenplay that has wit and ideas."^[8]

Revisiting the film in 2007 The Guardian (2007) wrote: "Anyone can make a bad film  ... but to make a turkey requires talent and finesse.  ... Unlike mediocre films, they usually improve with age. The Rise & Rise Of Michael Rimmer is a perfect example of this genre. Like all prize turkeys, it had all the ingredients of a great movie, including the participation of one of Britain's greatest comedians, Peter Cook. ... With appearances by bright young things like Cleese and Chapman, plus old troopers like Arthur Lowe and Denholm Elliott, The Rise & Rise Of Michael Rimmer could hardly have had a better pedigree. It even boasted a cameo by Harold Pinter. So where did it all go wrong? Well, delaying its release until after the general election hardly helped. ... Cook's acting was as wooden as a flat-pack wardrobe, as he subsequently admitted in a typically self-effacing interview."^[9]

References