Decline and Fall... of a Bird Watcher (1968)
- Starring:
- Robin Phillips, Geneviève Page, (more)
- Director(s):
- John Krish
Synopsis of Decline and Fall... of a Bird Watcher
In this feather-weight version of Evelyn Waugh's novel Decline and Fall, Paul Pennyfeather (Robin Phillips) is an Oxford divinity student who finds himself expelled after a gang of drunken freshmen remove his pants and he is accused of exposing himself to a girl. Looking for work, he retains the services of an unsavory employment agency that secures a position for him at a sleazy Welsh boarding school for boys, presided over by the colorful Dr. Fagan (Donald Wolfit). On staff at the school are an assortment of distasteful screwballs; Mr. Prendergast (Robert Harris) is a withdrawn former clergyman; Captain Grimes (Leo McKern) is a one-legged two-timer with his eye on Fagan's daughter Flossie (Patience Collier); and Soloman Philbrick (Colin Blakely) is an undercover criminal posing as Fagan's butler. All hell breaks loose during the school's annual Sports Day, but Paul manages to meet a wealthy patron of the school, Margot Beste-Chetwynde (Geneviève Page), who hires him to tutor her son. At her estate, Margot seduces Paul, and Paul proposes marriage. But before the wedding, Margot asks Paul, as a favor, to travel to Tangiers on a business trip. He agrees but is soon arrested for trafficking in prostitution. Sent to jail, he runs into Philbrick and Captain Grimes, and now Margot has to scheme to get Paul out of jail. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
Complete Cast of Decline and Fall... of a Bird Watcher
- Robin Phillips - Paul Pennyfeather
- Donald Wolfit - Dr. Fagan
- Patience Collier - Flossie Fagan
- Robert Harris - Prendergast
- Leo McKern - Capt. Grimes
- Donald Sinden - Prison Governor
- Patrick Magee - Maniac
- Norman Scace - Dean
- George Pravda - Harbor Policeman
- Marne Maitland - Junior Policeman
- Ann Lancaster - Mrs. Grimes
- Clifton Jones - Chokey
- Christopher Banks - Clerk of the Court
- Joan Sterndale-Bennett - Lady Circumference
- Paul Curran - Clergyman
- Katy Wild - Giggling Girl
- Kenneth J. Warren
- Helen Christie - Mrs. Clutterbuck
- Kenneth Griffith - Mr. Levy
- Michael Hawkins - Stubbs
- Ivor Dean - Old Bailey Policeman
- Geneviève Page - Margot Beste-Chetwynde
- Colin Blakely - Philbrick
- Michael Elwyn - Alastair Vane-Trumpington
- Griffith Jones - Sir Humphrey
- Felix Aylmer - Judge
- Rodney Bewes - Potts
- Jeremy Child - Nigel
- Paul Rogers - Chief Warder
- Michael Newport - Lord Tangent
- Victor Maddern
- Duncan Lamont - Inspector Bruce
- John Cater - Blackall
- Sarah Atkinson - Jane
- Michael Nightingale - Col. Clutterbuck
- Tom Clegg - Warder
- Jack Watson - Gallery Warder
- John Trenaman
- Roy Evans - Boney
- Joan Haythorne - Miss Hart
- Roland Curram - Otto Silenus
- Director(s):
- John Krish
- Writer(s):
- Ivan Foxwell, Alan Hackney, Hugh Whitemore
- Producer(s):
- Ivan Foxwell
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