V.I.P.s The (1963)

V.I.P.s The (1963)

Directed by Anthony Asquith and written by Terence Rattigan (Separate Tables (1958)) this average drama earned Margaret Rutherford an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress on her only nomination. She plays an eccentric elderly British Duchess who is scheduled to partake in her first airplane flight a transatlantic one to Florida because she needs the money. The nervous pill popping Duchess is perhaps the only passenger who is not upset that all the flights from the London airport are delayed indefinitely due to fog. The other passengers played appropriately by an all star cast each have their own reasons for wanting their flight to take off as soon as possible. The airport personnel particularly the reception manager Mr. Sanders (Richard Wattis) and their friendly accommodating behaviorgive one a sense of days gone by.

Elizabeth Taylor’s character is inexplicably eloping with a shallow career gigolo Louis Jourdan ending her 13 year marriage with her too busy famous financier husband Richard Burton. The only reason given is Jourdan’s need for her versus her capable husband’s lack of same. Pretty weak isn’t it? Orson Welles’s character provides the comic relief as a famous foreign movie producer-director who claims British citizenship that needs to get out of the country before midnight to save $1 million in taxes. Since all flights are ultimately delayed until the next day his moneyman’s (Martin Miller uncredited) fall back solution is for Welles to marry the bimbo actress (Elsa Martinelli) he’s traveling with to avoid paying the tax man. David Frost appears uncredited as one of the many reporters who hound the celebrities. Rod Taylor plays an Australian who owns a tractor manufacturing business that’s just about sealed an acquisition (buying their #1 competitor?) deal that will solidify their company’s success. However he must get to New York immediately to complete the transaction and/or account for some last minute wrangling lest he face some dire consequences. In the airport he’s accompanied by his trusty proper secretary Miss Mead (Maggie Smith) who secretly loves him. For my money actress Smith (in lieu of if not) in addition to Ms. Rutherford should have been recognized by the Academy for her role which provides the link between the two Taylors’ storylines through Burton’s character. Ironically in the end the Duchess doesn’t have to fly at all per an arrangement she makes with Welles’s accountant.

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