Main Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Louis Jourdan, Elsa Martinelli, Margaret Rutherford, Maggie Smith
Release Year: 1963
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 119 minutes
Plot
Terrence Rattigan, the playwright who brought us the multicharactered, multistoried Separate Tables, again offers us an episodic cross-section of humanity in The V.I.P.'s. When a heavy London fog paralyzes all air traffic, the lives of several people are profoundly affected. As indicated by the title, most of the characters in this portmanteau film are of the social and/or financial elite. Elizabeth Taylor wishes to leave her enormously wealthy husband Richard Burton in favor of playboy Louis Jourdan. Peripatetic European film producer Orson Welles is hoping to escape London with his newest protegee Elsa Martinelli in order to avoid paying his income tax. Australian businessman Rod Taylor, accompanied by his devoted (and adoring) secretary Maggie Smith, is anxious to head to New York to stave off a hostile takeover of his firm. And impoverished aristocrat Margaret Rutherford (who won an Oscar for her performance) would rather not go to Florida to accept a job as a social arbiter, but the wolf must be kept from the door. Before the fog disperses, you can be sure that at least one of the many plotlines will intersect with another. David Frost, in a tiny part as a reporter, was fond of recalling in later years that, while the major stars of The VIPS were introduced in the opening titles with animated limousines, he was consigned a tiny Volkswagen; alas, no such cartoon joke appears in the film, though on occasion the actors-particularly Mr. Welles-behave as though they were cartoons. Mercilessly skewered by the critics, The VIPS was a winner at the box-office, due in great part to the Cleopatra-inspired publicity concerning the top-billed Liz Taylor and Dick Burton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
A Grand Hotel set in an airport, The V.I.P.'s is the kind of movie critic Judith Crist calls a "wallow." Terrence Rattigan's screenplay has to work hard just to scratch the surface of his characters and their situations, and even then it rarely rises above the level of elementary soap opera. In other circumstances, this would sink the film, but Rattigan, director Anthony Asquith and everyone else involved understands that V.I.P.'s is really just about surface attributes and giving the audience a little glamour, and perhaps tossing in a few sure-fire plot mechanisms and "big" scenes to keep things moving. It's also about giving wonderful character actress Margaret Rutherford a chance to shine, and this it does in spades. Rutherford, one of the silver screen's most endearing personalities, has played roles like the dotty Duchess numerous times before, but she's as fresh and delightful as ever here, working that slightly mealy mouth of hers over her lines and pouring a great deal of attention into expressing the simplest of thoughts. Maggie Smith is also exceptional, eloquently conveying the care and heartbreak of her character with a lingering glance and keeping her characteristic (and often effective) mannerisms under control. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton -- the reasons for the film's existence and its tremendous financial success -- do what is required of them, namely look glamorous and suffer glossily, but they don't really attempt to rise to another level. The V.I.P's is unsatisfying as great filmmaking, but as soap operatic stargazing, it's quite successful. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Rod Taylor - Les Mangrum; Orson Welles - Max Buda; Linda Christian - Miriam Marshall; Dennis Price - Commander Millbank; Richard Wattis - Sanders; Ronald Fraser - Joslin; David Frost - Reporter; Joan Benham - Miss Potter; Michael Hordern - Airport Director; Lance Percival - B.O.A.C. Officer; Martin Miller - Dr. Schwutzbacher; Peter Sallis - Doctor; Stringer Davis - Hotel Waiter; Clifton Jones - Jamaican Passenger; Moyra Fraser - Air Hostess; Terry Alexander - Captain; Reginald Beckwith - Head Waiter; John Blythe - Barman; Richard Briers - Meteorological Official; Richard Caldicot - Hotel Representative; Joyce Carey - Mrs. Damer; Robert Coote - John Coburn; Peter Illing - Mr. Damer; Angus Lennie - Meteorological Man; Clifford Mollison - Mr. River the Hotel Manager; Gordon Sterne - Official; Frank Williams - Assistant to Airport Director; Raymond Austin - Rolls Chauffeur; Ann Castle - Lady Reporter; Maggie McGrath - Waitress; Virginia Bedard; Jill Carson - Air Hostesses; Rosemary Dorken; Duncan Lewis - Hotel Receptionist; Cal McCord - Visitor; Lewis Fiander - (uncredited) Third Reporter
Credit
William Kellner - Art Director, Hubert de Givenchy - Costume Designer, Pierre Cardin - Costume Designer, Kip Gowans - First Assistant Director, Anthony Asquith - Director, Frank Clarke - Editor, Miklos Rozsa - Composer (Music Score), Eric Allwright - Makeup, Dave Aylott - Makeup, Tom Smith - Makeup, Jack Hildyard - Cinematographer, Anatole de Grunwald - Producer, Pamela Cornell - Set Designer, Tom Howard - Special Effects, Terence Rattigan - Screenwriter, Marvin H. Albert - Book Author
