Nothing but the Best (film)

Nothing but the Best

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1964
Founder	Clive Donner (director), Frederic Raphael (screenplay)
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Products	Black comedy film

Nothing but the Best is a 1964 British black comedy film directed by Clive Donner, featuring performances by Alan Bates, Denholm Elliott, Harry Andrews, and Millicent Martin. The screenplay, written by Frederic Raphael, is based on the 1952 short story "The Best of Everything" authored by Stanley Ellin.

The narrative follows a young, driven businessman who employs an unemployed aristocrat to instruct him in vital social skills necessary to climb the professional ladder.

Plot

James Brewster embarks on his professional journey at a prominent London estate agency with ambitions to reach the pinnacle of success. In an inexpensive café, he encounters Charles Prince, a drunken idler epitomizing the effortless arrogance and style of the upper class that James aspires to emulate. In return for accommodation and financial assistance, Charles agrees to tutor James in the social etiquette and conduct essential for advancement. Through cunning tactics and manipulation, James ascends within the company, gaining the interest of both the firm's owner and his daughter, Ann.

When Charles experiences a significant windfall and wishes to terminate their agreement, James murders him and persuades his landlady, Mrs. March, to conceal the body in her cellar in exchange for prolonging their affair.

Following an extended courtship, Ann consents to marry James, and her father elevates him to partner status within the business. Anticipating a high-society wedding, James arranges for his lower-middle-class parents to relocate to Australia. However, Ann's father reveals he has a disreputable son named Charles, while developers discover a corpse in Mrs. March's former cellar.

Production

Anglo-Amalgamated secured the film rights to the short story The Best of Everything, with producer David Deutsch commissioning Frederick Raphael to craft the screenplay. Raphael transformed the narrative into a lighter adaptation reminiscent of Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy, but with a more optimistic conclusion, drawing upon his own experience as a young American adjusting to English society. He also cited The Scoundrel (1935) as an influence.

Deutsch appointed Clive Donner as director; Donner's career trajectory mirrored that of the protagonist Jimmy Brewster. Raphael observed that executives Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy at Anglo-Amalgamated initially misinterpreted the film’s intent, which led him to incorporate narration for greater clarity.

Critical reception

Variety commended the production for its "flawless acting, sharp dialogue, and vibrant depiction of London."

The Monthly Film Bulletin characterized it as a comedic interpretation of Room at the Top, featuring actors connected with TW3. Denholm Elliott received particular praise for his role as a 1960s remittance man, delivering many of the film’s most memorable lines. The screenplay was recognized for its witty humor and creative pacing, while director Clive Donner elicited strong performances from Alan Bates, Harry Andrews, and Pauline Delany. Although labeled a black comedy, the movie retained an overall upbeat mood.

British critic Leslie Halliwell described it as a "tough, skillful, somewhat unappealing comedy with notable social observations."

The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded it 4 out of 5 stars, applauding Frederick Raphael’s scriptwriting, Nicolas Roeg’s cinematography, and Clive Donner’s direction. The guide likened the film to a combination of School for Scoundrels and Room at the Top, highlighting Alan Bates’s performance and singling out Denholm Elliott’s portrayal of an aristocratic mentor skilled in cadmanship.

Box office

The movie did not achieve commercial success. Critic Alexander Walker observed that although the film maintained a clever tone, Nothing but the Best struggled financially, potentially because it lacked a lead actor with established mass appeal. On the other hand, Filmink pointed out that favorable critiques played a significant role in advancing director Clive Donner's professional trajectory.

Anglo-Amalgamated revealed plans for Deutsch and Donner to collaborate on another comedic project titled Tall Dark and Handsome, scripted by Stephen Lewis; however, this endeavor never came to fruition.