Percy (1971 film)

EMI Films

Industry	Film production
Founder	Nat Cohen (financier)
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Films

Percy is a 1971 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Hywel Bennett, Denholm Elliott, Elke Sommer, and Britt Ekland. Adapted from Raymond Hitchcock's 1969 novel of the same name, the movie includes a soundtrack by The Kinks. It was succeeded by a sequel in 1974 titled Percy's Progress.

Plot

Edwin Anthony, an introverted young man, endures a grave injury when a nude individual carrying a chandelier falls from a height, causing Edwin’s penis to be amputated. The man who fell dies in the incident.

Edwin subsequently becomes the first person to receive a penis transplant, obtaining the sizable organ of the deceased womanizer. Embracing his new identity, which he dubs "Percy," Edwin adopts the donor’s lifestyle, encounters the donor’s former lovers, and eventually forms a relationship with the donor’s long-neglected widow.

Production

Producer Betty E. Box came across the novel while negotiating rights for another title with a publisher. Though that book was unavailable, she was given access to Raymond Hitchcock's manuscript about a penis transplant, which she found both highly amusing and original. Director Ralph Thomas shared her enthusiasm, prompting them to acquire the rights—though at four times Box's initial budget estimate due to negotiations handled by Hitchcock’s agent.

Box and Thomas self-financed the rights, anticipating challenges in obtaining traditional backing; notably, Rank rejected involvement without reviewing the script. In June 1969, Box secured rights for £30,000 prior to the novel’s public release. She described the film as a comedy addressing sexual themes with frankness but without explicitness. Thomas affirmed this creative direction.

All financing was provided by Nat Cohen at EMI Films. The poster was created by John Troke, who had previously introduced Box to Doctor in the House. While Thomas and Box were working on Doctor in Trouble, Hugh Leonard developed an initial screenplay.

Box observed that societal attitudes had progressed enough to permit open discussions about male anatomy, which was central to the film’s narrative. In May 1970 at Pinewood Studios, Michael Palin and Terry Jones rewrote the script.

Filming took place between June and September 1970 at Elstree Studios and various London locations, with Robert Jones serving as art director for set design. The soundtrack was composed by Ray Davies of The Kinks.

Box highlighted that the film maintained an adult comedic tone without venturing into explicit sexual content. At the same time, another comedy called The Statue was produced; Box regarded it as derivative.

Raymond Hitchcock expressed approval of the completed film and praised Hywel Bennett’s performance as James Anthony.

Thomas and Box agreed to create a sequel if Nat Cohen funded their planned Byron-Shelley biopic, The Reckless Years. However, Cohen declined that project but agreed to finance the sequel alone.

Soundtrack

The 1971 soundtrack album, Percy, was performed by English rock band the Kinks with orchestral arrangements by Stanley Myers. Released as their ninth studio album, it features compositions by Ray Davies combining rock and pop songs alongside instrumental pieces.

Release

The movie was not shown in Australian cinemas until the "R" rating was introduced.

Critical

The Monthly Film Bulletin condemned Percy for its excessively risqué humor and monotonous bawdy jokes focused on male anatomy, which detracted from the storyline. While director Ralph Thomas's use of visual humor and his satirical take on television and tabloid media were acknowledged, certain acting performances, notably that of Cyd Hayman, received favorable mention.

Box office

In 1971, Percy secured the position of the eighth highest-grossing film in the British market. By June 1972, EMI had recorded a profit of £43,000 from the film, with producer Nat Cohen later reporting total earnings reaching £500,000.