The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970)

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1969)

Budget (GBP) 0
Distribution Company

Warner Brothers   (Production Company | Est. Unknown)

Release Date 12 November 1970
Black and White No
Regional Release No
Release Notes UK 12 November 1970 (London) (premiere);
Ireland 23 July 1971;
Hungary 19 April 1973;
UK 25 June 2007 (DVD premiere);
UK June 2010 (Edinburgh International Film Festival).
Description The mysterious Michael Rimmer (Peter Cook) appears at a small and ailing British advertising agency, where the employees assume he is working on a time and motion study. However, he quickly begins to assert a de facto authority over the firm's mostly ineffectual staff and soon acquires control of the business from the incompetent boss Ferret (Arthur Lowe). Rimmer then succeeds in establishing the newly invigorated firm as the country's leading polling agency, and begins to make regular TV appearances as a polling expert. He subsequently moves into politics, acting as an adviser to the leader of the Tory opposition, and then becomes an MP himself, for the constituency of Budleigh Moor (a reference to Cook's frequent collaborator, Dudley Moore), along the way acquiring a trophy wife (Vanessa Howard). Relying on a combination of charisma and deception—and murder—he then rapidly works his way up the political ladder to become prime minister (after throwing his predecessor off an oil rig). Rimmer then gains ultimate control by requiring the populace to engage in endless postal voting on trivial matters. At last, exhausted, they acquiesce in one final vote which passes dictatorial power to him. Ferret attempts to assassinate Rimmer as he and his wife ride through the capital in an open-topped convertible, but fails and falls to his death. Based on the screenplay by Chapman, Cleese, Billington and Cook. Harold Pinter has a cameo role in the film.
Language English

Linked Productions

No linked Production have been added to this production record yet.

Linked People

Peter Cook (1937 - 1995)

Creative | Screenplay

John Cleese (1939)

Creative | Screenplay

Graham Chapman (1941 - 1989)

Creative | Screenplay

Harry Fine

Production | Producer

David Frost

Production | Executive Producer

John Cameron

Orchestrator | Music

Alex Thomson (1929 - 2007)

Creative | Director Of Photography

Stan Hawkes

Creative | Film Editor

John Merrick

Technical | Casting

Carmen Dillon (1908 - 2000)

Creative | Art Director

Ken Lewington

Creative | Costume Designer

Olga Angelinetta

Creative | Hairdresser

Eddie Knight

Creative | Chief Makeup Artist

Ron Jackson

Production | Production Manager

Michael Dryhurst

Creative | Assistant Director

Harry Arbour

Technical | Construction manager

Barry Wilkinson

Creative | Props

Uncredited.

Ken Rolls

Technical | Sound Editor

Ken Scrivener

Technical | Dubbing mixer

Jim Willis

Technical | Sound Mixer

Mike Fox

Technical | Camera operator

Dave Clarke

Technical | Gaffer

Uncredited.

Terry Lewis

Technical | Best boy

Uncredited.

Tony Williams

Technical | Assistant editor

Uncredited.

Arnold Ross

Technical | Location manager

John Cameron

Orchestrator | Conductor

Jenny Phillips

Production | Continuity

Kevin Billington (1934)

Creative | Director

Linked Organisations

Warner Brothers (Production Company | Est. Unknown)

Production company.

Characters

Receptionist (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Ann Beach (1938 - 2017)

Buffery (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Desmond Walter-Ellis (1914 - 1994)

Michael Rimmer (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Peter Cook (1937 - 1995)

Ferret (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Arthur Lowe (1915 - 1982)

Federman (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Dudley Foster (1924 - 1973)

Pumer (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: John Cleese (1939)

Crodder (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: James Cossins (1933 - 1997)

Tanya (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Valerie Leon (1943)

Fromage (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Graham Chapman (1941 - 1989)

Waring (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: William Job (1930)

Mrs Ferret (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Elspeth March (1911 - 1999)

Fairburn (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Dennis Price (1915 - 1973)

Girl in Commercial (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Marilyn Rickard

Mrs Spimm (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Diana Coupland (1928 - 2006)

Tart (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Rosalie Westwater (1922 - 1985)

Mandeville (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Michael Trubshawe (1905 - 1985)

Steven Hench (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Harold Pinter (1930 - 2008)

Peter Niss (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Denholm Elliott (1922 - 1992)

Bird Impersonator (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Percy Edwards (1908 - 1996)

Interviewer (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Ronnie Corbett (1930 - 2016)

Gerald Pringle (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Leslie Heritage (1921 - 1997)

Tom Hutchinson (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Ronald Fraser (1930 - 1997)

Alderman Poot (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Norman Bird (1924 - 2005)

Bishop of Cowley (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Graham Crowden (1922 - 2010)

Wilting (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Richard Pearson (1918 - 2011)

Ranjit X (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Jerry Ram (1946)

Party Chairman (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Roger Maxwell (1900 - 1971)

Patricia Cartwright (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Vanessa Howard (1948 - 2010)

Blacket (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: George A. Cooper (1925 - 2018)

Studio Doorman (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Arthur Lovegrove (1913 - 1981)

Sir Eric Bentley (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Roland Culver (1900 - 1984)

'Spot' (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Jonathan Cecil (1939 - 2011)

Freddie Daring (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Ronald Baddiley (1922 - 1986)

Tom Stoddart (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Frank Thornton (1921 - 2013)

Bream (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Richard Caldicot (1908 - 1995)

Snaggot (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Nicholas Phipps (1913 - 1980)

Potter (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Guy Middleton (1907 - 1973)

Colonel Moffat (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Julian Glover (1935)

General Strike (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Robert Raglan (1909 - 1985)

Admiral Crichton (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Bruce Carstairs

Guide at Porton Down (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Norman Rossington (1928 - 1999)

Major Mathieson (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Martin Boddey (1907 - 1975)

Major Scott (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Michael Barrington (1924 - 1988)

Mr Spimm (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Performer: Michael Bates (1920 - 1978)

Diner (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Derek Aylward (1922 - 2005)

Thug (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Sean Barry-Weske (1940 - 2004)

Prime Minister's Functionary at Airport (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Ernest Blyth

Yvonne (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Sinéad Cusack (1949)

Mugger (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Zakes Mokae (1934 - 2009)

Lady at Conservative Party Meeting (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Aileen Lewis (1914 - 2014)

Photographer at Conservative Meeting (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Maxwell Craig

TV Crewman on TV (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Scott Fredericks (1943 - 2017)

Military Official (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Victor Harrington (1909 - 1980)

Shocked of Nuneaton (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Anthony Morton (1927 - 2001)

Lunch Party Guest at London Zoo (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Guy Standeven (1928 - 1998)

Protestor (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: Fred Wood (1922 - 2003)

Army Official (The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer) (Age: Not Specified)

Uncredited.

Performer: John Tatum (1911)

Linked Awards

No award have been added to this production record yet.

Linked Places

Brighton

Exterior, pier scene.

Porchester Halls, Queensway, Bayswater, London

Party conference scene.

Colet Court, Hammersmith Road, Hammersmith, London

Interior, Fairburn Group offices.

London Wall, London

Attempted assassination of Michael Rimmer scene.

London Zoo

Zoo garden party scene.

Resources

William Cook, 'Unfunny, peculiar', The Guardian, 30 June 2007 (URL)

Type: Review

External Link: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jun/30/television.comedy

An article reflecting on the DVD release of the film.

Sources

IMDB

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066302/

URL

BFI Online

https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b46655b

URL