"The Comedy Man" is a drama (with some comedy) about a struggling actor named Chick Byrd in swinging London. This is one of the most accurate depictions of the grotty underside of showbiz. The film is very realistic, sometimes depressingly so. Byrd dreams of stardom, but he lives in a cheap bedsit and collects dole cheques. He can't get a "real" job because he's always making the rounds of casting calls. Byrd is played by Kenneth More, a dramatic actor with comedy experience, who gives an excellent performance here. Billie Whitelaw is excellent too. I won't divulge the movie's ending, except to say that it's unexpected yet very plausible. Watch for a very large man in a very small role: the gigantic union steward wearing a Red Indian war bonnet is played by Freddie Mills. He was Britain's heavyweight champion who tried to parlay his boxing fame into an acting career, but his large size typecast him in Richard Kiel-type roles. I recommend this film.
Review of The Comedy Man
