Written and directed by John Boulting, co-directed by Roy Boulting and co-written by Frank Harvey. A naive but caring prison chaplain is mistakenly appointed as vicar to a small and prosperous country town. His belief in charity and forgiveness sets him at odds with the conservative and narrow-minded locals. Starring: Peter Sellers, Cecil Parker, Isabel Jeans, Ian Carmichael, Bernard Miles, Brock Peters, Eric Sykes, Irene Handl, Miriam Karlin, Joan Miller, William Hartnell and Roy Kinnear.
Peter Sellers has a vast filmography with plenty of gems to pick from but one of his most underrated adventures is definitely as The Reverend John Smallwood in Heavens Above! Coming in directly before he took on the mantle of Inspector Jacques Clouseau, and much more toned down than most of his comedy roles, he gives a delightful performance. It’s still classically silly as is typical for British humour in the 1960s but it has such a wholesome, sweet edge that it sets itself apart.
It’s a low-key calamity that slowly ramps up but has a foundation of generosity and kindness. There’s a genuine nature to the tone which is rare, it never feels overt or forced, despite finding itself in a many a helpful coincidence. The story flows really well, with the only outlier being the ending which strays into strange and outlandish territory. It strikes a much more ridiculous tone than the rest of the film and so it works and doesn’t work at the same time, but it is nice a full circle moment.
Part of Heavens Above!’s charm is undoubtedly the ragtag bunch of characters and the excellent performances behind them. Brock Peters is unquestionably a standout, he lights up the screen with his positivity, selflessness and million dollar smile. The chemistry that he has with Sellers is superb, it’s a sincere joy to watch and it’s a shame they only featured together in one film, they could have had some fantastic adventures. There’s a lot of familiar faces which help to bring that quintessentially British feel, classism, prejudice, greed and all.
All of that is then complemented by how well the visual holds up. The direction from John Boulting and Roy Boulting has a lot of personality and an endearing lightness to it. The cinematography from Mutz Greenbaum is great, and it’s rather impressive how clear and sharp it still feels after over sixty years. The filmmakers all do a terrific job of capturing that atmosphere of a small community, both the good and the bad. They also inject a little bit of tension and intensity where needed and still keep that sincere edge, which is not something you always find in British comedy of the 1960s.
Heavens Above! is an underrated highlight of Peter Sellers’ career and in British comedy history. It’s wholesome and entertaining yet has an edge of satire, bringing through issues of the day but never forcing them in a farcical manner. It’s a little bit unusual, has a wonderful cast and really embraces the classic awkwardness of British humour. Brock Peters is a real highlight and it’s an easy-going, light-hearted comedy that’s really enjoyable.
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