It's hard to believe this movie was released fifty years ago, barring its distinctly non-PC references to ethnic minorities.Prophetic in its portrayal of the trade unions versus the establishment and the exploitation of the individual in favour of political power and enrichment for those few pulling the strings (as they shake hands behind closed doors), this is a story that manages to be provocative whilst maintaining a pleasantly light-hearted air, broaching subjects that continue to be relevant in Britain today.Classic performances from Peter Sellers, Ian Carmichael, Terry Thomas and Richard Attenborough, and smaller but equally commendable appearances of Margaret Rutherford and Irene Handl.Deliciously classic British comedy that remains fresh and immensely enjoyable today.

How insane is a movie that begins and ends in a nudist colony? That just sets the stage for this brilliant British comedy/satire of labor troubles at Missiles Ltd. All is not what it appears in management as the less than honorable Director and his cronies arrange for conditions that cause the workers to strike, thereby benefiting the bosses in their nefarious plans.Ian Carmichael is the wide eyed innocent, penniless but upper class young man who is the catalyst for the madness that ensues. Carmichael is spot on in his characterization and those who only know him as Lord Peter Wimsey, will be surprised at his light comedic touch. Even his name, Stanley Windrush, is whimsical.Peter Sellers is a standout as Kite, the Union boss who has delusions of grandeur and sports an Adolph Hitler moustache. His use of the Queen's English is less than perfect and his long-winded pronouncements are priceless. The supporting cast is unparalleled........Terry-Thomas is hysterical (as always) as the head of the Works Committee and his reading of the contents from the suggestion box is a small highlight of the film..........Liz Frazer as Kite's very blonde daughter, who asks "Who do you think you are, Diana Dors?".........Dennis Price, always the sophisticate, and Richard Attenborough as his oily partner in crime, are delightfully dishonest and also sport strange moustaches....John LeMesurier as the twitchy time management expert. The list goes on and on.You don't want to miss this film. It is a showcase for some of Britain's finest film actors and is truly a delight.

Pauline Kael was an influential critic, and she deserves to be honoured for trashing Kubrick's "Clockwork Orange" (though for the wrong reasons), and praising Peckinpah. On the other hand, she veered erratically from being fairly perceptive to being singularly obtuse. Calling "I'm All Right, Jack" a "raucous farce" is way off-mark; in fact ridiculously inaccurate. There is nothing raucous about it, nor is it anything even close to being a farce. It is a blistering satire, and nails its targets with savage, pin-point accuracy. Although it's nice to see that there are some few Americans who seem to appreciate this kind of thing, in general one feels that the sheer professionalism and incredible precision of the nuanced performances of Dennis Price, Irene Handl, Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers, are miles above the heads of non-European viewers. Humour does not always travel easily. My view is that there must be something seriously wrong with any European who finds anything the slightest bit funny about "Team America", or "Blazing Saddles", or anything else by Mel Brooks, but those dreadful disasters send many Americans into raptures.It is tempting to call "I'm All Right, Jack" of its time, and dated. It isn't. Although the so-called working class, and Union attitudes, so mordantly portrayed in this masterpiece have modified to some extent, if not completely disappeared, then the behaviour of top management and politicians in today's Britain is worse than it ever was, if such a thing is possible. Pull up the ladder, Fred, I'm all right.

A young man (Ian Carmichael) works too fast and causes problems with the labor union in "I'm All Right Jack," a 1959 British film directed by John Boulting. Boulting actually lost a suit against a labor union. This is his revenge.Stanley Windrush (Carmichael) is from a wealthy family and, after returning from the war, he wants to be in business. It's arranged for him to work at his uncle's firm as a laborer, against the wishes of his aunt (Margaret Rutherford) and work his way up.Unfortunately, Stanley just doesn't get it. At first he's suspected of being an efficiency expert disguised as an employee, something the whole factory fears. Then he inadvertently does his job in front of an efficiency expert. It's found that he works faster than the other employees. This infuriates the union, who - again - go on strike, which they do every couple of weeks. It takes Stanley a while to figure out what's going on, but he does, in time for a television talk show.This film is known today for the brilliant performance of Peter Sellers as the shop steward, whose politics, he says, are private. He's fabulous. The film also features Terry Thomas, also very funny, and other excellent actors, such as Dennis Price and Richard Attenborough.Having worked in theater and read up on a recent Broadway strike, Boulting doesn't miss much. When Windrush asks why a bunch of men playing cards aren't working, in fact, unions often have quotas of how many people have to be hired, whether they're needed or not.Many people, of course, miss the point of unions. If people treated each other like human beings, we wouldn't have needed unions in the first place. However, "I'm All Right, Jack" understands, as Windrush's impassioned speech tells us. As long as I'm okay, I don't care what happens to you. It's an unfortunate if honest message.Don't miss this one.