Heavens Above! (1963)

I was going to say, this is of similar ilk to "The Battle of the Sexes" that I'd already reviewed, inasmuch as it was a nice understated gentle British film made in the early 60s and starring Peter Sellers; BUT I can't find it in a BCG search.

Ho hum.

SO, similar but a much bigger cast of comedy actors, such as Eric Sykes, Irene Handl, Miriam Karlin, George Woodbridge, Cecil Parker, Eric Barker, Ian Carmichael, Miles Malleson (very funny as, ironically, a nutty psychiatrist), William Hartnell, Roy Kinnear, Joan Hickson, Kenneth Griffith (as fiery Welsh priest) and finally Bernard Miles, brilliant as an old retainer. Also had the (I was surprised to read) American black actor (To Kill a Mockingbird lead) Brock Peters who Sellers installs as his church warden, and very good he was too.
There were many other actors in smaller parts too.

New vicar (Sellers) is mistakenly given a posh parish that has a traveller's site, sets about upsetting all and sundry with his left-wing brotherhood of man approach, but cannot see his "parishioners" taking advantage of him, until it is too late.
Saw this many years ago, and I'd forgotten how good it was.

Yes it's a good Sellers vehicle made just before he got to Hollywood and his films became more indulgent and sillier. Based on an idea by Malcom Muggeridge wondering what a blue rinse county's church goers would make of a socialist inner city vicar's more literal translation of the bible, as a satire on class divisions among church goers. The Boultings brought in the extended consequences on industry and society making it more of a satire on socialism, which although worked, was a bit of a let off for the county snobs, I thought. Still a decent if a tad overcooked rival to an Ealing comedy, and was in a way a clever twist on The Man in White Trousers.

Yes, Muggeridge made a very brief appearance.

Watched this again the other day on one of the many excellent nostalgia channels we have now, which is just as well as it's too difficult to get to my stowed away DVDs and I have most of the best PS films.

The film's pretty good like all Boulting Bros. films but not as good as the star's performance which I'd put in the top three or four and one of his most subtle. He almost becomes the characters he's playing, he's that natural and convincing as them. Or like others have said, it's as if another's spirit has taken him over, it's beyond impersonation, more like spiritual mediumship. Whatever it was it was true comedy genius.