The Knack … and How to Get It (1965)

The Knack … and How to Get It
Directed by Richard Lester
Written by Charles Wood from a play by Ann Jellicoe
1965/USA
Woodfall Film Productions
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] [of Tolen’s “rough play” with women] Tom: Just think of what you could do with a real whip, Tolen. A real whip.[/box]

“Comedy” about Swinging 60’s London was a major disappointment.

Plot is almost non-existent.  Colin (Michael Crawford) is a twenty-something virgin who lives with self-styled lady killer Tolen (Ray Brooks).  Colin would like lessons but never does seem to develop the knack.  Concurrently, naive young Nancy Jones (Rita Tushingham) has just arrived in London and is having trouble get directions from the YWCA.

I expected something better than this from Lester after his electric A Hard Day’s Night (1964).  Unfortunately, this has a lot of that film’s wackiness but none of its charm or laughs.  Toward the end there is a tongue-in-cheek section about Tushingham’s “rape” that is even less funny than the rest of the film.  Not recommended despite my love for Tushingham.