During the party when Chick sees Tommy chatting up Fay, he is not smoking, but in a wide shot, he's taking a cigarette from his mouth.
He's also holding a glass of wine which disappears in his close-up.
I saw this film some years ago before Kenneth Moore sadly passed away. Unfortunately he could not do the story justice as the film, due mainly to time I believe, did not portray the character of Nathaniel (Chick) Bird, accurately.
A surprisingly good comedy/drama about a group of British actors on the periphery is THE COMEDY MAN, which stars Kenneth More as a down-and-out actor who finally finds success, but in a series of TV commercials about breath mints. The various members of the group experience all sorts of ups and downs and live in a shared, squalid flat.
Made after the first flush of Moore's early success, which began in the early fifties for the thick end of a decade, this was shot when he could barely get arrested so that parallels with Chick Byrd and Kenneth Moore are not too hard to find. This is Moore flaunting his 'serious' acting chops and is suffused with melancholy whilst boasting a half-decent supporting cast.
Not so much a story, more of an amble through the life of a unemployed actor; of which species many are featured in this rather sour movie. Eschewing his usual bright and breezy demeanour More plays a middlingly-talented provincial actor who in middle age returns to London in the hope of finally making it big.
Moore's career was in the doldrums when he made this film,his first for two years.
For about ten years hypocrisy ran through the veins of British Showbiz. Among the best - known whose careers foundered were Macdonald Hobley,the first thinking woman's crumpet TV personality,Max Wall,one of our greatest - ever comedians and Kenneth More,an actor who had,more than any other,come to symbolise all that was decent and fair in the British psyche.
Actors must lead a tough life: not only does the trade deny them the luxury of a steady income, but the challenge of constantly changing roles can throw their own identity out of shape. Or so one English actor (Kenneth More) discovers as he sinks to success in this caustic but witty comedy drama, in which the extroverted façade of the dedicated thespian stands revealed for what it really is: a protective shield against the burden of inconsistent work, the humiliation of endless auditions, and the hunger for popular acclaim.
"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 first thing the trader said, who sold me this rare DVD was, "It's not a comedy".No it's not, only in an ironic bittersweet way.
