Man at the Top (1973) User Reviews

Disappointing film created from a great source

[tony-hesford · 5/10 · 17 January 2016]

As a great fan of John Braine's two books about Joe Lampton – Room At The Top and Life At The Top – plus the corresponding monochrome films starring Laurence Harvey, I found the movie to be a lazy attempt to cash in on the character of this seminal working class hero. It appears to be nothing more than a vehicle for the leading man to jump into bed (or shower, or woodland copse) with as many women as possible. The acting is fine, with Kenneth Haigh (complete with Mexican bandit moustache) doing a reasonable job as the sardonic Joe, and the reliable Harry Andrews playing the part of the upper class boss with his usual flair. The gorgeous Nanette Newman also does her bit, despite surrendering herself to a blatant body- double in the requisite nude scenes.

The story is paper thin, set in the dubious world of pharmaceuticals, with a ludicrous irrelevant sub-plot concerning two hitch-hiking girls, one of whose father is played by ex-Doncaster Rovers footballer turned comedian, Charlie Williams, an affable chap whom I once met on The Generation Game (but that's another story). Another well-known face pops up at the beginning – ex Light Heavyweight WBC boxing champion John Conteh. He takes the role of one half of a pair of pugilists who look as if they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

I am afraid that I shall have to park this film at the 'do not watch again under any circumstances' end of my shelves of DVDs. It's no wonder John Braine ended his days in a one-room flat in Hampstead, and deeply in debt, if this is what they turned Joe Lampton into.

More like man halfway

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 1 September 2019]

I presume that this is a spin off from the tv series,made by Hammer,when they were diversifying from horror.A silly plot is continually interrupted by Joe having his way with the nearest woman.The only member of the cast not to participate is Newman,who has an obvious body double. I much preferred Laurence Harvey in the role.

Weird film made no point and was of little interest to me.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 20 April 2022]

This film is mainly just a lot of conversation about a secret formula which the audience finds out later apparently called sterility in women, particularly over in Africa. Kenneth Haigh spends most of the time either conversing with his wife or two young female hitchhikers he picks up, and finally having a confrontation with Harry Andrews where the big secret is revealed. There's some suspense in the opening scene where a man in a bowler hat enters a city park, passes by a homeless woman on a bench, sneers at her and walks on. Later it is revealed that he has been found dead, and there is debate over whether it was suicide or murder.

The only memorable moment for me was the scene with the hitchhikers in the car marveling over the fact that he had a car phone, and the one girl using it to call her mother who finds the idea of the invention absurd. While the setup indicates that there is going to be some intrigued, there are only little tidbits of it here and there, and Haigh (who is apparently the successor to the dead man's post at the company where this formula was created) debates the value of this creation on society. It's a very boring film outside of the conversation with the young girls and Haigh (which frankly goes on a bit too long and serves no plot purpose), and all I could think of as the film ended with a doll resolution was what did I just waste my time on?

Early 70s cult movie which just fails to make the top grade

[whatleym · 7/10 · 22 October 2008]

I recently purchased a VHS of the 1973 movie 'Man at the Top' and I see that there are no reviews yet so here is my offering.

In this film Kenneth Haigh reprises the role of Joe Lampton which he made famous a few years earlier in the TV series with the same title. I have not seen those TV programs so can't make any comparison between the film and TV versions. Joe is a gritty and straight-talking Northerner (in UK) who had travelled down to London to make a success of himself in business. In this movie he is selected for a top position within an international pharmaceuticals company headed by Lord Ackerman (played by Harry Andrews) after the previous occupant of that position mysteriously committed suicide in a London park. As the story progresses Joe becomes increasingly angry at the corruption and double-dealing he finds within the company and resolves to find out why his predecessor killed himself. Along the way the now-divorced Joe finds time for an affair with the Lord's wife Alex (played by the lovely Nanette Newman). No spoilers here so I won't reveal any more of the plot. Suffice to say that there are some cameo roles played by the boxer John Conteh and the comedian Charlie Williams. There is also of course some nudity though sadly that of Ms Newman is provided by a body-double!

This was considered quite a cult film when it was released. And it is indeed a good movie, well worth watching if you can obtain a copy (as it is now pretty rare). But for me it just fails to capture the atmosphere of the early 70s in the same way that (for example) 'Shaft' did (in US) or 'Get Carter' did (in UK). Both of these films were released around the same time as this movie. So to that extent it failed to rock my boat. But others must make their own minds up and may draw a different conclusion.

Charachteristically British

[alexandra-25 · 10 April 2009]

The film Man At The Top is quintessentially British in that it has the characteristics that make up the British culture. There is the class system where the bourgeoisie at the top appear to the passive observer, dignified, mannered, and serene, like the characteristics of a Tory gent or lady.

This facade is deceptive, and perhaps deliberately so. The facade is like a weapon and also armour. Therefore, what Man At The Top does well is remove that facade, in order to highlight the double crossing, double dealings, the cheating, the cuckolding, and pointedly the two faced masks of the upper classes.

The two faced attitudes of the upper classes contrasts with the straight talking, down - to - Earth, albeit ambitious Joe Lampton (Kenneth Haigh) who has learnt the measure of his upper class compatriots, and who uses this to his advantage. He wades his own, personal, and bespoke proletariat revolution.

Therefore, Man At The Top is essentially about the on-going British class war. Modernity has given way to opportunities for the proletariat to succeed in business and usurp his and her traditional ruler, and as such the demise of the old order.

The film is full of class war symbolism, such as the fox hunt in which the pray becomes the proletariat, as in Joe, or the 'sparring' within the boxing match, and the suicide revealing the death of the old order, via its own self murder. In other words the freedoms bestowed on society by the establishment have culminated in the latter's destruction, only to give rise to polemic new orders during the 20th Century, such as for example consumer capitalism versus communism.

Besides class war, this film is foresighted, as it reveals capitalism to be full of corruption which is relevant today in 2009 where 'dirty dealings' have exposed the fragility of the system in post-modernity.

This is an excellent film for those who want to see into the British class system and the sparring that goes on between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. It is also a good way of revealing the fragile fibres that endeavour to hold together post modern capitalism

One of Hammer's better late efforts away from horror.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 7/10 · 27 January 2023]

Joe Lampton (played by Kenneth Haigh) is a ruthless, high flying businessman from humble working class beginnings in the north of England. He is promoted to managing director of a pharmaceutical company owned by Lord Ackerman (played by Harry Andrews). Lampton subsequently discovers that his predecessor committed suicide because a drug developed by the firm had catastrophic side effects on people who took it. Lampton believes he is being set up and tries to get to the bottom of it...

When Hammer's traditional gothic horror films started to perform badly at the box office in the early 70's, they turned to making big screen spin offs of popular British sitcoms, notably On The Buses which became the most popular film at this country's box office in 1971. Here they turned their attention to a successful ITV drama based on the exploits of John Braine's character who was memorably portrayed by Lawrence Harvey in the classic 1959 movie Room At The Top. Despite performing disappointingly at the box office upon its release, this is one of Hammer's better late efforts outside of the horror genre with Haigh (here reprising his role from the TV series) portraying Lampton in a realistic and down to earth way. He is utterly ruthless and stops at nothing to get what he wants, but his upbringing in a tough, northern working class community has clearly given him a lot of street cred and he is "nobody's fool". The plot intrigues and holds one's attention throughout and we are never quite sure how it will turn out. Will Lampton find that he is in too deep and up against people who are a lot more powerful than he is to be able to come out on top in the end? There are suspenseful sequences like when Lampton attends a hunting party of Lord Ackerman's and, in a bid to scare him off, he, rather than the fox, becomes the hunted. In addition, there are moments of humour such as Lampton's encounter with two young hitchhikers whom he gives a lift to as he drives to his boss's country pad. Good supporting performances too from Nanette Newman and Harry Andrews while Mike Vardy's direction is excellent.

"I've got two problems - one; I think I'm a b*****d. Two; I think I like it"

[christophernash290 · 9/10 · 27 April 2013]

The story of Joe Lampton began in 1957 with the publication of John Braine's novel Room At The Top. It told the story of Joe, an ambitious 25 year old who has to choose between heart and head in deciding whether to sacrifice the warmth and love of an older woman who is dependent on him in order to marry Susan, the daughter of a wealthy businessman to get his foot on the ladder of success. He chooses the expedient option - but when the older woman commits suicide, he's so ripped apart with grief, he's unable to enjoy his triumph. It was filmed in 1959 with Laurence Harvey as Joe. The story continued in 1962 with the sequel Life At The Top in which the 30 something Joe finds the fruits of success have turned into ashes - Susan is having an affair, and he's utterly trapped by his father in law, Abe. An attempt to break away and succeed on his own terms proves fruitless and he realises he's truly a victim of his own ruthlessness. This too was filmed with Harvey, in 1965.

There were no further novels, but in 1970 Braine created the TV series Man At The Top which carried the Lampton saga into the 70s with Joe now in his forties. It ran for two series from 1970 to 1972 with Kenneth Haigh replacing Harvey as Joe. Abe has set Joe up as a management consultant with his friend from Room At The Top, Teddy Soames. As the series progresses, with much heartache for Susan, Joe loses the aunt who raised him like a mother back in his home town, Dufton, which provokes a crisis of conscience and he finally breaks free of Abe - for a while. Subsequently the business folds. After struggling,eventually Joe is employed again, but when his ruthlessness causes the death of his little girl, his conscience flares up again and he tells his employer he's through eating s**t. Abe persuades him to enter politics, but when he realises the aim is to exploit the workers of Dufton, he publicly denounces Abe and his partners - and effectively self-destructs.

The big screen spin off arrived in 1973 and had to be consistent with Joe's backstory without requiring a PhD in John Braine to follow the story. It had to stand alone, as well as tie in with what had gone before. It does this very well indeed, and casual viewers can enjoy the film as well as seasoned Lampton followers.

After irretrievably damaging relations with Abe and Susan, Joe is single and now has a relatively low level job on a construction site, but has been head hunted by the Ackerman Group, a pharmaceutical company, to be their managing director. Joe takes the job, but can't help wondering why they want someone with no scientific background. He investigates - and soon he finds a sinister conspiracy to discredit and destroy him. But as many a devious businessman has found to his sorrow, if you try and shaft Joe Lampton, it'll end in tears - and Joe's eyes will be dry as a bone........... Much more explicit visually and vocally than the series was able to be at the time, Man At The Top is a minor, but unjustly forgotten film which has been long overdue for reissue. Haigh brilliantly recreates his TV role and there's ample supports from such dependable actors as Harry Andrews and Nanette Newman. There's even an appearance from then-popular TV comedian Charlie Williams to savour.