Man at the Top, 1973.
Directed by Mike Vardy.
Starring Kenneth Haigh, Nanette Newman, Harry Andrews, William Lucas, Clive Swift, Paul Williamson, John Collin and John Quentin.
SYNOPSIS:
Northerner Joe Lampton becomes involved with Lord Ackerman, the powerful chairman of a pharmaceutical concern, where he makes a shocking discovery: his predecessor committed suicide because of his involvement in a drug that had left a hundred women sterile.
Man at the Top was a British TV series that ran for 23 episodes between 1970 and 1972. Kenneth Haigh was “The man at the top” or Joe Lampton as the main character was known. The series followed his chauvinistic exploits as he rose through the ranks of the business world. Although he left his homeland of the north behind, he retained its grittiness and used it to his advantage, often against those who believed themselves above him, both culturally and academically.
This movie spin off from the series carries on the underlying theme of class, Lampton’s constant battle against it, and his determination to succeed at beating it. Again, like the series, he also maintains his extraordinary power to make women he chooses unable to resist his sexual advances. The story sees Lampton accepting the managing director role at a pharmaceuticals company. Looking down on him is Lord Ackerman played by Harry Andrews, and although Ackerman acknowledges Lampton’s business acumen, he despises him for his place in society. He displays this during one of the better parts of the film with a good monologue, of which there are a couple. Lampton discovers that his predecessor, who had committed suicide, had been involved in the production of a new drug that had severe side-effects. He begins to investigate and is soon ruffling the feathers of Lord Ackerman and his associates.
To be honest, this film is just an extended episode of what was a fairly average television series. As such it failed to impress me as a film in its own right. It has a good premise for a story but because it can’t decide whether Lampton’s frustrations, both sexual and sociological, or the mystery of his predecessor’s suicide is more important, both become weak as does the film. Several times when Lampton engaged Ackerman or an associate his arguments were always based on the same “chip-on-my-shoulder” reasoning. Whereas this would work in a thirty or fourty five minute episode, it becomes tiresome over one and a half hours.
There are some good uses of symbolism in the difference of class, particularly involving a fox hunt in which Haigh’s character becomes more involved than he would have liked. Considering that it has this slightly dark, underhand element of shady business activity, it fails to exploit it in the way that Get Carter did. Okay, it’s not exactly the same sort of film but with a bit more aggression it could have been more attractive to someone who hadn’t watched the TV series in depth. The disc contains a soundtrack list feature, which was welcome as some of the score was enjoyable. In addition there is the original theatrical trailer and an image gallery.
Not a film I would watch more than once, but I could see why a fan of the show would add it to their collection.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
J-P Wooding – Follow me on Twitter.
Originally published April 22, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
