Vice Versa

CinemaSerf

Roger Livesey ("Paul") is the wealthy but rather indifferent dad to "Dick" (Anthony Newley). The youngster hates the idea of going back to his boarding school, but his skinflint of a father is having none of it. When "Dick" tries a bit of emotional blackmail, his dad - clutching a mysterious stone from a temple in faraway India finds himself making a wish and now has the mental age of his son. His son, seeing an opportunity for some mischief takes hold of the stone and is soon his father in the body of a boy! What now ensue are an entertaining series of escapades as the youngster goes back to a school under the austere tutelage of "Dr. Grimstone" (James Robertson Justice) and the father tries to fit into a modern adult life of industry and duels - when all he really wants is lemonade and a kiss from "Dulcie" (Petula Clark). Livesey is on good form here as is the increasingly exasperated JRJ and Kay Walsh as the girlfriend of the father who finds herself continually perplexed by these unexplained developments. It is directed by Peter Ustinov and that's quite obvious after a while - it has a haphazard quirkiness and whimsy to it that provides for a slightly grander, more sophisticated, humour as the story moves along. It takes a swipe at the pompous and the shallow, and though it is probably twenty minutes too long, is still quite an enjoyable watch with some amiable characterisations and fun dialogue.