Heavens Above! (Original title)
Dates: 1963 (Copyright), 08 September 1963 (Release)Country: United KingdomDirected by: John Boulting, Roy Boulting
Synopsis: Due to an error the wrong Reverend Smallwood is appointed to the living of Orbiston Parva, and his Christian charity causes chaos in the parish. The conscience of his patron, Lady Despard, is roused to the point of putting her entire fortune at his disposal. With this he distributes free food and totally disrupts the local economy, causing unemployment and riots. His superiors hastily transfer him to a remote island parish, where there is a nuclear station. Taunted about his religion by a terrified astronaut, he changes places with him, and is launched, singing hymns, into orbit.
Genre: Comedy
Subjects: Clergy, Vicars, Islands, Astronauts, Space missions
Releases
Date: 1963Country: United KingdomRelease type: unknownFormat: not specified - Black and White - SoundRuntime: 118 mins Length: 10638 FeetDialogue (original): English
Date: February 2019Country: United KingdomRelease type: InternetFormat: not specified - Black and White - SoundRuntime: 118 mins Dialogue (original): EnglishDistributor: BFIPlayer
Title: [British National Film Catalogue - v1 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Films and Filming v9 n10 July 1963 Page: 22
Title: [Films and Filming - v9 n10 July 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Monthly Film Bulletin v30 n354 July 1963 Page: 95
Title: [Monthly Film Bulletin - v30 n354 July 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Annunciation v8 n7 July 1963 Page: 18
Title: [Annunciation - v8 n7 July 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Film and TV Technician v29 n227 December 1963
Title: [Film and TV Technician - v29 n227 December 1963: no known title]Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
Description: Credits.
In: Variety 19 Jun 1963
Title: [Variety - 19 Jun 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Kine Weekly n2903 23 May 1963 Page: 10
Title: [Kine Weekly - n2903 23 May 1963: no known title]Language: English
Film, Video or Digital materials held in BFI National Archive(2)
Accessible materials to view(1)
Description: VHS cassetteBFI identifier: C-1031111
Status: Viewing - Videotape can be requested for access
Video materials(1)
Description: VHS cassetteBFI identifier: C-1031111
Status: Viewing - Videotape can be requested for access
Film materials(1)
Description: 16mm BW PositiveBase: SafetySound: CombinedBFI identifier: C-964310
Status: Status pending - Material requires inspection to determine preservation or access status
Dates: 1963 (Copyright), 08 September 1963 (Release)Country: United KingdomDirected by: John Boulting, Roy Boulting
Synopsis: Due to an error the wrong Reverend Smallwood is appointed to the living of Orbiston Parva, and his Christian charity causes chaos in the parish. The conscience of his patron, Lady Despard, is roused to the point of putting her entire fortune at his disposal. With this he distributes free food and totally disrupts the local economy, causing unemployment and riots. His superiors hastily transfer him to a remote island parish, where there is a nuclear station. Taunted about his religion by a terrified astronaut, he changes places with him, and is launched, singing hymns, into orbit.
Genre: Comedy
Subjects: Clergy, Vicars, Islands, Astronauts, Space missions
Releases
Date: 1963Country: United KingdomRelease type: unknownFormat: not specified - Black and White - SoundRuntime: 118 mins Length: 10638 FeetDialogue (original): English
Date: February 2019Country: United KingdomRelease type: InternetFormat: not specified - Black and White - SoundRuntime: 118 mins Dialogue (original): EnglishDistributor: BFIPlayer
Credits
(57)
©/Production Company: Charter Film Productions, Presented by: British Lion Films, Romulus Films, Produced by: John Boulting, Roy Boulting, Production Manager: Michael F. Johnson, Personal Assistant to the Producer: Theo Richmond, [Production Secretary]: Dee Vaughan, Assistant Director: Derek Cracknell, [Assistant Director (2nd)]: Henry Emery, [Assistant Director (3rd)]: Malcolm Johnson, Continuity: Olga Brook, [Casting]: Thelma Graves, Original Story & Screenplay: Frank Harvey, John Boulting, From an idea by: Malcolm Muggeridge, Director of Photography: Max Greene, Camera Operator: Peter Allwork, [2nd Camera Operator]: Geoffrey P. Meldrum, [Focus Puller]: Gerry Elliott, [Clapper Loader]: Raymond Sieman, [Stills]: Laurie Ridley, [Travelling Matte/Model Photography]: Wally Veevers, [Travelling Matte/Model Photography]: George Samuels, John Mackey, Editor: Teddy Darvas, [Assembly Cutter]: John Poyner, [Assistant Editor]: David Woodward, [Assistant Editor (2nd)]: John Lee, Bill Garlick, Art Director: Albert Witherick, [Assistant Art Director]: Robert Cartwright, [Draughtsman]: Frank Willson, [Draughtsman]: Roy Walker, [Draughtsman]: Peter Childs, J.S. Milton, [Scenic Artist]: Alan Evans, Costume Designer: David ffolkes, Make-up: Stuart Freeborn, Make-up: Gerry Fletcher, Hairdresser: Barbara Ritchie, Music Composed by: Richard Rodney Bennett, [Music] Conducted by: John Hollingsworth, Sound Recordist: George Stevenson, [Sound Camera Operator]: Ernie Webb, [Boom Operator]: Jack Davies, [Boom Assistant]: David Lenham, [Sound Maintenance]: Brian Paxton, Dubbing Mixer: Red Law, [Dubbing Crew]: Brian Marshall, Yorke Scarlett, Dubbing Editor: Chris Greenham, Consultant: Rev. Harold Ironmonger, [Publicity]: Derek Robbins, Made at: Shepperton Studios
Cast
(45)
Peter Sellers (the Reverend John Smallwood), Cecil Parker (Archdeacon Aspinall), Isabel Jeans (Lady Despard), Ian Carmichael (the other Smallwood), Bernard Miles (Simpson), Brock Peters (Matthew), Eric Sykes (Harry Smith), Irene Handl (Rene Smith), Miriam Karlin (Winnie Smith), Joan Miller (Mrs Smith-Gould), Miles Malleson (Rockerby), Eric Barker (bank manager), William Hartnell (Major Fowler), Roy Kinnear (Fred Smith), Joan Hickson (garrulous housewife), Kenneth Griffith (Reverend Owen Smith), Mark Eden (Sir Geoffrey Despard), John Comer (butcher), Basil Dignam (prison governor), Franklyn Engelman (TV commentator), Colin Gordon (prime minister), Geoffrey Hibbert (council official), Joan Heal (disgruntled housewife), Ludovic Kennedy (himself), Margery Lawrence (quarelling housewife), Harry Locke (shop steward), Henry Longhurst (deaf gentleman), Joan Matheson (.), Malcolm Muggeridge (clerk), Derek Nimmo (assistant director general), Conrad Phillips (P.R.O), Nicholas Phipps (director general), Cardew Robinson (tramp), Gerald Sim (store manager), Olive Sloane (2nd quarelling housewife), Marianne Stone (Miss Palmer, archdeacon's secretary), Elsie Wagstaff (lady on parish church council), Thorley Walters (Tranquilax executive), Ian Wilson (Salvation Army major), George Woodbridge (the bishop), Josephine Woodford (Doris Smith), Billy Milton ([Fellowes]), Howard Pays ([astronaut]), Tim Brinton ([TV commentator]), Drewe Henley ([Doris' boyfriend])
Articles held in BFI Reuben Library
(7)
In: British National Film Catalogue v1 1963Title: [British National Film Catalogue - v1 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Films and Filming v9 n10 July 1963 Page: 22
Title: [Films and Filming - v9 n10 July 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Monthly Film Bulletin v30 n354 July 1963 Page: 95
Title: [Monthly Film Bulletin - v30 n354 July 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Annunciation v8 n7 July 1963 Page: 18
Title: [Annunciation - v8 n7 July 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Film and TV Technician v29 n227 December 1963
Title: [Film and TV Technician - v29 n227 December 1963: no known title]Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
Description: Credits.
In: Variety 19 Jun 1963
Title: [Variety - 19 Jun 1963: no known title]Language: English
In: Kine Weekly n2903 23 May 1963 Page: 10
Title: [Kine Weekly - n2903 23 May 1963: no known title]Language: English
Film, Video or Digital materials held in BFI National Archive(2)
Accessible materials to view(1)
Description: VHS cassetteBFI identifier: C-1031111
Status: Viewing - Videotape can be requested for access
Video materials(1)
Description: VHS cassetteBFI identifier: C-1031111
Status: Viewing - Videotape can be requested for access
Film materials(1)
Description: 16mm BW PositiveBase: SafetySound: CombinedBFI identifier: C-964310
Status: Status pending - Material requires inspection to determine preservation or access status