The V.I.P.s (1963)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Frances Andros	Elizabeth Taylor
Paul Andros	Richard Burton
Marc Champselle	Louis Jordan	½
Gloria Gritti	Elsa Martinelli
The Duchess of Brighton	Margaret Rutherford
Miss Mead	Maggie Smith
Les Mangrum	Rod Taylor
Max Buda	Orson Welles
Airport Director	Michael Hordern

Review

This posh situational comedy finds a handful of characters weather-bound at a London airport, left to deal with their individual personal problems. Talky and stagy, the film is thoroughly amusing, but only rarely potent. The overfocusing on a not very vibrant triangle drama eventually kills off the spark (the Taylor/Burton situation here was allegedly based on an infamous Laurence Olivier/Vivien Leigh incident). Richard Burton brings some depth to his part, but the Taylor character operates with a very dubious motivation, and assisted by Louis Jordan's uninspired performance, their platonic relationship remains completely without spark or passion.

Never known for being the most ambitious, British classicist director Anthony Asquith's main feat is getting some fine performances out of his co-stars. Margaret Rutherford is delightful in a tailor-made role, whereas Maggie Smith and Rod Taylor enjoy a handful of brilliant sequences in a highly interesting subplot. Orson Welles is amusing as an arrogant, condescending Yugoslav filmmaker.