Billy Liar (John Schlesinger, 1963) is the engaging tale of Billy Fisher, wonderfully portrayed by Tom Courtenay. The film was produced by that triumvirate of British talent; Keith Waterhouse, John Schlesinger and Richard Rodney Bennett. Billy is a clerk at an Undertakers but dreams of being much more. We see his daydreams of being a victorious leader in the country in his mind, Ambrosia. He also has pretentions of writing for a comedian in London and leaving his Bradford home. He’s living with his long suffering mum and dad, and his grandmother. He has a dark secret in his wardrobe of 200 calendars that he was supposed to have posted for his employer last Christmas. He also has a very complicated love life. All of this is further complicated by him being economical with the truth.
The film catches England in that crux of change when World War Two bomb sites were being built upon and those buildings that had survived the war were being demolished for progress. It was also the cusp of that time when teenagers and young people were being invented; going to coffee houses, dances, riding motorbikes and talking back to their parents.
The film as well is like a celebration of British acting talent with not only Tom Courtenay nay, but also Julie Christie, Wilfred Pickles, Rodney Bewes, Leonard Rossiter, Mona Washbourn and Helen Fraser. In that as well it links the past with the future, wonderful stuff.
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