Set in Victorian England, The Wrong Box is a British black comedy with a splendid cast including John Mills, Ralph Richardson, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and last, but definitely not least, Peter Sellers. A strange rule of inheritance allows only the last remaining survivor of a family of siblings to get the sizable legacy, precipitating a dangerous contest between two elderly brothers (Mills and Richardson). Their families get involved too, sparking a wild chase and absurd comedy as they attempt to be the last man standing. Directed by Bryan Forbes (The L-Shaped Room, Séance on a Wet Afternoon).
For what these respectable actors, working under the direction of Bryan Forbes, have done is to lift this Victorian fable of a family’s fight over a legacy into a farce so fantastic and explosive that it virtually pops right out of the screen. A crazy, merry tale that tumbles somewhere between black humor and elegant, unhibited camp, spotted with lurid subtitles in the manner of an early silent film. And, incidentally, the English scenery in splendid color is mighty nice. – NYT
Starring Michael Caine, John Mills, Peter Sellers.