White Mischief

Just in case you miss the point that one's betters are scum, Radford's version of the James Fox book opens on the decadent rich drinking champers in a London underground shelter during an air-raid. They took the party to Kenya, where one adultery too many led to the shooting of Josslyn Hay, twenty-second Earl of Erroll. Since we are never in much doubt that murder is inevitable, know the murderer's identity, and have no sympathy for any of the Happy Valley set, all that's on offer are hopefully scandalous tableaux of rude goings-on. Diana (Scacchi) hooks rich old Sir Jock (Ackland), but falls for the rogering Earl (Dance). Sir Jock bumps him off, gets acquitted, but tops himself anyway. So much for the story. On the sociological side, there's wife-swapping, Trevor Howard peering through a peephole at Scacchi in the bath, lots of drugs and drink, transvestite parties, Sarah Miles smearing her vaginal secretions on the lips of her dead lover in the morgue, and roomy shorts. Irising out on a cocktail party in a cemetery, we say farewell or toodle-pip to the most stunningly boring crew this side of the Ralph Reader show.