Present Laughter. 1967. Great Britain. Directed by Gordon Flemyng. Written by Noël Coward. With Peter O’Toole, Honor Blackman, Isla Blair. 16mm. 100 min.
Based on Noël Coward’s 1939 play, Present Laughter is a lighthearted comedy depicting a few days in the life of self-obsessed stage actor Garry Essendine as he grapples with a midlife crisis before setting sail for a theater tour in Africa. Peter O’Toole gives an inspired performance as Garry, with Honor Blackman as his estranged wife. Gordon Flemyng’s version was a part of the ITV Play of the Week anthology series, which ran from 1955 to 1974.