Caroline Blakiston, Christopher Lee, Isabel Jeans

In this adaptation of Terry Southern's offbeat novel, an eccentric millionaire stumbles upon a down-and-out vagrant in the park and decides to adopt him as his son. The pair embark on a series of prac...( read more  read more... )tical jokes and elaborate stunts designed to attack the hypocrisy and snobbery of modern society and expose the wanton greed that exists in all of us -- and prove that everyone has his price. Ringo Starr and Peter Sellers co-star.

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69% liked it

2,013 ratings

PG, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Joseph McGrath

Release Date: February 11, 1970

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DVD Release Date: January 21, 2003

Stats: 142 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (142)


  • March 31, 2009
    Irreverent comedy, whose bizarre sights, cynical world-view and oddball logic at times proceeds free-form. Energy and vitality from Peter Sellers, while Ringo Starr is agreeably and appropriately vacuous.
  • September 24, 2009
    ...( read more)gic Christian
    The Magic Christian (1969)
    Written by Terry Southern (Candy) based on his novel.
    Directed by Joseph McGrath.
    Production Design by Assheton Gorton.
    With Peter Sellers, Ringo Starr, Richard Attenborough, Christopher Lee, John Cleese, Raquel Welch, and Roman Polanski.

    Sellers plays multi-millionaire Sir Guy Grand, who enjoys spending his money to play pranks on the wealthy and upper classes. His elaborate jokes and hoaxes zero in on the avarice, bigotry, and brazen pretentiousness of his targets.

    Grand adopts a high-functioning hippie in Hyde Park (Ringo Starr) and recruits him to be his confederate in his schemes. Some of their stunts include bringing howitzers to hunt fowl with the local aristocracy, infiltrating an Oxford crew competition, and proving that everyone, no matter how dignified has their price by dumping thousands of dollars into a giant public vat of blood, vomit and feces.

    A series of very funny stunts concludes with a staged New Year's cruise on a luxury liner, all of which is an elaborate simulation unbeknown to the invitees; the ship, piloted by a brazenly drunken captain, never actually leaves port. On the "cruise," the cream of elite society is teased and buffeted by a variety of psychedelic goings-on that include a vampire, dwarfs running amok, and a rampaging actor in a gorilla suit.

    I like comedies as much as the next person, but while I think many are very funny, few make me actually laugh out loud. The Magic Christian made me roar with laughter.

    With music written by Paul McCartney, and performed by Badfinger and Thunderclap Newman.

    Available on DVD.

    The Magic Christian - CLICK to play official trailer
  • June 25, 2009
    Giving it all away never felt sooo good.
  • April 19, 2009
    One of the most off beat movies of English humor and well worth seeing
  • July 30, 2008
    Stranger than I expected.
  • February 24, 2008
    I find the title an interesting paradox. It also has a lot of popular Badfinger songs on it. Ringo sure is the lucky one. Watch for when they drop the money from the air.

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Comments


  • krissy2082
    July 3, 2007
    It didnt come out in 2003...it came out in like the 60's or 70's i think
  • westman00
    June 16, 2007
    How is Peter Sellers in a movie that came out in 2003?

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