Margaret Rutherford as The Duchess of Brighton in The V.I.P.s
Best Supporting Actress at the 36th Annual Oscars (1963)
Notable Quote:
“What a ridiculous form of locomotion flying is.”
Synopsis:
Several groups of rich characters (V.I.P.s, if you will), each of whom has a pressing reason to get on a flight out of the country as soon as possible, ends up stuck at the airport because of fog delays, where relationship turmoil boils over.
The character:
In a movie all about the upper crust, the Duchess of Brighton is one of the most unassuming important persons. If you were traveling alongside her, you’d never know she was royalty: she’s dressed like the “feed the birds, tuppence a bag” lady from Mary Poppins, and she’s not at all worldly. As a matter of fact, she’s never been on a plane before, and would prefer not to be on one now. But alas, she’s got to fly to Miami (of all places!) to save her crumbling mansion. So she’s a duchess flying economy, which is a great gag. She’s baffled by all aspects of air travel, including presenting her passport, putting luggage in the overhead compartment, and buckling her seatbelt, each task completely incomprehensible to her.
The other great joke is that she’s completely drugged out, because she keeps taking pills: first some “pep-up” pills that a friend gave her for the flight, then some downers to relax, then some more drugs to stay awake all night (from a random hotel bellhop!), followed by more pep-up pills! She also has a “giant glass of brandy” at some point during this whole misadventure. Unsurprisingly, by the end of the movie, she’s wandering around the airport in a dreamy haze, and honestly, that’s probably the best way to fly. I’ll conclude by noting that the gate attendant initially can’t find her name on the manifesto because he doesn’t realize that it’s listed under “D” for Duchess.
The performance:
Margaret Rutherford is yet another new discovery for me! This performance is very reminiscent of Helen Hayes’s in Airport, and not just because of the setting. Both are comic relief older lady characters, that feel somewhat inessential but are still really funny. First of all, even though Rutherford isn’t doing pratfalls or anything, her slapstick abilities are excellent. She brings a physicality to her character, from her hat constantly flopping off, to her visible stress.
I also like that Rutherford delivers her lines in a low-key manner. She could have been an over-the-top, grandstanding duchess, ala Maggie Smith (also in this film) in Downton Abbey, but instead gives us more grounded mannerisms, which make the silliness of her lines pop even more. There’s an innocence about the duchess: I believe that she’s never been on a plane before. It works because even when she’s being a bit of an asshole, like arguing with the flight attendant over her giant hatbox, we’re on her side.
The movie:
The premise of this film’s major conflicts, that we’re all stuck in an airport, even though we desperately need to catch our flights, is perfect. The stakes feel high: one character needs to get to New York for a super important business meeting or he’ll go under; another left a note for her husband that she’s eloping, and would like to be elsewhere when he actually reads it. The characters eventually get stuck in a hotel overnight, which unfortunately lowers the tension: I would have preferred if we confined all the action to just a few hours. There are four storylines, but two, including the duchesses, are purely comic relief, so there’s a bad balance where a few characters have to carry a lot of screentime. I wish they had thrown a few extra tales into the mix. Still, it’s a fun movie, with a good mix of laughs and melodrama.
Was the Oscar deserved?
Yes, Rutherford’s performance is endearing and I’ll think of her anytime I’m stuck on tarmac.