The Ruling Class
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The Ruling Class is a 1972 satire film which tells the story of a mentally ill British nobleman who inherits a lordship. Played by Peter O'Toole the 14th Earl of Gurney at first he thinks he is Jesus and shocks his family and friends with his talk of love and charity. Later after rigorous treatments the Gurney instead believes himself to be Jack the Ripper, but those around him believe him to be cured as his speeches in favour of capital and corporate punishment are seen as perfectly suitable to the House of Lords.
The movie was adapted by Peter Barnes from his play with few major changes. It was directed by Peter Medak. It cost some 1.4 million dollars and was filmed at a sprawling and gaudy estate in Harlaxton with the interiors reconstructed on sound stages. It was quite cheap as Peter O'Toole worked for free and was instead paid a great deal for the big budget Man of La Mancha released by the same studio later in 1972.
In Britain the released film ran some two and a half-hours. The American distributors insisted it be cut by twenty minutes.
It stars Peter O'Toole in the lead, Alastair Sim as his uncle an addled bishop, William Mervyn as his other uncle, Sir Charles Guerny, Coral Browne plays his wife. Harry Andrews appears at the beginning as the 13th Earl of Gurney, and Carolyn Seymour plays Guerney's wife and James Villiers his foppish cousin. Arthur Lowe appears as Guerney's Maoist butler Tucker.
Peter O'Toole was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.