What a Carve Up! (1961)

by Ted Davis

Also Known As: No Place Like Homicide!

Directed by: Pat Jackson

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Scaredy-cat proofreader Ernie Broughton (Kenneth Connor) travels to Yorkshire for a nighttime reading of his uncle’s last will and testament, accompanied by his more confident and caustic friend, tipster Syd Butler (Sidney James). Other Broughton family members attending the reading in hopeful anticipation of sizable financial rewards are the heavily imbibing, extremely pukka Guy (Dennis Price), the formidable Janet (Valerie Taylor), the twittery, elderly Aunt Emily (Esma Cannon), and wide-eyed loony Malcolm (Michael Gwynn). Fisk (Michael Gough), the grim and desiccated butler, attends to the family needs and menacing solicitor Everett Sloane (Donald Pleasance) presides over the reading of the will, but a more attractive participant is nubile Linda Dickson (Shirley Eaton), the uncle’s attending nurse, who spends a significant amount of time not fully dressed. As is to be expected in these old-dark-house entertainments, the cast is substantially more compact by the end of the movie.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): Ernie and Syd enter the cavernous hall of the gloomy family mansion and Ernie trips over a snarling black cat that streaks up the front stairs. Syd drolly comments, “Black cat, that’s lucky!”

What a Carve Up! - black cat running away

What a Carve Up! - black cat almost stepped on and running up stairs with Syd Sidney James and Ernie Kenneth Connor animated gif

During an extended bedtime sequence where Syd and Ernie are preparing for sleep, a black cat steals into the room via a squeaking door.

What a Carve Up! - black cat peeking into room from hidden panel

What a Carve Up! - black cat sneaking into room from hidden panel

Ernie is alerted by the sound, but does not see the cat, which hops on to the end of the bed, under the covers, and moves to the other end, as evidenced by his disappearing tail (probably a fake prop).

What a Carve Up! - black cat approaching bed

What a Carve Up! - black cat tail sticking out of bed

What a Carve Up! - black cat climbing from secret panel into bed with Ernie Kenneth Connor and Syd Sidney James and tail disappearing animated gif

First Syd, then Ernie are nudged and tickled by the cat, and the usual and expected comic misunderstandings occur until Syd literally uncovers the beautiful black cat, at the same time that Ernie unleashes a horrified high-pitched screech.

What a Carve Up! - black cat sitting on bed

Syd calmly lifts the cat from the bed, carries him to the door, and puts him out of the bedroom.

What a Carve Up! - black cat picked up from bed by Syd Sidney James

What a Carve Up! - black cat carried from bed by Syd Sidney James

What a Carve Up! - black cat being uncovered on bed by Syd Sidney James with Ernie Kenneth Connor animated gif

At the end of the movie, the black cat and three black and white kittens are messing about on the organ keys, quickly joined by both Ernie and Syd who begin playing a spirited rendition of Chopsticks (with variations), which causes the entire organ and bench to lower under the main floor.