Entertaining Mr. Sloane

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Entertaining Mr. Sloane

1970

1h 34m

Comedy

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4 Reviews

67%

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100+ Ratings

An English landlady (Beryl Reid) and her brother (Harry Andrews) like their lodger, a young killer called Mr. Sloane (Peter McEnery).

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

This adaptation of Joe Orton’s stage show retains its creator’s liberal application of outrageous black comedy in service of his intricate, dead-frog dissections of hypocrisy, immorality, and sexuality.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 28, 2025

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Penelope Houston

The Spectator

Leaves no snigger unsung, blandly disregarding the fact that the dialogue of Orton's wayward original... calls for something daily rigorous.

Jan 14, 2020

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Sam Blazer

Los Angeles Free Press

A model of stylistic integrity.

Jan 14, 2020

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Despite the cheerful crudity of much of its humour, its jabs at middle class hypocrisy are often as subtle as they are pointed; there is much in this that was personal to Orton and it was his strongest suit as a writer.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 14, 2017

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charles d

I'll bet John Waters saw this film early in his own development

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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john k

It's one of the worst movies I've ever seen, bad acting and bad script

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Offbeat sexually charged stage play that transfers well enough to film, with an interesting turn for an ageing Beryl Reid.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

Film adaptation of the Joe Orton play of the 1960s this doesn't quite hit the mark due to some rather stumbling direction. There's a good solid cast with Beryl Reid standing out as the utterly grotesque Kath. Her character has outrageously inappropriate costumes and a simpering manipulative delivery that is totally cringe-worthy. Harry Andrews puts in a strong performance as the slimy brother Ed and Peter McEnery's Mr. Sloane is suitably handsome and lacking in moral fibre but his patchy accent is a distraction. The story is a warped tale of innuendo, violence and a bizarre love triangle but Orton's convoluted dialogue makes for a somewhat plodding narrative in which the farcical elements become lost, diminishing the overall enjoyment of the film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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Audience Member

watching this on netflix... will we make it through?

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

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Audience Member

the best adaptation of an Orton play into a movie well there was only two this and Loot. It's the most queasy inducing movie about a randy sister who has designs on her new lodger who has a dark secret, and Mr Sloane who takes it turns to play both her and her brother against each other who also has designs on him. Bi-sexuality, murder, and raging nymphomania its a must if you like your humour on the dark side. Joe Orton got bludgeoned to death by his boyfriend in 1967, which in it's way is very Orton-esce.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Douglas Hickox

Director

Beryl Reid

Kath

Peter McEnery

Mr. Sloane

Harry Andrews

Ed

Alan Webb

Kemp ('Dadda')

Charles Sinnickson

Vicar

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Synopsis

An English landlady (Beryl Reid) and her brother (Harry Andrews) like their lodger, a young killer called Mr. Sloane (Peter McEnery).

Director: Douglas Hickox
Producer: Douglas Kentish
Screenwriter: Clive Exton
Production Co: Canterbury Film Productions
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 34m

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