Review of Hell Is Sold Out

This movie has a great cast, but I found it a very disappointing experience, especially as I'm a great fan of the stars, Mai Zetterling, Richard Attenborough and Herbert Lom. Many of the support players ring bells with me too, especially Joan Hickson, Hermione Baddeley, Eric Pohlmann, Kathleen Byron, Zena Marshall and Ronald Adam. One wonders how on earth, people of this caliber came to be involved with such a dull and thoroughly disappointing movie. First of all, "hell", either sold out or still open for business, has nothing to do with the wishy-washy plot at all. It's a comedy - yes, a comedy - about a supposedly deceased novelist who wrote a book of that title. Yes, it turns out that reports of the demise were greatly exaggerated. Well, even this idea has promise, but that promise is utterly vitiated by the screenwriter's dull, plodding dialogue and Michael Anderson's unimaginative direction. Even Jack Asher's photography is way, way below his usual high standard. The only good thing about the movie is the agreeable music score contributed by Hans May.