<i>Billy Liar</i> is a 1963 British film that captures the monumental changes of the era: the sexual revolution and the destruction of England's old town centres in modernisation schemes. In Bradford, Yorkshire young Billy Fisher (Tom Courtenay) is working a soul-crushing job in a funeral home and suffering daily the derision of his elderly parents. His only escape from this drudgery is his active imagination, where…
Billy Liar (1963)
one guy ... three girls ... one ring!
A young Englishman dreams of escaping from his working class family and dead-end job as an undertaker's assistant. A number of indiscretions cause him to lie in order to avoid the penalties. His life turns into a mess and he has an opportunity to run away and leave it all behind.
Top Cast
Tom Courtenay
William Terrence 'Billy' Fisher
Julie Christie
Liz
Wilfred Pickles
Geoffrey Fisher
Mona Washbourne
Alice Fisher
Ethel Griffies
Grandma Florence
Finlay Currie
Duxbury
Gwendolyn Watts
Rita
Helen Fraser
Barbara
Leonard Rossiter
Emanuel Shadrack
Rodney Bewes
Arthur Crabtree
George Innes
Stamp
Leslie Randall
Danny Boon
Patrick Barr
Inspector MacDonald
Ernest Clark
Prison Governor
Godfrey Winn
Disc Jockey
Jack Cunningham
Ticket Examiner (uncredited)
Reviews
Tom Courtenay is "Billy", a lad whose grasp on reality is, well, tenuous. In his dreams, he is a brave and valiant life-saving sort of fellow. In real life he is a lowly clerk who works for a funeral director and lives with his increasingly exasperated parents. His problems only increase as he struggles to differentiate between his real life and that in his fictional land of "Ambrosia" and as his fantasies develop,…
FAQ about Billy Liar
What is Billy Liar about?
A young Englishman dreams of escaping from his working class family and dead-end job as an undertaker's assistant. A number of indiscretions cause him to lie in order to avoid the penalties. His life turns into a mess and he has an opportunity to run away and leave it all behind.
When was Billy Liar released?
Billy Liar was released in 1963.
What genres does Billy Liar belong to?
Billy Liar is categorised as Comedy, Romance, Drama.
Who stars in Billy Liar?
The cast of Billy Liar includes Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie, Wilfred Pickles, Mona Washbourne, Ethel Griffies.