The Wrong Box is a black comedy film released in 1966, based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1889 novel of the same name. The film is set in Victorian England and revolves around a strange will case. Two elderly brothers, Joseph and Masterman Finsbury, who own a successful tontine, which is a type of investment plan where the last surviving member receives the pooled assets, have reached the age of 100 years. They have kept in touch with each other every year on their birthday.
However, when Masterman dies on the morning of his 100th birthday, it is discovered that the tontine documents were lost, and the only way to determine the rightful recipient of the fortune is to see which of the brothers outlives the other. In the meantime, a group of eccentric characters, including a scheming American cousin Michael Finsbury, two doctors, Joseph’s nephew, Morris Finsbury, and his ward, Julia, become involved in a series of misadventures involving plots to hasten Joseph’s death and countless cases of mistaken identity.
As the story progresses, the characters engage in several humorous and absurd situations involving mistaken identities, secret passageways, and comically staged deaths. The film culminates in a chaotic pursuit through the streets of London and a hilarious finale involving a boat chase along the Thames River.
Starring Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore, Michael Caine, and Ralph Richardson, The Wrong Box received positive reviews for its witty script, clever plot twists, and talented ensemble cast. Although it was not a commercial success at the time of its release, the film has since become a cult classic and is regarded as one of the funniest and most entertaining British comedies of the 1960s.
