When a clandestine party goes wild, it's all about pork... and prestige.
In the summer of 1947, Britain prepares to commemorate the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. To get around food-rationing laws, Dr. Charles Swaby, accountant Henry Allardyce and solicitor Frank Lockwood are fattening a black-market pig for the big day. Egged on by his wife, meek Gilbert Chilvers steals the swine, but the couple must conceal it from inspector Morris Wormold.
A Private Function (1984) is a comedy film directed by Malcolm Mowbray, released on November 9, 1984 with a runtime of 1h 36m. It stars Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott and Richard Griffiths. Viewers rate it 6.4 out of 10 across 68 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for A Private Function before you stream it.
Michael Palin
as Gilbert Chilvers
Maggie Smith
as Joyce Chilvers
Denholm Elliott
as Dr. Swaby
Richard Griffiths
as Allardyce
Tony Haygarth
as Sutcliff
John Normington
as Lockwood
Bill Paterson
as Wormold
Liz Smith
as Mother
Alison Steadman
as Mrs. Allardyce
Jim Carter
as Inspector Noble
Pete Postlethwaite
as Nuttol
Eileen O'Brien
as Mrs. Sutcliff
Directed by Malcolm Mowbray, written by Alan Bennett, Malcolm Mowbray and Alan Bennett, produced by Mark Shivas.
Average viewer score of 6.4/10 from 68 ratings.
The forthcoming wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip is a cause for celebration in post war Britain, but it isn’t going to affect rationing that still only allows one person one rasher of bacon per week. The folks of a small Yorkshire town have their own cunning plan. Secreted in the middle of the woods, they have a pig. Despite the best efforts of the ferret-like detective “Wormold” (Bill Paterson),…
Reviewed on December 6, 2025
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A Private Function (1984) is available to stream on Criterion Channel. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of A Private Function (1984) includes Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott, Richard Griffiths and Tony Haygarth. The film was directed by Malcolm Mowbray. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
A Private Function was released on November 9, 1984 and runs for 1h 36m.
A Private Function (1984) holds an average rating of 6.4 out of 10 from 68 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy comedy films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official A Private Function trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
