Joyce Redman Movies
Redheaded British actress Joyce Redman attended the RADA before making her first professional appearance in 1935. Redman has since worked with virtually every major repertory troupe in England, as well as Paris' Comedie Francaise. Her biggest stages successes of the 1940s were Shadow and Substance and the London production of Broadway's Claudia. In films since 1942's One of Our Aircraft is Missing, Ms. Redman was Oscar-nominated for her performance as Mrs. Watters in 1963's Tom Jones. Anyone who has seen that film will not soon forget Joyce's sexually supercharged eating scene, nor her lighthearted "so-what" shrug upon learning that she might have slept with her own son. In 1965, Joyce Redman received a second Oscar nomination for her work as Emilia in Othello (1965), a literal filmization of Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre Company production. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The wife of a kind but uninteresting preacher is scorned by her community for supplementing the family income by taking a job at the local grocery store in this drama starring Lindsay Duncan and based on the book by Joanna Trollope. Anna Bouverie's husband has been passed over for a job promotion, leaving her family financially destitute. Concerned that they will not be able to survive on the humble preacher's meager income, Anna decides to alleviate both the money issue and her personal boredom by accepting a position as a shelf stocker at the local grocery store. Largely mocked by the traditional-minded community for her benign act of independence, Anna soon begins to attract the attention of Cotswald Village's male population. Now, as the men in the small village begin falling in love with the beautiful married woman, Anna finds herself forced to choose between not only two men, but her commitments to her family and her own independence as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lindsay Duncan, Stephen Dillane, (more)
This lighthearted Agatha Christie whodunit concerns a group of friends who spend the weekend at The Chimney's, a gorgeous old palatial estate,. When one individual fails to awaken the morning after the guests arrive, and another mysterious death follows, Lady Eileen 'Bundle' Brent (Cheryl Campbell) and Jimmy Thesiger (James Warwick) put their heads together to find the murderer. The crimes involve stolen government information and a secret society called 'The Seven Dials.' Made for Granada Television in Great Britain.
~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
The 1979 TV movie Les Miserables was advertised as the 12th feature film to be based on the 1862 Victor Hugo novel (and that was a modest estimate). This time, Richard Jordan is the persecuted French ex-convict Jean Valjean, and Anthony Perkins is the relentless police officer Javert, who dogs Valjean's trail for forty years. Screenwriter John Gay does a nice compression job on Hugo's mammoth novel, including most of the familiar episodes ("The Bishop's Candlesticks" etc.) and reintroducing several vignettes that had been ignored by earlier adaptations. Norman Rosemont produced Les Miserables on a lavish scale in both England and France, populating the cast with several of Europe and America's best actors (including veteran Claude Dauphin, in his last screen appearance). Les Miserables debuted as a three-hour "IBM Special" on December 27, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Prudence and the Pill gained minor notoriety in 1968 as the first film comedy dealing with the new birth-control pill. David Niven substitutes aspirin for his wife's (Deborah Kerr) birth control medicine, hoping that she will become pregnant by her lover (Keith Mitchell) -- thereby freeing him to dally with his mistress (Irina Demich). Meanwhile, Niven's niece (Judy Geeson) does a switch job on her parents' pills, hoping that once her mom is pregnant, Geeson will be left alone to pursue her own love life. How did such prominent actors as Niven, Kerr, Robert Coote and Dame Edith Evans get mixed up in this high-gloss sleaze? Prudence and the Pill was not only unfunny, but was rendered anachronistic within a year of its release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Deborah Kerr, David Niven, (more)
The 1965 Othello is literally a photographed stage play: a filmed record of the National Theatre Production of 1964, as staged by John Dexter and starring Laurence Olivier. As the easily led, fatally jealous Moor of Venice, Olivier wears thick black-faced makeup and speaks in an uncharacteristically deep, bellow-like voice. Some considered his portrayal of Othello to be an unflattering stereotype; others regard Olivier's interpretation as one of the finest Shakespearean performances ever captured on film. Less flamboyant, but no less effective, are Frank Finlay as Iago, Maggie Smith as Desdemona, Derek Jacobi as Cassio, and Joyce Redman as Emilia. Oscar nominations went to Olivier, Finlay, Smith, and Redman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Laurence Olivier, Frank Finlay, (more)
Tony Richardson's adaptation of Henry Fielding's classic novel was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular comedies of its time, winning four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film follows Tom Jones (Albert Finney), a country boy who becomes one of the wildest playboys in 18th century England, developing a ravenous taste for women, food, and rowdy adventures. Over the course of the film, Jones tries to amass his own fortune and win the heart of Sophie (Susannah York). Not only does John Osborne's Oscar-winning screenplay stay true to the tone of the novel, but the cast -- including Lynn Redgrave in her first screen role -- tears into the story with spirited abandon, making the movie a wildly entertaining and witty experience. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Finney, Susannah York, (more)
This subtle, unadorned British war drama was the second collaboration between "The Archers," Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Six British bomber crewmen are obliged to bail out over Holland. To escape detection from the Nazis, the crewmen accept the hospitality of several Hollanders, all dedicated to the freedom-fighting activities of the Underground. The film is constructed along the lines of the earlier Powell-Pressburger film The Invaders, except that the escapees are British rather than German and their Dutch contacts are willing rather than reluctant co-conspirators. The six male stars are Godfrey Tearle, Eric Portman, Hugh Williams, Bernard Miles, Hugh Burden, and Emrys Jones; among those who aid them in their flight to freedom are Googie Withers, Joyce Redman, and Peter Ustinov. The austere photography by Ronald Neame is complemented by the to-the-point editing of future director David Lean. Adding to the verisimilitude of One of Our Aircraft Is Missing is the utter absence of a musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Godfrey Tearle, Eric Portman, (more)
- 1937
Rushed into production to capitalize on the recent coronation of Britain's King Edward, The King's People is a lumpy documentary, combining shots of past coronations, the development of the suffragette movement, war scenes, and various other newsreel cut-ins. Writer-producer John Drinkwater (who died shortly before this film was released) serves as narrator, explaining the reasons behind and rituals relating to the coronation process. As filmclips from earlier crownings are shown, Drinkwater places these in their proper historical context. The events of the past 30 years in Britain are also depicted, with emphasis on the First World War. In addition, many celebrated personalities are interviewed to offer their perspective on the past four decades; stealing the show is acerbic playwright George Bernard Shaw, who explodes into rage when explaining why he hasn't returned to his native Ireland in several years. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- George Bernard Shaw
