Country Dance (film)

1970 British film by J. Lee Thompson

  • 22 April 1970 (1970-04-22)
Running time
112 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishBudget$3 million[1]

Country Dance (U.S. title: Brotherly Love ) is a 1970 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Peter O'Toole, Susannah York and Michael Craig.[2][3] It is based on the novel Household Ghosts (1961) by James Kennaway which became a three-act stage play in 1967.

The film's sets were designed by the art director Maurice Fowler. Shooting took place in Perthshire and County Wicklow.

Plot

In a fading Scottish aristocratic family, the drunken Sir Charles Henry Arbuthnot Pinkerton Ferguson, has an incestuous relationship with his equally eccentric sister Hilary Dow.

Cast

  • Peter O'Toole as Sir Charles Ferguson
  • Susannah York as Hilary Dow
  • Michael Craig as Douglas Dow
  • Harry Andrews as Brigadier Crieff
  • Cyril Cusack as Dr. Maitland
  • Judy Cornwell as Rosie
  • Brian Blessed as Jack Baird
  • Robert Urquhart as Auctioneer
  • Mark Malicz as Benny-the-Pole
  • Jean Anderson as Matron
  • Lennox Milne as Miss Mailer
  • Helena Gloag as Auntie Belle

Production

The stage play version played at the Edinburgh Festival in 1967. James Kennard wrote the female lead with Susannah York in mind; she was a cousin. Edward Fox played the male lead on stage.

In December 1968 James Kennaway, author of the novel, was driving home from a meeting with Peter O'Toole to discuss the film version when he died in a car accident.[4][5]

In February 1969 it was announced O'Toole would make the film with Susannah York under the direction of J. Lee Thompson.[6]

Filming took place in Ireland in mid 1969.[7] York said "it was the happiest film experience of my life."[8] O'Toole drank heavily through the shoot and at one stage was arrested.[9] Brian Blessed recalled it as "a delightful experience" but admits O'Toole could be difficult.[10]

At one point the film was called The Same Skin.[11] Then it was changed to Brotherly Love.[12]

In April 1970 producer Robert Ginna announced he would make another film with O'Toole and Thompson from a Kennaway novel, The Cost of Living Like This, but it was never made.[13]

References

  1. ^ Freedland, Michael (1982). Peter O'Toole : a biography. St Martin's Press. p. 136.
  2. ^ "Country Dance". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  3. ^ Chibnall p.331
  4. ^ JAMES KENNAWAY, NOVELIST, 40, DEAD: Scot Wrote 'Tunes of Glory' and Screen Adaptations Special to The New York Times. New York Times 25 Dec 1968: 31.
  5. ^ British Author Killed in 4-Car Auto Crash Chicago Tribune 25 Dec 1968: b11.
  6. ^ MOVIE CALL SHEET: Brill Will Film 'Obsession' Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times (11 Feb 1969: d15.
  7. ^ Hollywood Today: New Addition NORMA LEE BROWNING. Chicago Tribune 10 July 1969: b1.
  8. ^ Susannah May Get the Squiggles, but She Knows Where She's Going in Films: Movies Servi, Vera. Chicago Tribune 16 Aug 1970: e4.
  9. ^ Wapshott, Nicholas (1984). Peter O'Toole : a biography. Beaufort Books. pp. 154–156.
  10. ^ Blessed, Brian (2015). Absolute pandemonium : a memoir. Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 94.
  11. ^ On the film scene The Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file); Boston, Mass. [Boston, Mass]06 Feb 1970: 8.
  12. ^ Film Title Changed Los Angeles Times 23 Mar 1970: e23.
  13. ^ A Kooky Time for Coco: Kooky Coco By A.H. WEILER. New York Times 12 Apr 1970: D13.

Bibliography

  • Steve Chibnall. J. Lee Thompson. Manchester University Press, 2000.
  • Country Dance at IMDb
  • Country Dance at AllMovie
  • Country Dance at TCMDB
  • Country Dance then-and-now location photographs at ReelStreets
  • v
  • t
  • e
As director
As writer only