Country Dance (film)
- 22 April 1970 (1970-04-22)
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
- ^ Freedland, Michael (1982). Peter O'Toole : a biography. St Martin's Press. p. 136.
- ^ "Country Dance". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Chibnall p.331
- ^ 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.
- ^ British Author Killed in 4-Car Auto Crash Chicago Tribune 25 Dec 1968: b11.
- ^ MOVIE CALL SHEET: Brill Will Film 'Obsession' Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times (11 Feb 1969: d15.
- ^ Hollywood Today: New Addition NORMA LEE BROWNING. Chicago Tribune 10 July 1969: b1.
- ^ Susannah May Get the Squiggles, but She Knows Where She's Going in Films: Movies Servi, Vera. Chicago Tribune 16 Aug 1970: e4.
- ^ Wapshott, Nicholas (1984). Peter O'Toole : a biography. Beaufort Books. pp. 154–156.
- ^ Blessed, Brian (2015). Absolute pandemonium : a memoir. Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 94.
- ^ On the film scene The Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file); Boston, Mass. [Boston, Mass]06 Feb 1970: 8.
- ^ Film Title Changed Los Angeles Times 23 Mar 1970: e23.
- ^ 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.
External links
- Country Dance at IMDb
- Country Dance at AllMovie
- Country Dance at TCMDB
- Country Dance then-and-now location photographs at ReelStreets
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