The Missionary

The Missionary
American theatrical release poster
Directed by	Richard Loncraine
Produced by	George Harrison Denis O'Brien Michael Palin Neville C. Thompson
Written by	Michael Palin
Starring	Michael Palin Maggie Smith Trevor Howard Denholm Elliot
Music by	Mike Moran
Cinematography	Peter Hannan
Editing by	Paul Green
Distributed by	Handmade Films Ltd.
Release date(s)	2 November 1982
Running time	90 min
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Missionary is a 1982 British comedy directed by Richard Loncraine, produced by George Harrison, Denis O'Brian, Michael Palin (also the film's writer and co-producer) and Neville C. Thompson. The film stars Palin as the Rev. Charles Fortescue, Denholm Elliott as The Bishop of London, Michael Hordern as the butler and Maggie Smith as Isabel, Lady Ames.

Fortescue is a missionary returning from Africa after a ten year religious mission to wed his sweetheart who refuses to be touched, and because he has a new assignment. His new assignment is to minister to the prostitutes of London. Lady Ames is to fund the new assignment, but only on the condition that Reverend Fortescue share her bed.

Cast

• Michael Palin as The Reverend Charles Fortescue
• Maggie Smith as Lady Isabel Ames
• Trevor Howard as Lord Henry Ames
• Denholm Elliott as The Bishop
• Michael Hordern as Slatterthwaite / Narrator
• Graham Crowden as The Reverend Fitzbanks
• David Suchet as Corbett
• Phoebe Nicholls as Deborah Fitzbanks
• Tricia George as Ada
• Valerie Whittington as Emmeline
• Roland Culver as Lord Fermleigh
• Rosamund Greenwood as Lady Fermleigh
• Timothy Spall as Parswell
• Neil Innes as Singer in Gin Palace

External links

• The Missionary at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• The Missionary at AllRovi
• The Missionary at the Internet Movie Database