The Wicked Lady (1983 film)
| The Wicked Lady | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Michael Winner |
| Written by | Leslie Arliss Gordon Glennon Magdalen King-Hall Aimée Stuart Michael Winner |
| Produced by | Yoram Globus Menahem Golan |
| Starring | Faye Dunaway Alan Bates John Gielgud Denholm Elliott Hugh Millais |
| Cinematography | Jack Cardiff |
| Edited by | Michael Winner |
| Music by | Tony Banks |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | MGM/UA |
Release date | 22 July 1983 |
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8 million (est.)[1] |
| Box office | $724,912[1] |
The Wicked Lady is a 1983 British drama film directed by Michael Winner. It was screened out of competition at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.[2] It is a remake of the 1945 film of the same name, which was one of the popular series of Gainsborough melodramas.
Plot
Caroline is to be wed to Sir Ralph and invites her sister Barbara to be her bridesmaid. Barbara seduces Ralph, and marries him herself, but, despite her new wealthy situation, she gets bored and turns to highway robbery for thrills.
While on the road she meets a famous highwayman, Jerry Jackson, and they continue as a team, but some people begin suspecting her identity and she risks death if she continues her nefarious activities.
Cast
- Faye Dunaway as Lady Barbara Skelton
- Alan Bates as Jerry Jackson
- John Gielgud as Hogarth
- Denholm Elliott as Sir Ralph Skelton
- Prunella Scales as Lady Kingsclere
- Oliver Tobias as Kit Locksby
- Glynis Barber as Caroline
- Joan Hickson as Aunt Agatha
- Helena McCarthy as Moll Skelton
- Mollie Maureen as Doll Skelton
- Derek Francis as Lord Kingsclere
- Marina Sirtis as Jackson's Girl
- Nicholas Gecks as Ned Cotterell
- Hugh Millais as Uncle Martin
- John Savident as Squire Thornton
- Marc Sinden as Lord Dolman[3]
- Mark Burns as King Charles II[4]
Production
The actor Mark Burns appeared in The Wicked Lady as King Charles II, but during the filming director Michael Winner could not afford to pay him even the Equity union minimum fee. Burns told him to make a donation to the Police Memorial Trust, which was run by Winner. Years later when Burns appeared at a magistrates court on a charge of speeding, Winner, appearing as a character witness, told the bench that the actor had given "his entire fee" for a major film to the fund and Burns was subsequently discharged.[5]
The film received a Razzie Award nomination for Faye Dunaway as Worst Actress.[6]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the movie was composed by Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks.
References
- ^ a b Andrew Yule, Hollywood a Go-Go: The True Story of the Cannon Film Empire, Sphere Books, 1987 p43-45
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Wicked Lady". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
- ^ Walker, Tim (5 February 2013). "Why Michael Winner was never a ladies' man". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ Full cast of The Wicked Lady at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Evans, Peter (19 July 2007). "Mark Burns". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ^ Razzie Awards for 1984 at the Internet Movie Database.
External links
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