Tom Jones (1963)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Tony Richardson

Writers:

John Osborne (screenplay)
Henry Fielding (novel)

Release Date:

11 December 1963 (France)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Tom Jones! . . . loves and loves and loves and loves . . . [UK]

Plot:

Tom Jones, the adopted son of a British country squire, is a love-'em-and-leave-'em lady charmer who goes blithely from bed to bed, while managing to get into enough other mischief to come within moments of being hanged.

Plot Keywords:

Squire | Love | Sex | Tutor | Church Of England

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Albert Finney	...	Tom Jones
Susannah York	...	Sophie Western
Hugh Griffith	...	Squire Western
Edith Evans	...	Miss Western
Joan Greenwood	...	Lady Bellaston
Diane Cilento	...	Molly Seagrim
George Devine	...	Squire Allworthy
David Tomlinson	...	Lord Fellamar
Rosalind Atkinson	...	Mrs. Miller
George A. Cooper	...	Mr. Fitzpatrick
Angela Baddeley	...	Mrs. Wilkins
Mark Dignam	...	Lieutenant
Avis Bunnage	...	Landlady, George Inn
Julian Glover	...	Northernton
Peter Bull	...	Thwackum

Also Known As:

Tom Jones! (UK) (poster title)
As Aventuras de Tom Jones (Brazil) [pt]
Entre l'alcove et la potence (Belgium: French title) [fr]
Epiheirissis krevvatokamara (Greece) [el]
Tom Jones (Denmark) [da]
Tom Jones (Argentina) [es]
Tom Jones - Zwischen Bett und Galgen (West Germany) [de]
Tom Jones - hulivilihurmuri (Finland) [fi]
Tom Jones från sängen till galgen (Sweden) [sv]
Tom Jones: de l'alcôve à la potence (France) [fr]

Runtime:

128 min | USA:121 min (director's cut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Dolby (restored version)

Certification:

UK:PG (video rating) (cut) | UK:AA (1970 rating) | Iceland:L | USA:TV-14 (cable rating) | Sweden:11 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Bridgwater, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

Woodfall Film Productions

Trivia:

Hugh Griffith was reportedly drunk through much of the production; the scene in which his horse falls on him was not planned, and many believed he was saved by virtue of his inebriated condition. The film incorporated every frame of footage before rescuers entered the frame to save him.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: As the hunt begins, we see the riders on horseback on their way out to the hunting grounds, with a tall block tower appearing in the background. Clearly visible on top of the block tower is at least one very tall radio antenna.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: In the west of England there was once a Squire Allworthy. After several months in London he returns home.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Rule Britannia

Stand and Deliver!

A fun and fresh screen adaption of British writer Henry Fielding's 18th Century novel of the same name, made at the threshold of the swinging (19)Sixties. Like the original story's French counterpart (Les Liaisons Dangereuses=Dangerous Liaisons), at its heart is a mannered metropolitan love triangle.

But before we arrive in the heart of London the stage is set amidst the lush green English countryside in Summer. Here we first meet the protagonist, Tom Jones, played by Albert Finney in his most youthful bloom, and his extended family representing every facet of post-Glorious Revolution England.

An incorrigible ne'er-do-well, Tom's genuine love for his neighbor Squire Alworthy's daughter Sophie (a very lovely Susannah York), takes him to the heart of fashionable London society in a series of comedic wrong-turns and misunderstandings. Here he becomes embroiled in the games of the jaded aristocrat Lady Bellaston played by Joan Greenwood. Greenwood steals the show as the original Mrs. Robinson and, through her machinations, Tom is led to the gallows. But at the last minute...

Throughout the movie is paced with a modern sense of realism, made effective by hand-held camera sequences and the quick editing of Antony Gibbs. Old-fashioned film techniques are used effectively with eye-to-the-camera realism, and convey an up-to-date feel. There are moments of beauty as well as comedy in this very satisfying entertainment. The cast is stellar with many familiar names--Hugh Griffith, Rachel Kempson, David Warner (in his first movie), the settings realistic, and the the musical score a perfect fit. A great time overall!

An interesting note, supposedly this is the last movie seen by John F. Kennedy (in a White House screening) before he was assassinated.