Tom Jones (1963)

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 | Tutor | Sex | Love | Masked Ball

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
Freda Jackson	...	Mrs. Seagrim
James Cairncross	...	Parson Supple
Rachel Kempson	...	Bridget Allworthy
Rosalind Knight	...	Mrs. Fitzpatrick
Wilfrid Lawson	...	Black George
Lynn Redgrave	...	Susan, Upton Inn
Jack MacGowran	...	Partridge
Joyce Redman	...	Jenny Jones (Mrs. Waters)
John Moffatt	...	Square
Patsy Rowlands	...	Honor
Redmond Phillips	...	Lawyer Dowling
David Warner	...	Blifil
Micheál MacLiammóir	...	Narrator (as Micheál Mac Liammóir)
Jack Stewart	...	MacLachlan

Directed by
Tony Richardson

Writing credits
John Osborne		(screenplay)
Henry Fielding		(novel)

Produced by
Michael Holden	....	associate producer
Oscar Lewenstein	....	associate producer
Tony Richardson	....	producer
Michael Balcon	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Addison

Cinematography by
Walter Lassally		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs

Casting by
John Merrick		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Ralph W. Brinton		(as Ralph Brinton)

Art Direction by
Ted Marshall

Set Decoration by
Josie MacAvin

Costume Design by
John McCorry		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Sarah Beber	....	chief hair stylist (as Sarah Beeber)
Alex Garfath	....	chief makeup

Production Management
Leigh Aman	....	production supervisor
Roy Millichip	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerry O'Hara	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Don Challis	....	sound editor
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration (as Bob Glass)
Peter Handford	....	sound recordist
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration

Stunts
Riky Ash	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Desmond Davis	....	camera operator
Manny Wynn	....	photographer: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Gillett	....	wardrobe mistress
John McCorry	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Jocelyn Herbert	....	color consultant
Robert K. Lambert	....	additional editor: restoration
Brian Smedley-Aston	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Addison	....	conductor
Mack David	....	lyrics
Julian More	....	lyrics
John Addison	....	musical director (uncredited)
Lionel Salter	....	musician: harpsichord solo (uncredited)

Other crew
John Addison	....	restoration supervisor
Rita Davison	....	continuity
Neil Hartley	....	film restoration coordinator
Clare Jefferey	....	assistant: Miss Herbert
Alan Kaplan	....	production executive
Jane Moscrop	....	production secretary
Tony Richardson	....	restoration supervisor
Sewell Stokes	....	script editor
Jocelyn Tawse	....	assistant to director
Mike Hyatt	....	film restoration (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Woodfall Film Productions

Distributors

• Lopert Pictures Corporation (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (????) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• United Artists Corporation (1963) (UK) (theatrical)
• Castle Pictures (1991) (UK) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Look Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Other Companies

• Sinfonia of London  music played by
• Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Studios  additional sound editing: restoration

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:

Much of the scene in which Tom Jones and Mrs. Waters are eating together was improvised during the three hours it took to shoot, and the actors felt the effects from the food for days.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the hunt scene, you can clearly see that the riders are following on a path made by automobiles. The path has tire tracks all along.

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:

Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

If He Swings by the Strings

Magnificent movie with four deserved Academy Award winner

Tom Jones(Albert Finney) is a 18th century orphan who is adopted by an aristocrat but he lives his own life with mirth and freedom. The philander English lad has good heart and affinity for troubles and an eye for the ladies confronting amorous and bawdy adventures. His true love is Sophie(Susannah York) the daughter of a high-class rich owner(Hugh Griffith).

The picture is a lavish rendition of a classic novel by Henry Fielding with lots of entertainment and fun and it's plenty of satire,irony,comedy,tongue and cheek and amusement. Lively and jolly soundtrack by John Addison , author of numerous classics scores of the English Free Cinema. Film is very well directed by Tony Richardson who in 1977 made an attempt to return with similar character -Joseph Andrews- but the freshness,inspiration and magic had gone. It is followed by a sequel -The bawdy adventures of Tom Jones- an exploitive extension directed by Cliff Owen and with Arthur Lowe,Joan Collins and Trevor Howard. Tom Jones picture was undoubtedly the biggest year.The film obtained Academy Award in 1963 to the best film for United Artists, Director-Tony Richardson-, adapted screenplay-John Osborne- and original music-John Addison- and were nominated Albert Finney,Hugh Griffith,Diane Cilento,Joyce Redman and Edith Evans by their robustly agreeable characterization.Well worth watching.