The Innocents (1961)

Director:

Jack Clayton

Writers:

Henry James (novel)
John Mortimer (additional scenes & dialogue)
(more)

Release Date:

November 1961 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Apparitions? Evils? Corruptions?

Plot:

A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Governess | England | 19th Century | Apparition

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Deborah Kerr	...	Miss Giddens
Peter Wyngarde	...	Peter Quint
Megs Jenkins	...	Mrs. Grose
Michael Redgrave	...	The Uncle
Martin Stephens	...	Miles
Pamela Franklin	...	Flora
Clytie Jessop	...	Miss Jessel
Isla Cameron	...	Anna
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Woodburn	...	The coachman (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Clayton

Writing credits
Henry James		(novel "The Turn of the Screw")
John Mortimer		(additional scenes & dialogue)
William Archibald		(screenplay) and
Truman Capote		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jack Clayton	....	producer
Albert Fennell	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Freddie Francis

Film Editing by
Jim Clark

Art Direction by
Wilfred Shingleton

Costume Design by
Sophie Devine		(as Motley)

Makeup Department
Gordon Bond	....	hair stylist
Harold Fletcher	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Albert Fennell	....	production supervisor
James H. Ware	....	production manager
Claude Watson	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Birkett	....	assistant director
Ken Softley	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Claude Watson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter James	....	set dresser
Alan Evans	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
James Sawyer	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Gus Walker	....	construction manager (uncredited)
Tony Woollard	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Buster Ambler	....	sound recordist
Buster Ambler	....	sound (as A.G. Ambler)
John Cox	....	sound
Peter Musgrave	....	dubbing editor
Daphne Oram	....	electronic sound effects
Ken Ritchie	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Maurice Gillett	....	gaffer
Ray Jones	....	camera grip
Ronnie Taylor	....	camera operator (as Ronald Taylor)
Bernard Ford	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Ronnie Maasz	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Simon Ransley	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mary Kessel	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Lambert Williamson	....	conductor (as W. Lambert Williamson)

Other crew
Pamela Mann	....	continuity
Jeanie Sims	....	script editor

Production Companies

• Achilles
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Capelight Pictures (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Fox Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Turn of the Screw (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:12A (re-rating) (2005) | UK:X (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:U (re-release) | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Bluebell Railway, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Achilles

Trivia:

Kate Bush was inspired by the film to pen the song "The Infant Kiss" which appears on her 1980 album "Never For Ever".

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Miles is on the horse, he rides with and without a saddle in various shots.

Quotes:

Flora: [singing] We lay my love and I, beneath the weeping willow. But now alone I lie and weep beside the tree. Singing "Oh willow waly" by the tree that weeps with me. Singing "Oh willow waly" till my lover return to me. We lay my love and I beneath the weeping willow. A broken heart have I. Oh willow I die, oh willow I die...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.88)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

O Willow Waly

The other Others

The Innocents is a masterpiece of atmospheric horror cinema. The obvious influence for 2001's 'The Others', The Innocents portrays themes of paranoia, death and madness; superbly wrapped around a plethora of great performances from the four main leads.

The story revolves around an uncle who doesn't have time for the children he has inherited, and therefore hires Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) to look after them. When Miss Giddens arrives at the mansion, she first meets Flora, the young girl and is 'enchanted' by the child. A few days later the boy, Miles, arrives at the house after being expelled from school. The fourth lead is made up by the housekeeper, Mrs Grose; played by Meg Jenkins. From the housekeeper, Miss Giddens eventually learns of what happened to the previous occupants of the house, and that's where the fun starts...

Martin Stephens (Miles) and Pamela Franklin (Flora) do surprisingly good jobs as the two adorable young children that are the centre of the story. Their characters are portrayed as nice young children, but at the same time there is something sinister about them, and that is where the tale draws a lot of it's suspense and mystery from. Deborah Kerr also shines as the watcher of the children. We know from the outset that her character loves children, which makes her plight believable to the audience when she does all she can to save the children from the evil she believes is haunting them. We never really know what is happening in the movie; the children's viewpoints contradict that of Miss Giddens, and as there is evidence to support what both sides say, along with evidence to support that of the contrary, the mystery is able to build itself through this and that, therefore, along with the empathy we are able to feel for Mrs Giddens due to the nature of her character; the film is able to remain interesting and suspenseful for it's running time.

The thing that this film does best is in capturing a dark and foreboding atmosphere. Through the way the story is portrayed and the beautiful cinematography, Jack Clayton is able to create scenes and sequences that are genuinely frightening and suspenseful; less is more rarely works to a great effect, but here it does. The 'ghosts' have very little screen time, but the time they do have is powerful and memorable enough to make it seem like much more. The film's creepy and menacing atmosphere never delves into violence or gore and relies solely on the story itself and the Gothic, atmospheric setting; and that is much to the film's credit.

If you liked the slightly later 60's paranoid horror films, such as Carnival of Souls or The Haunting, then this film is definitely one to check out.