IMDb > The Killing of Sister George (1968)
The Killing of Sister George
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The Killing of Sister George (1968) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   822 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Aldrich
Writers:
Lukas Heller (writer)
Frank Marcus (play)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Killing of Sister George on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 December 1968 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
The story of three consenting adults in the privacy of their own home.
Plot:
George lives with her lover, Childie and plays a cheerful district nurse in a BBC soap opera. However... more | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. more
NewsDesk:
The (Self) Killing Of Brother Dee: A Memory Of The Late Simon Dee
 (From Huffington Post. 1 September 2009, 9:37 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A beautiful movie in every way more (22 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Beryl Reid ... June 'George' Buckridge
Susannah York ... Alice 'Childie' McNaught
Coral Browne ... Mercy Croft
Ronald Fraser ... Leo Lockhart
Patricia Medina ... Betty Thaxter
Hugh Paddick ... Freddie
Cyril Delevanti ... Ted Baker
Sivi Aberg ... Diana
William Beckley ... Floor Manager
Elaine Church ... Marelen
Brendan Dillon ... Bert Turner
Mike Freeman ... Noel
Maggie Paige ... Maid
Jack Raine ... Deputy Commissioner
Dolly Taylor ... Tea Lady
Meier Tzelniker ... Mr. Katz
Cicely Walper ... Mrs. Coote
Byron Webster ... Jack Adams
Rosalie Williams ... Mildred
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Joe Gray ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Nigel Kingsley ... Extra (uncredited)
Sam Kydd ... Taxi driver (uncredited)

Derek Partridge ... Personal manager (uncredited)
James Payne ... Man in traffic jam (uncredited)

Velvet Rhodes ... Lesbian (uncredited)
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Directed by
Robert Aldrich 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Lukas Heller  writer
Frank Marcus  play "The Killing of Sister George"

Produced by
Robert Aldrich .... producer
Walter Blake .... associate producer
Edgar J. Scherick .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Gerald Fried 
 
Cinematography by
Joseph F. Biroc 
 
Film Editing by
Michael Luciano 
 
Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster 
 
Art Direction by
William Glasgow 
 
Set Decoration by
John Brown 
 
Costume Design by
Renié 
 
Makeup Department
Jean Austin .... hair stylist
William Turner .... makeup artist (as Bill Turner)
 
Production Management
David Bennett .... production manager
Eddie Saeta .... unit manager
George Tobin .... production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daisy Gerber .... assistant director
Dennis Robertson .... first assistant director: London
 
Art Department
Jack Holden .... assistant art director
Ygnacio Sepulveda .... property master
 
Sound Department
Richard S. Church .... sound mixer (as Dick Church)
Robin Gregory .... sound mixer: London
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Abramson .... still photographer
Wally Fairweather .... camera operator: London
Laurie Shane .... gaffer
Herbert Smith .... camera operator: London (as Herbie Smith)
Brian West .... lighting camera operator: London
Keith Blake .... clapper loader (uncredited)
Gary Boren .... assistant camera (uncredited)
William N. Clark .... assistant camera (uncredited)
Ned Davenport .... camera operator (uncredited)
Bill Hannah .... gaffer (uncredited)
Joe Jackman .... camera operator (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marie Osborne .... wardrobe (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Frank J. Urioste .... assistant film editor (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Adell Aldrich .... script supervisor (as Adele Bravos)
William Aldrich .... assistant to producer
Robert Sherman .... dialogue supervisor
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
138 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Canada:14A (Manitoba) (2005) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Australia:R | West Germany:18 (f) | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:X | USA:R (re-rating) (1972) | USA:X (original rating)
Filming Locations:
BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK more
Company:
American Broadcasting Company (ABC) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Bette Davis was reportedly very keen to land the part of Sister George. more
Quotes:
George: Hello Crofters! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The L Word: Lacy Lilting Lyrics (#4.9)" (2007) more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
A beautiful movie in every way, 28 June 2007
10/10
Author: Tony Patriarche from Victoria, BC, Canada

I don't give many movies 10/10, but this black comedy-drama gets my vote, for fine acting, production values, and of course its place in movie history in the frank portrayal of lesbian relationships.

Others have & will comment on the latter, so I'll point out some of the other aspects of this fine film. The combination of comedy with personal tragedy poses difficult problems both for the writer & director; here they both succeed brilliantly.

The three principals' performances are riveting. I particularly liked the ambiguity of Coral Brown's portrayal of Mercy Croft; watch her carefully in the tight closeups in the gay club, and notice how the down-turned mouth at times hides a hint of a self-satisfied smile.

The cinematography deserves special mention. The use of colour is beautiful; I was reminded of "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg", but it never steps over the line into unreality. On the contrary, the alleys of London, the TV studio and above all the stairs and corridor of the flat are supremely realistic. Most unusual is the use of chiaroscuro, the interplay of light-and-shadow, seldom seen outside of black & white films. In so many colour films the light appears to come from some amorphous omnidirectional source out of science fiction; great for lighting everything and everybody evenly, but unrealistic and DULL. Look at the shadows as Beryl Reid ('George') enters the apartment building and climbs the stairs, or in some of the bedroom scenes. Apart from its other many virtues, this movie held my attention as a fine piece of film-making.

All in all, a masterpiece; my one regret is that it was shown on TV in pan-and-scan. It IS now available in DVD - in several formats & regions - so I look forward to watching it again in its original form.

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Unrealistic Boss hexane9
Masterpiece fabGirl
the band in the bar? myriad23
The scene inside the bar madatthedirt
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