Butley (1974)

Director:

Harold Pinter

Writers:

Simon Gray (play)
Simon Gray (screenplay)

Release Date:

April 1976 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

His wife just left him for another man. And so did his boy friend.

Plot:

An English professor finds his life crumbling around him. |

Plot Keywords:

Shaving Accident | Alcoholism | Poetry | T.S. Eliot | Teacher Student Relationship

Cast

Alan Bates	...	Ben Butley
Jessica Tandy	...	Edna Shaft
Richard O'Callaghan	...	Joey Keyston
Susan Engel	...	Anne Butley
Michael Byrne	...	Reg Nuttall
Georgina Hale	...	Miss Heasman
Simon Rouse	...	Mr. Gardner
John Savident	...	James
Oliver Maguire	...	Train Passenger
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Darien Angadi	...	Male Student
Colin Haigh	...	Male Student
Lindsay Ingram	...	Female Student
Patti Love	...	Female Student
Belinda Low	...	Female Student
Derrick O'Connor	...	Irishman in pub
Susan Wooldridge	...	Female Student

Directed by
Harold Pinter

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Simon Gray		play
Simon Gray		screenplay

Produced by
Ely A. Landau	....	producer
Otto Plaschkes	....	executive producer
Henry T. Weinstein	....	executive producer
Robert A. Goldston	....	supervising producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Gerry Fisher

Film Editing by
Malcolm Cooke

Art Direction by
Carmen Dillon

Makeup Department
Joyce James	....	hairdresser
Eddie Knight	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Donald Toms	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ted Sturgis	....	first assistant director

Art Department
George Richardson	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Leslie Hodgson	....	dubbing editor (as Les Hodgson)
Bob Jones	....	dubbing mixer
Ivan Sharrock	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernard Ford	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Chris Kelly	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Edward Anhalt	....	story consultant
Pamela Davies	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Cinévision Ltée
• The American Film Theatre

Distributors

• The American Film Theatre (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Seven Keys (1976) (UK) (theatrical)
• 3DD Entertainment (2003) (worldwide) (all media) (Non-USA)
• Kino Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• inD DVD (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Simon Gray's Butley (Australia) (DVD box title)

Runtime:

USA:94 min | USA:129 min

Country:

UK | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Company:

Cinévision Ltée

Quotes:

[regarding student unrest]
Ben Butley: Perhaps they were protesting about the Aristotle collection.
Edna Shaft: It wouldn't surprise me. I had one or two last year who were mutinous about "The Faerie Queen".
Ben Butley: You mean the principal? He really must learn discretion.

Astonishing virtuosity

The American Film Theatre was a praiseworthy effort to present classic modern plays to a wide audience. The series petered out when it became clear that there was in fact not enough of an audience to make the venture viable. This left us with a group of films, or rather filmed plays, of varying quality but always interesting, if not only for the wonderful casts assembled for the series. "Butley" was one of the best. After years of oblivion, the series is finally and thankfully being released.

The problem with Simon Gray's very engaging play is that the characters are people one would hardly want to meet. They are a deeply flawed, unlikable bunch. As such we have little sympathy for any of them and hence Gray, intentionally or not, does not allow the viewer to connect emotionally with his characters. He instead allows us to watch as Ben Butley's life slowly disintegrates before our eyes. Despite the enforced detachment, it still remains a fascinating process, thanks to Pinter's precise direction, Gray's very sharp dialogue and Alan Bates delivering an astonishingly virtuoso performance.

It's one of those extremely rare performances in which the actor becomes completely engulfed by the character. It's a feat to behold; almost scary at times. This alone makes "Butley" an unforgettable experience.