Joseph Andrews (1977)

Director:

Tony Richardson

Writers:

Tony Richardson (screen story) and
Allan Scott (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

April 1977 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Lady Booby alias 'Belle', the lively wife of the fat landed squire Sir Thomas Booby, has a lusty eye on the attractive...

Plot Keywords:

Parson | Footman | Gypsy | Attempted Rape | Innkeeper

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ann-Margret	...	Lady Booby alias 'Belle'
Peter Firth	...	Joseph Andrews
Michael Hordern	...	Parson Adams
Beryl Reid	...	Mrs. Slipslop
Jim Dale	...	The pedlar
Natalie Ogle	...	Fanny Goodwill
Peter Bull	...	Sir Thomas Booby
Kenneth Cranham	...	The Wicked Squire
Karen Dotrice	...	Pamela
James Villiers	...	Mr. Booby
Norman Rossington	...	Gaffer Andrews
Patsy Rowlands	...	Gammer Andrews
Murray Melvin	...	Beau Didapper
Ronald Pickup	...	Mr. Wilson
Penelope Wilton	...	Mrs. Wilson

Runtime:

UK:104 min | USA:99 min | Germany:95 min (TV)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Broughton Castle, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Woodfall Film Productions

Soundtrack:

Gentle Boy

Entertaining costume drama with great actors

History has forgotten this film, it's never talked about, almost never shown. Why? It's certainly not a quality problem. Richardson was of course trying desperately to get back to the level of success Tom Jones had a decade before. The fact that he's trying to copy himself gets the film some minus points.

The story is simple, a little too dependent on coincidences and unrealistic twists. The costumes are great, as are the wonderful settings. You certainly feel like you really are there in the 17th Century.

Firth and Ogle as the young loving couple are attractive but bland. They fail to live up to the comedic demands of Fielding's story. The rest of the cast does a very good job on the other hand. Special mention should go to Michael Hordern and Beryl Reid, two of Britain's finest actors.

Nevertheless the best acting in the film comes not from one of the British theater and character actors but instead from the only American in the cast: Ann-Margret. She was rightfully nominated for a Golden Globe but would have deserved an Oscar non too. It's a brilliant satiric performance full of subtlety and vulgarity at the same time, comic timing that's never off, she dominates the film. Considering the talent that is working alongside her, that's quite a feat. Her accent is perfect too, something that rarely happens and could so easily destroy such a film. In the worst possible scenario she could have been an anachronistic sex kitten from the 60s stuck in a costume drama: Those fears never come true, she's great. The thick make-up (that fits the role perfectly) prevents us from seeing hernatural beauty but she's still quite a sight. Why American producersdidn't see the film and immediately give her a comic lead role in anHollywood A film, seems like a brutal shame.

Overall, a fun little history story of love, romance and adventure.