The Missionary (1982)

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writer:

Michael Palin (written by)

Release Date:

2 November 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

He gave his body to save their souls.

Plot:

In 1905, after 10 years of missionary work in Africa, the Rev. Charles Fortesque is recalled to England...

Plot Keywords:

Bishop | Prostitute | Africa | England | Scotland

Cast

Michael Palin	...	The Reverend Charles Fortescue
Maggie Smith	...	Lady Isabel Ames
Trevor Howard	...	Lord Henry Ames
Denholm Elliott	...	The Bishop
Michael Hordern	...	Slatterthwaite / Narrator
Graham Crowden	...	The Reverend Fitzbanks
David Suchet	...	Corbett
Phoebe Nicholls	...	Deborah Fitzbanks
Tricia George	...	Ada
Valerie Whittington	...	Emmeline
Roland Culver	...	Lord Fermleigh
Rosamund Greenwood	...	Lady Fermleigh
Timothy Spall	...	Parswell
Neil Innes	...	Singer in Gin Palace
John Barrett	...	Old Man outside Hotel

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:7 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ardverikie House, Ardverikie estate, Highland, Scotland, UK

Company:

HandMade Films

Trivia:

Frances Barber's first film.

Quotes:

[Isabel has been injured]
Reverend Fortescue: I'm sorry. Dear, God, I'm so sorry.
Lady Isabel Ames: You were only trying to do the decent thing.
[Fortescue begins to drape his coat around her]
Lady Isabel Ames: No, don't Charles.
[He continues anyway]
Lady Isabel Ames: That's the trouble with you. You're far too decent.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in What the Pythons Did Next... (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Put On Your Ta-Ta Little Girlie

Some Background on "The Missionary"

This is not the funny film it could have been. Given that Palin and Maggie Smith (and Denholm Elliot) were in the very funny "A Private Function" a short time after this film, this is slightly disappointing.

I agree that Michael Hordern's brief appearance as the ultimately lost butler is the movie's finest moment - and I wonder if the germ for this idea was the Monty Python's sketch "The Golden Age of Ballooning", where Graham Chapman, as the butler for the Montgoffier brothers can't recognize what piece of furniture he is supposed to go to, and keeps requesting instructions. Hordern's hopeless invasion of room after room of the immense Ames mansion is quite funny. It was a good moment, but one of too few. Another is the business of Lord Ames (Trevor Howard, sort of spoofing his performance as Lord Cardigan in "The Charge of the Light Brigade") thinking of his favorite words - note how he loves to spell "flog" with two gees.

The film is actually an anachronism of an historical scandal. It is set in the 1906 or so, but actually in 1931 there was such a scandal involving an English clergyman, Reverend Harold Davidson "the Rector of Stiffkey" (pronounced "Stewkey"). He had been leading a mission in the East End of London, and it turned out that for some curious religious motive he had actually had relations with the prostitutes. The Rector was defrocked as a result. Davidson was something of an exhibitionist, and he eventually met an odd fate - he tried to be a lion tamer and was mauled to death. That part of the story is not in this film (probably just as well). But the film still lacks real juice. Fortunately "A Private Function" turned out to have juice. And Palin also had "A Fish Named Wanda" in his future as well.