The Killing Of Sister George

[billy bentley]

Heads up to any NYC/NJ based readers, or any NYC bound visitors The Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center will be screening "The Killing of Sister George" 4PM Sat Feb 28th !

[ram4553]

Thanks. Been meaning to check February programming. Would be a fun way to finish the month. If my memory isn't faulty, I think I got a kick from a comment by the late film critic Pauline Kael. Commenting I think on the performance by (often wonderful) Coral Browne: She'd frighten the horses.

[billy bentley]

just back from seeing this. It was a nice print - great in places, slow in others, but for me well worth seeing. Beryl Reid was excellent, as was Ronald Fraser. Sam Kydd has a great as a taxi drive ! Plenty to keep the location hounds busy, especially the opening sequence.

[billy bentley]

Sorry that should read Sam Kydd has a great scene as a taxi driver.

[billy bentley]

By the way forgot to mention it was very well attended !

[doojeen]

The late great Beryl Reid once stood next to me at the counter of a pub in London (along with Malcolm McDowell, her co-star in a stage version of Entertaining Mr. Sloane), but to my lasting regret I was too much in awe of her to consider making any attempt to converse or ask for her autograph.

[catflap]

I'm in the process of writing my PhD which focuses on the performance of British films at the US boxoffice during the 60s and intot the early 70s.



One of the stumbling blocks I have encountered (and I knew it would be a problem) is what actually constitutes a 'British' film?



In most cases it is quite clear cut and, when all else fails, I try and see it from the point of view of the potential viewer of the day. Would THEY have thought a certain title was British when they were considering purchasing a ticket?



My question is where does "The Killing of Sister George" fit in? British set with British stars, yet a well known American filmmaker whose company produced the film, with American studio backing. Even some ads at the time promote it as an Aldrich film and sell it on the "Baby Jane" angle.



So, British or American? Whatcha think?

[will.15]

I looked it up and was surprised to see it is listed as a U.S. film. Stanley Kubrick films, filmed in England, but sometimes set in the U.S. with mostly American casts are listed as British. It confuses me, too.

[billy bentley]

If you just watched it, you'd surely think it was a British film. How could you not ? Perhaps if Angela Landsbury had starred (she declined) it might have been more American. For me the Production Co. alone does not define a films nationality, but maybe for others it does ? Were Kubrick's films considered British because his Company and self were based in Blighty ?

[CaptainWaggett]

Would any of the audience at the time have thought of a film (made in Britain with a British cast) as American? Surely that's the key point from the point of view of box office (as Billy says). I doubt if the American audiences thought they were seeing an American film (any more than they would think Away We Go or Revolutionary Road are British films because their director is British)

[Windthrop]

I would say an American take on a British play. The play implied lesbianism where as the film left little doubt and Aldrich changed the play in that sense and made it less subtle. I think it is an American film.

[will.15]

Robert Altman gave an American sensibility to Gosford Park. And there are British directors that aren't known for their subtlety. Remember Ken Russell?

[Windthrop]

Robert Altman gave an American sensibility to Gosford Park. And there are British directors that aren't known for their subtlety. Remember Ken Russell?

GP stuck largely to Julian Fellows script and intentions IIRC while TKOSG changed Frank Marcus's quite subtle play. Aldrich didn't adapt his style to the play - he had the play adapted to suit him.

[CaptainWaggett]

I would say an American take on a British play. The play implied lesbianism where as the film left little doubt and Aldrich changed the play in that sense and made it less subtle. I think it is an American film.

Though the play itself is by a German

[Windthrop]

Though the play itself is by a German

Who relocated to Britain at 11

[catflap]

Thanks everyone for their responses.



For the moment I am going with it as being a British film and the settings and performers class it as such, but I still wonder about whether the audience were thinking they were seeing another spin on "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane". The Aldrich effect is a strong one but, as has been said, the notions of nationality in cinema are often murky indeed.

[catflap]

The thing is that "The Killing of Sister George" was a very, very successful film in first run situations and for its year perhaps the best performing British film (if it can be classified as such) in the USA.

[Mark O]

I wouldn't call it an 'American' film though american backed and some interior scenes filmed there, it's a bit like saying Straw Dogs is an 'american' film also, to me it's very much a british film, a fave of mine, two very british actresses and a third, though Australian by birth, as leads, to me Coral is very much british, hell, i even went clomping down the stairs of Mount Vernon as George does at the start just to get the atmosphere!

[Steve Crook]

The IMDb uses the old adage of "Follow the money". It marks the country of origin as the country where the major production companies are based



For The Killing of Sister George the production companies are:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC) [us]

The Associates & Aldrich Company [us]

Palomar Pictures [us]

So there's not much room for doubt there



Some other people do work by different rules. They look at the director, writer or leading players, even the country where it's set or where it was made. There are many different ways to determine the country of origin and really they are all as valid (or invalid) as each other. But a database like the IMDb needs to have a simple rule that everyone can stick to and the "follow the money" rule is as good as any.





But as to your original point, does the country of origin really make any difference as to whether people go to see a film or not? I've certainly never taken it into consideration in any way at all



Steve

[scenesixty]

Watched again this superb and groundbreaking film: The dialogue between Coral Browne and Beryl Reid is very amusing; "I'm afraid it's my unfortunate duty to haul you over the coals and administer a severe reprimand" (or) "If we all did a lot more walking we'd soon lose those extra pounds." I'm sure that in the sixties senior BBC women executives would have been of that ilk, ie power dressed-skirt suits elaborate hair-do's and generous make-up, above all, the very clipped bbc diction. of course nowadays anyone addressing a colleague like that now would be taken to task and probably reported to Human Resource department! "The reason that you were sacked is because your'e a fat boring actress-and people are sick to death of you!" Tut-tut-just a tad bitchy...Best to all.