Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)

Director:

Karel Reisz

Writers:

Alan Sillitoe (novel)
Alan Sillitoe (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 April 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Saturday night you have your fling at life...and Sunday morning you face up to it!

Plot:

A rebellious, hard-living factory worker juggles relationships with two women, one of whom is married to another man but pregnant with his child.

Plot Keywords:

Abortion | Day In Title | Kitchen Sink Realism | Based On Novel | Independent Film

Awards:

Won 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Albert Finney	...	Arthur Seaton
Shirley Anne Field	...	Doreen
Rachel Roberts	...	Brenda
Hylda Baker	...	Aunt Ada
Norman Rossington	...	Bert
Bryan Pringle	...	Jack
Robert Cawdron	...	Robboe
Edna Morris	...	Mrs. Bull
Elsie Wagstaff	...	Mrs. Seaton
Frank Pettitt	...	Mr. Seaton
Avis Bunnage	...	Blousy Woman
Colin Blakely	...	Loudmouth
Irene Richmond	...	Doreen's Mother
Louise Dunn	...	Betty
Anne Blake	...	Civil Defence Officer

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Hong Kong:I | UK:PG (re-rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

ABC Cinema, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Woodfall Film Productions

Trivia:

Diana Dors declined the role of Brenda that went to Rachel Roberts.

Quotes:

Doreen: Why don't you ever take me where it's lively and there's plenty of people?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "X-Rated" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Lily of Laguna

best of the "angry young man" movies

I first saw this film during its original u.s. run in 1961, loved it, and jumped at the chance to see it again at a local revival movie house. The movie is justly famous for Finney's brilliant performance (I think it was his first.), but has other virtues as well. Karel Reisz and Freddie Francis succeed in making the film visually interesting, and it is well paced, with essentially no dead time.

The thing that deserves the most praise, however, is Sillitoe's script, which puts virtually all modern dramatic screenplays to shame. In a general way, the working class british films of the late 50s and 60s launched the tradition that leads to Loach, Leigh, Tim Roth, etc. This film's subtlety and ambivalence towards its leading character reminds me specifically of Mike Leigh at his very best.