Tom Jones (1963)

Tom Jones, abandoned as a baby in mysterious circumstances, is brought up by Squire Allworthy. Resented by Allworthy's legitimate heir Blifil, Tom grows into an amiable rascal, fond of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Tony Richardson

Writers:

John Osborne (screenplay), Henry Fielding (novel)

Stars:

George Devine, Rachel Kempson, Albert Finney

Won 4 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Devine	...	Squire Allworthy
Rachel Kempson	...	Bridget Allworthy
Angela Baddeley	...	Mrs. Wilkins
Joyce Redman	...	Jenny Jones - Mrs. Waters
Jack MacGowran	...	Partridge
Albert Finney	...	Tom Jones
Diane Cilento	...	Molly Seagrim
Wilfrid Lawson	...	Black George
John Moffatt	...	Square
Peter Bull	...	Thwackum
David Warner	...	Blifil
Freda Jackson	...	Mrs. Seagrim
Redmond Phillips	...	Lawyer Dowling
Hugh Griffith	...	Squire Western
Susannah York	...	Sophie Western

Storyline

Tom Jones, abandoned as a baby in mysterious circumstances, is brought up by Squire Allworthy. Resented by Allworthy's legitimate heir Blifil, Tom grows into an amiable rascal, fond of the fair sex. He loves Squire Western's daughter Sophie, but when discovered by his tutors with a local girl Molly, he is banished by his benefactor. After numerous adventures he reaches London and embarks on an affair with the wealthy Lady Bellaston while Squire Western's sister has arranged a marriage between Sophie and Blifil. Horrified, Sophie escapes to London, meeting up with her cousin Mrs. Fitspatrick who is also running away from her husband. Mr. Fitzpatrick follows them and suspects Tom of having seduced his runaway wife.

---

Plot Keywords:

squire | british | tutor | sex | love | 

---

Taglines:

The whole world loves Tom Jones!

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1963 (France)

Also Known As:

Tom Jones!

Filming Locations:

Bridgwater, Somerset, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Woodfall Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min 121 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) Dolby (restored version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The production of Tom Jones was a bit of a family affair. At time of production, director Tony Richardson was the son-in-law of Rachel Kempson, who portrayed Bridget Allworthy, and the brother-in-law of Lynn Redgrave, who portrayed Susan. Both relationships were due to Richardson being married to Vanessa Redgrave from 1962 to 1967.

---

Goofs

In the scene where Tom Jones and Sophie Western are riding around on various horses within a barnyard area, one of the barn sheds in the background has an area of its roof repaired with corrugated iron. The story was set in the mid-1700s but corrugated iron wasn't invented until the 1820s.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: In the west of England there was once a Squire Allworthy. After several months in London he returns home.

---

Connections

Version of The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones (1976)

---

Soundtracks

"Gavotte"
(uncredited)
Composer unknown
Arranged by Douglas Gamley

User Reviews

Lyric beauty, bawdy humor and adventure set to celluloid and music.

In 1963 two of the most important productions in the history of movie making were released. The first was: "Cleopatra" with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, a cast as long as the Manhattan telephone directory and a budget bigger than the combined egos of the stars. "Cleopatra" was a total disaster. It has no redeeming quality that I know of. It is therefore important for embodying in one film, nearly everything that you can do wrong in making a movie. It is a movie that you must see if you are ever to understand what a truly good film really is. The second was: "Tom Jones" with Albert Finney and Susannah York, shot with rented equipment and costumes on the streets of London with a supporting cast of brilliant British ensemble players and extras who stood-in just to get in a film. Tom Jones is simply one of the best motion pictures of all time, for my money, The Best from Literature.

John Osborne who wrote the screen play produced a marvelous vehicle, but the genius of "Tom Jones" is Tony Richardson. He moves the actors and the story about the screen with a bawdy grace and earthy gentility that paints action and raucous laughter and beauty across one another with an even hand. It is a glimpse of antiquity so close and real that we can nearly touch it, and it makes us want to. (Though to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure we'd care for the smell of it.)

"Tom Jones" is a low budget, low tech, high quality film that must win the award for the "Most with the Least." The photography is beautiful, not because it used a dozen half million dollar cameras, it is beautiful because it is good photography. The acting wins out, and casts of thousands would only serve to clutter the stage. See this film whenever, wherever and as often as you possibly can.