The Pumpkin Eater (1964)

Film screenwriter Jake Armitage and his wife Jo Armitage live in London with six of Jo's eight children, with the two eldest boys at boarding school. The children are spread over Jo's three... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Clayton

Writers:

Penelope Mortimer (novel), Harold Pinter (screenplay)

Stars:

Anne Bancroft, Peter Finch, James Mason

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anne Bancroft	...	Jo Armitage
Peter Finch	...	Jake Armitage
James Mason	...	Bob Conway
Janine Gray	...	Beth Conway
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Mr. James - Jo's father
Rosalind Atkinson	...	Mrs. James - Jo's mother
Alan Webb	...	Mr. Armitage - Jake's father
Richard Johnson	...	Giles
Maggie Smith	...	Philpot
Eric Porter	...	Psychiatrist
Cyril Luckham	...	Doctor
Anthony Nicholls	...	Surgeon
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	Parson
John Junkin	...	Undertaker
Yootha Joyce	...	Woman at Hairdressers

Storyline

Film screenwriter Jake Armitage and his wife Jo Armitage live in London with six of Jo's eight children, with the two eldest boys at boarding school. The children are spread over Jo's three marriages, with only the youngest being Jake's biological child, although he treats them all as his own. Jo left her second husband Giles after meeting Giles' friend Jake, the two who were immediately attracted to each other. Their upper middle class life is much different than Giles and Jo's, who lived in a barn in the English countryside. But Jo is ruminating about her strained marriage to Jake, with issues on both sides. Jo suspects Jake of chronic infidelity, she only confronting him with her suspicions whenever evidence presents itself. And Jo's psychiatrist believes that Jo uses childbirth as a rationale for sex, which he believes she finds vulgar. These issues in combination have placed Jo in a fragile mental state. They both state that they love the other, but neither really seems to like ...

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | writer | abortion | children | ex husband ex wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

The Electrifying Performance That Won Anne Bancroft the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amartolos gamos

Filming Locations:

London Zoo, Regent's Park, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Romulus Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min 110 min (TCM Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final film project of Cedric Hardwicke.

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Goofs

The long tracking shot near end of film (in which camera begins on Jo smoking in bed, then winds through closeups of mementos in her living room) was shot backward; at beginning of shot smoke is going into her cigarette, not out of it.

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Connections

Referenced in Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965)

User Reviews

I saw this film as a mother of 5 and identified completely with it .

As a mother of 5 at the time, I saw this film and never forgot the opening scene of Ann Bancroft in a department store--Harrod's?--having the best nervous breakdown I've ever seen. Believe me , identification doesn't say enough about my feelings. I adored this film and wondered if I would ever see it again. Delighted to find it on your web-site though the one Video available is pretty pricey--any other possibilities for purchase? Also surprised to see that Maggie Smith has a part as Phillpot but I don't recall that character. Certainly Peter Finch was gorgeous and also sensitive, but it was here that I first discovered Ann Bancroft and followed her career for many years. It is a great pleasure to find it again and that others are so fond of it also. I thought the title referred to the child's nursery rhyme "Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, had a wife and couldn't keep her" great title also, very moving all the way through. James Mason was the "other" I believe. That's all i can manage after so many years.