A Man for All Seasons (1966)

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Robert Bolt (from the play by)
Robert Bolt (screenplay)

Release Date:

1967 (Japan)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

...a motion picture for all times!

Plot:

The story of Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarriage.

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | King Henry VIII | Chancellor | Catholic | Thomas More

Awards:

Won 6 Oscars. Another 28 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Paul Scofield	...	Thomas More
Wendy Hiller	...	Alice More
Leo McKern	...	Cromwell
Robert Shaw	...	Henry VIII
Orson Welles	...	Cardinal Wolsey
Susannah York	...	Margaret
Nigel Davenport	...	Duke of Norfolk
John Hurt	...	Rich
Corin Redgrave	...	Roper
Colin Blakely	...	Matthew
Cyril Luckham	...	Archbishop Cranmer
Jack Gwillim	...	Chief Justice
Thomas Heathcote	...	Boatman
Yootha Joyce	...	Averil Machin
Anthony Nicholls	...	King's Representative
John Nettleton	...	Jailer
Eira Heath	...	Matthew's Wife
Molly Urquhart	...	Maid
Paul Hardwick	...	Courtier
Michael Latimer	...	Norfolk's Aide
Philip Brack	...	Captain of Guard
Martin Boddey	...	Governor of Tower
Eric Mason	...	Executioner
Matt Zimmerman	...	Messenger
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Anne Boleyn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raymond Adamson	...	(uncredited)
Trevor Baxter	...	1st Man (uncredited)
Sylvia Bidmead	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Jack Bligh	...	Old Man in Scene 33 (uncredited)
Bridget Brice	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Jan Carey	...	2nd Girl (uncredited)
Gladys Dawson	...	Old Woman (uncredited)
Edwin Finn	...	1st Scholar (uncredited)
Laura Graham	...	4th Girl (uncredited)
Raymond Graham	...	Academic (uncredited)
Gay Hamilton	...	2nd Handmaiden / 3rd Girl (uncredited)
Fiona Hartford	...	1st Girl / 1st Handmaiden (uncredited)
Drewe Henley	...	(uncredited)
Walter Horsbrugh	...	2nd High Court Judge (uncredited)
Ross Hutchinson	...	4th Courier (uncredited)
Donald Layne-Smith	...	2nd Scholar (uncredited)
Graham Leaman	...	1st Monk (uncredited)
Patrick Marley	...	2nd Monk (uncredited)
Julie Martin	...	2th Maid (uncredited)
Robert Mill	...	Servant (uncredited)
Robert Morris	...	Gentleman Usher (uncredited)
Arnold Peters	...	6th Courier (uncredited)
Christine Pollon	...	1st Woman (uncredited)
Arnold Ridley	...	Innkeeper (uncredited)
Iain Sinclair	...	3rd Man (uncredited)
Nick Tate	...	Master At Arms (uncredited)
Michael Wade	...	2nd servant / 2nd Young Man (uncredited)
Gina Warwick	...	3rd Handmaiden (uncredited)

Directed by
Fred Zinnemann

Writing credits
Robert Bolt		(from the play by)
Robert Bolt		(screenplay)

Produced by
William N. Graf	....	executive producer
Fred Zinnemann	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Ted Moore		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Ralph Kemplen

Casting by
Robert Lennard

Production Design by
John Box

Art Direction by
Terence Marsh

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Helene Bevan	....	hairdresser (as Helen Bevan)
Gordon Bond	....	hairdresser
George Frost	....	makeup artist

Production Management
William Kirby	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Bolton	....	assistant director
Patrick Carey	....	second unit director
Al Burgess	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Bill Graf	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter Dukelow	....	construction manager
Josie MacAvin	....	set dresser
Roy Walker	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Buster Ambler	....	sound
Marcel Durham	....	assistant editor
Bob Jones	....	sound
Harry Miller	....	dubbing editor

Stunts
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Kindred	....	camera operator (as Robert Kindred)
Maurice Gillett	....	supervising electrician (uncredited)
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Bridge	....	colour costume design
Jackie Cummins	....	wardrobe
Elizabeth Haffenden	....	colour costume design

Music Department
Georges Delerue	....	conductor

Other crew
Patrick McLoughlin	....	technical adviser
Constance Willis	....	continuity
Catherine O'Brien	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Highland Films

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1966) (UK) (theatrical) (presents)
• Columbia Pictures (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Bavaria Filmgesellschaft m.b.H. (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1973) (USA) (TV)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video Ltd. (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Video Collection International (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia (1967) (France) (theatrical) (as Columbia Films S.A.)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video (1987) (Japan) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Latin | Spanish | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (DVD Release) | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:U | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:G | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (nf) | Brazil:Livre | Sweden:11 | UK:U (video rating) (1986) (1998) (2000) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Beaulieu River, Hampshire, England, UK

Company:

Highland Films

Trivia:

Nigel Davenport was offered his role when John Huston turned it down.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene where King Henry first visits Thomas More's house, we see a yellow Labrador Retriever running to the house. However, the dog with the specific physical characteristics that we associate Labradors with today (and that was shown), wasn't bred yet.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[first spoken lines are over 6 minutes into the film]
Man:...there's the country every second bastard born is fathered by a priest.
Matthew:[clears throat to get More's attention]
Man:Why, in Utopia, that couldn't be.
Man:But why?
Man:Well, there the priests are very holy.
Man:Therefore, very few.
Sir Thomas More:Is it anything interesting, Matthew?
Matthew:Bless you, sir, I don't know.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Magic Sword (#5.11)" (1992)

"This silence of his is bellowing...."

One of the greatest cinematic studies of the nature of personal integrity, I sometimes think that this film is in danger of being forgotten -- and it shouldn't be. One wonders at the degree of corruption in More's time that he should have been so highly regarded for his honesty -- and how he might have been regarded today.

What Robert Bolt and Fred Zinnemann had wrought is absolutely brought to glorious life by the incomparable characterization of Sir Thomas More by the chronically underrated Paul Scofield. Bringing superb support to the role are Nigel Davenport as More's close friend Norfolk, who is caught between the rock of his respect and concern for More and the hard place of his duty to (and fear of) Henry VIII; Leo McKern as the jovially sinister Thomas Cromwell, whose verbal jousts with More are virtual poetry from Bolt's pen; John Hurt as More's fair-weather friend Richard Rich; Dame Wendy Hiller as More's devoted but frustrated and misunderstanding wife; and the elegant Susannah York as his equally devoted and strong-minded daughter. Two stand-out performances in relatively small but vital roles: Orson Welles, magnetic as the shrewdly pragmatic Cardinal Wolsey; and Robert Shaw, whose energetic portrayal of a young Henry VIII (before his corpulent days!) dominates the screen the two times he's on it.

As with "The Lion in Winter," the remarkable scriptwriting is the driving force behind the story, but Scofield's dignified, restrained, but at the same time quietly forceful delivery are what give the writing its power. The great quotes of the film ("Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the entire world...but for Wales?" "When you are sent to heaven for doing your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?" etc.) are conveyed with either enormous gravity or poignancy by nothing more than the tone of Scofield's voice.

I think that the dilemma at the heart of the tale and how men of power came to grips with it is artfully summed up in the dying words of Wolsey and, of course, More. Wolsey regrets he did not serve God as well as he served his king. More, on the other hand, dies as "His majesty's good servant...but God's first." Whether criticized or praised as a morality play, it's wonderful to at least HAVE an uncompromising morality play to watch from time to time -- especially one so well crafted.