Morgan! (1966)
"Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment" (original title)

After his wife leaves him for another man, a London artist begins his descent into madness in trying to win her back.

Director:

Karel Reisz

Writer:

David Mercer

Stars:

David Warner, Vanessa Redgrave, Robert Stephens

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Warner	...	Morgan Delt
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Leonie Delt
Robert Stephens	...	Charles Napier
Irene Handl	...	Mrs. Delt
Bernard Bresslaw	...	Policeman
Arthur Mullard	...	Wally
Newton Blick	...	Mr. Henderson
Nan Munro	...	Mrs. Henderson
Peter Collingwood	...	Geoffrey
Graham Crowden	...	Counsel
John Garrie	...	Tipstatt
John Rae	...	Judge
Angus MacKay	...	Best Man
Marvis Edwards	...	Maid
Peter Cellier	...	Second Counsel

Storyline

Morgan Delt is a failed and irresponsible left-wing artist whose Communist parents own a fish and chips shop in downmarket London. He is also an aggressive and self-admitted dreamer, a fantasist who uses his flights of fancy as refuge from external reality, where his unconventional behavior lands him in a divorce from his wife, Leonie, trouble with the police and, ultimately, incarceration in a lunatic asylum.

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Plot Keywords:

flight of fancy | divorce | london england | wedding | irreverence | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1966 (UK)

Also Known As:

Morgan!

Filming Locations:

Park Lane, Mayfair, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Lion Film Corporation, Quintra

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final feature film of Newton Blick.

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Goofs

At the beginning, Morgan is supposed to returned from being in Greece for a few days. However, when he goes up into his studio and pulls the sheets off, large clouds of dust fly up.

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Quotes

Morgan Delt: Where has love got me? Where has gentleness got me? You know violence has a kind of dignity in a loving man. And I'm full of love.

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Connections

Referenced in 666: 'The Omen' Revealed (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Berceuse Pour Danielle"
(uncredited)
Music by Pierre Arvay
De Wolfe Music Ltd

User Reviews

Morgan - A Suitable Case For Treatment (Karel Reisz, 1966) ***

I've always had something of an ambivalent attitude towards the British "Swinging London" films of the 1960s: sometimes I enjoy their creative technique and anything-goes approach, while other times I find their brashness exasperating and extremely dated. Actually, MORGAN is now among the films I've revisited the most among them (more by accident than design) which has led me to toy with the idea of compiling a list of titles from that era - comprising above all films I've watched only once, or not at all, but also those which I haven't checked out in ages (some of which are in my endless "DVDs To Watch" pile).

Anyway, the film itself is certainly one of the most engaging of the lot: basically an update of the typical Hollywood 'screwball comedy' formula, with one member of a divorced couple disrupting the new marriage plans of the other, though here we don't get the conventional happy ending. Reisz was, along with Lindsay Anderson and Tony Richardson, one of the founding members of the "Free Cinema" movement; though he started at the very top with Saturday NIGHT AND Sunday MORNING (1960), the rest of his career was rather spotty with MORGAN being perhaps its closest in quality - even if the unflinching realism of the former had, by this time, given way to irreverent comic fantasy!

While the plot is somewhat thin and the lead character's pranks to reclaim his wife become repetitive, the film's hectic pace never wavers; stylish, amusing (particularly when dealing with Morgan's Communist background and his obsession with gorillas!) and bolstered by John Dankworth's playful score, it's delightfully enacted by the three principals - David Warner (the role of his life), Vanessa Redgrave (the recipient of many accolades, including a surprising Best Actress Oscar nomination) and Robert Stephens - none of whom are typically associated with slapstick (though David Mercer's script also offers perceptive comments about the painful consequences of a broken marriage).