The Killing of Sister George (1968)

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Lukas Heller (writer)
Frank Marcus (play)

Release Date:

12 December 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The story of three consenting adults in the privacy of their own home.

Plot:

George lives with her lover, Childie and plays a cheerful district nurse in a BBC soap opera. However...

Plot Keywords:

Soap Opera | Dolls | Actress | Lesbian | Lesbianism

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Beryl Reid	...	June Buckridge
Susannah York	...	Alice 'Childie' McNaught
Coral Browne	...	Mercy Croft
Ronald Fraser	...	Leo Lockhart
Patricia Medina	...	Betty Thaxter
Hugh Paddick	...	Freddie
Cyril Delevanti	...	Ted Baker
Sivi Aberg	...	Diana
William Beckley	...	Floor Manager
Elaine Church	...	Marelen
Brendan Dillon	...	Bert Turner
Mike Freeman	...	Noel
Maggie Paige	...	Maid
Jack Raine	...	Deputy Commissioner
Dolly Taylor	...	Tea Lady
Meier Tzelniker	...	Mr. Katz
Cicely Walper	...	Mrs. Coote
Byron Webster	...	Jack Adams
Rosalie Williams	...	Mildred
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gina Evans	...	Club Owner (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Nigel Kingsley	...	Extra (uncredited)
Sam Kydd	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Eileen Page	...	Leslie (uncredited)
Derek Partridge	...	Personal Manager (uncredited)
James Payne	...	Man in Traffic Jam (uncredited)
Velvet Rhodes	...	Lesbian (uncredited)
Madeline Smith	...	Nun (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Aldrich

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lukas Heller		writer
Frank Marcus		play "The Killing of Sister George"

Produced by
Robert Aldrich	....	producer
Walter Blake	....	associate producer
Edgar J. Scherick	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Gerald Fried

Cinematography by
Joseph F. Biroc

Film Editing by
Michael Luciano

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Art Direction by
William Glasgow

Set Decoration by
John Brown

Costume Design by
Renié

Makeup Department
Jean Austin	....	hair stylist
William Turner	....	makeup artist (as Bill Turner)

Production Management
David Bennett	....	production manager
Eddie Saeta	....	unit manager
George Tobin	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daisy Gerber	....	assistant director
Dennis Robertson	....	first assistant director: London

Art Department
Jack Holden	....	assistant art director
Ygnacio Sepulveda	....	property master

Sound Department
Richard S. Church	....	sound mixer (as Dick Church)
Robin Gregory	....	sound mixer: London

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer
Wally Fairweather	....	camera operator: London
Laurie Shane	....	gaffer
Herbert Smith	....	camera operator: London (as Herbie Smith)
Brian West	....	lighting camera operator: London
Keith Blake	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Gary Boren	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
William N. Clark	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ned Davenport	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bill Hannah	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Joe Jackman	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marie Osborne	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Frank J. Urioste	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Adell Aldrich	....	script supervisor (as Adele Bravos)
William Aldrich	....	assistant to producer
Robert Sherman	....	dialogue supervisor

Production Companies

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
• Associates & Aldrich Company, The
• Palomar Pictures (I)

Distributors

• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1968) (UK) (theatrical)
• Video Gems (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Braveworld (1992) (UK) (VHS)
• Total Home Entertainment (1996) (UK) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Pearson Television International (2001) (UK) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Filmgesellschaft MBH (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  lighting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:X | USA:R (re-rating) (1972) | USA:X (original rating) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (2005) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Australia:R | West Germany:18 (f) | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

The huge success of The Dirty Dozen (1967) the year before had given director Robert Aldrich the opportunity to set up Aldrich & Associates. This gave him the freedom to pursue more challenging and stimulating subject matter, of which "The Killing of Sister George" was the first example.

Quotes:

Mercy Croft:Are those bathroom scales accurate?
George:Yes, I think so.
Mercy Croft:Oh good!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: Episode #2.25" (1969)

Scathing indictment of show biz

Beryl Reid gives a no-holds-barred performance as an aging lesbian actress who's already teetering on the edge when she gets word that her character in a TV soap opera is to be killed off. She takes out her frustrations on her childlike lover (Susannah York) and a production head (Coral Browne), the two of whom eventually become intimate on their own. The script-reading sequence had me howling with laughter, and Reid's non-stop barrage of put-downs, insults, wisecracks and other hateful remarks are acidly hilarious. A surprisingly realistic sex scene near the end is pretty graphic for its time (I almost felt like looking away) and we never learn much about Browne's icy character, but the final scene is gut-wrenching, as is the final line of dialogue. *** from ****