Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > The Dresser (1983)
The Dresser
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Dresser (1983) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 7 | slideshow) Videos
The Dresser (1983) -- An effeminate personal assistant of a deteriorating veteran actor struggles to get him through a difficult performance of King Lear.

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   1,596 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 7% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Peter Yates
Writer:
Ronald Harwood (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Dresser on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 December 1983 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
What happens backstage is always true drama. And often pure comedy.
Plot:
An effeminate personal assistant of a deteriorating veteran actor struggles to get him through a difficult performance of King Lear. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations more
User Comments:
Brilliant and illuminating and moving more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Albert Finney ... Sir
Tom Courtenay ... Norman
Edward Fox ... Oxenby
Zena Walker ... Her Ladyship
Eileen Atkins ... Madge
Michael Gough ... Frank Carrington
Cathryn Harrison ... Irene
Betty Marsden ... Violet Manning
Sheila Reid ... Lydia Gibson
Lockwood West ... Geoffrey Thornton
Donald Eccles ... Mr. Godstone
Llewellyn Rees ... Horace Brown
Guy Manning ... Benton
Anne Mannion ... Beryl
Kevin Stoney ... C. Rivers Lane
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
118 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Rankcolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The original Broadway production of "The Dresser" by Ronald Harwood opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theater in New York on November 6, 1981, ran for 200 performances and was nominated for the 1982 Tony Award for the Best Play. Ronald Harwood also wrote the screenplay for the filmed production. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: After Sir and Norman leave the marketplace, they're passed by a Routemaster bus. These buses were first used in London in 1954, and weren't used outside London until the 1970's. more
Quotes:
Sir: The critics? No, I have nothing but compassion for them. How can I hate the crippled, the mentally deficient, and the dead? more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Nanny: The Honeymoon's Overboard (#6.1)" (1998) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful:-
Brilliant and illuminating and moving, 5 September 2005
9/10
Author: jcamera from New York, NY

Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay are brilliant as Sir and his Dresser. Of course the play is brilliant to begin with and nothing can compare with the immediacy and collegiality of theatre, and I think you listen better in theatre; but on the screen we become more intimate, we're 'up-close' more than we are in the theatre, we witness subtle changes in expression, we "see" better as well as listen. Both the play and the movie are wondrous: moving, intelligent, illuminating--of the backstage story of the company, of historical context, of the two main characters, and of the parallel characters in "Lear" itself. If you cannot get to see it in a theatre (I don't imagine it's produced much these days) then, please, do yourself a favor, and get the video.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Dresser (1983)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
King Lear King Lear Biloxi Blues King Lear Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.