Dance with a Stranger (1985)

Director:

Mike Newell

Writer:

Shelagh Delaney (writer)

Release Date:

9 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Ruth Ellis lives with her 10-year old son Andy next to a night club. One night she meets David Blakely...

Plot Keywords:

Race Car | London England | Engagement | England | 1950s

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Miranda Richardson	...	Ruth Ellis
Rupert Everett	...	David Blakeley
Ian Holm	...	Desmond Cussen
Stratford Johns	...	Morrie Conley
Joanne Whalley	...	Christine
Tom Chadbon	...	Anthony Findlater
Jane Bertish	...	Carole Findlater
David Troughton	...	Cliff Davis
Matthew Carroll	...	Andy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Beale	...	Man in Little Club
Charon Bourke	...	Ballroom Singer
Charles Cork	...	Policeman #2
Patrick Field	...	Builder
Sallie Anne Field	...	Claudette
Ian Hurley	...	Policeman #1
Miki Iveria	...	Landlady
Michael Jenn	...	Wilf
Susan Kyd	...	Barbara
Lesley Manville	...	Maryanne
Tony Mathews	...	Customer 'Magdala'
Nicholas McArdle	...	Landlord (Country Pub)
Lizzie McKenzie	...	Woman
Paul Mooney	...	Clive Gunnell
Martin Murphy	...	Roy
Colin Rix	...	Landlord 'Magdala'
Alan Thompson	...	Ralph
Tracy-Louise Ward	...	Girl with David Blakely
Harry Fielder	...	Party goer (uncredited)
Derek Lyons	...	Singer in Bar (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Newell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Shelagh Delaney		writer

Produced by
Paul Cowan	....	associate producer
Roger Randall-Cutler	....	producer

Original Music by
Richard Hartley

Cinematography by
Peter Hannan

Film Editing by
Mick Audsley

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Andrew Mollo

Art Direction by
Adrian Smith

Set Decoration by
Alison Stewart-Richardson

Costume Design by
Pip Newbery

Makeup Department
Carol Devine	....	assistant makeup artist
Pat Hay	....	makeup artist
Meinir Jones Brock	....	hair stylist (as Meinir Brock)
Liz Michie	....	assistant hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Aherne	....	third assistant director
Fraser Copp	....	second assistant director
Micky Finch	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Harry Bearpark	....	property master
Malcolm Bensted	....	stand-by props
Alan Chesters	....	chargehand carpenter
Fred Crosby	....	painter
Gary Crosby	....	painter
Perry Crosby	....	painter
Tony Ferguson	....	dressing props
David Fyson	....	production buyer
Ned Kelly	....	carpenter
Mick Ryan	....	carpenter

Sound Department
George Akers	....	dubbing editor
Peter Maxwell	....	dubbing mixer
Peter Maxwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Trevor Rutherford	....	boom operator
Jupiter Sen	....	assistant dubbing editor
Ken Weston	....	sound mixer
Don Brown	....	sound maintenance (uncredited)
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Dickey Beer	....	stunts
Jim Dowdall	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Casey	....	generator operator
John Clark	....	best boy
Mark Cridlin	....	clapper loader
Colin Davidson	....	focus puller
Diana Miller	....	still photographer
Reg Parsons	....	gaffer
John Payne	....	camera grip
Steve Sansom	....	rigger
Bob Smith	....	camera operator
Les Weighell	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Ellis	....	wardrobe assistant
Janty Yates	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Jason Adams	....	first assistant editor
Annabel Ware	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Mari Wilson	....	singer: theme: Dance with a stranger
Kenny Woodman	....	music arranger: source music

Transportation Department
Tim Collins	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Sarah Allday	....	assistant accountant
Tim Dennison	....	production runner
Harriet Fenner	....	production assistant
Patrick Isherwood	....	production accountant
Allan James	....	location manager
Laura Julian	....	production coordinator
Sarah Lucraft	....	assistant accountant
Annie South	....	continuity
Tristan Whalley	....	publicity assistant

Production Companies

• Channel Four Films
• First Film Company
• Goldcrest Films International
• National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC)

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox (1984) (UK) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Concorde Film (1986) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Aquarius TV (2001) (Greece) (TV)
• Braveworld (1992) (UK) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Video (1985) (UK) (VHS)
• EuroVideo (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• PolyGram Video (1997) (UK) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (2002) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Runtime:

102 min | Argentina:106 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Fingest, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Ruth switches on a radio which begins to play immediately. In those times, vacuum-tube radios had to warm up for about 20 seconds.

Quotes:

Anthony Findlater: She
[his wife]
Anthony Findlater: eats like a bird...
Ruth Ellis: Really? My son tells me birds eat twice their own weight every day.

Stunning Performance by Ms. Richardson

When I saw this film nearly 15 years ago, I immediately became a fan of Miranda Richardson. Her unforgettable performance reminded me of a young Bette Davis in 'Of Human Bondage' (another story of a tragic, doomed woman). Few actresses could have matched the intensity of her Ruth.