The Dead (1987)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

James Joyce (story)
Tony Huston

Release Date:

17 December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A vast, merry, and uncommon tale of love.

Plot:

Gabriel Conroy and wife Greta attend a Christmas dinner with friends at the home of his spinster aunts, an evening which results in an epiphany for both of them.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas Dinner | Epiphany | Ireland | Memory | Recovered Memory

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Anjelica Huston	...	Gretta Conroy
Donal McCann	...	Gabriel Conroy
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Mr. Browne
Donal Donnelly	...	Freddy Malins
Helena Carroll	...	Aunt Kate
Cathleen Delany	...	Aunt Julia
Ingrid Craigie	...	Mary Jane
Rachael Dowling	...	Lily
Marie Kean	...	Mrs. Malins
Frank Patterson	...	Bartell D'Arcy
Maria McDermottroe	...	Molly Ivors
Sean McClory	...	Mr. Grace
Kate O'Toole	...	Miss Furlong (as Katherine O'Toole)
Maria Hayden	...	Miss O'Callaghan
Bairbre Dowling	...	Miss Higgins
Lyda Anderson	...	Miss Daly
Colm Meaney	...	Mr. Bergin
Cormac O'Herlihy	...	Mr. Kerrigan
Paul Grant	...	Mr. Duffy
Paul Carroll	...	Young Gentleman
Patrick Gallagher	...	Mr. Egan
Dara Clarke	...	Miss Power
Brendan Dillon	...	Cabman
Redmond Gleeson	...	Nightporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amanda Baird	...	Young Lady (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tony Huston
James Joyce		story "Dubliners"

Produced by
William J. Quigley	....	executive producer
Wieland Schulz-Keil	....	producer
Chris Sievernich	....	producer

Original Music by
Alex North

Cinematography by
Fred Murphy

Film Editing by
Roberto Silvi

Casting by
Nuala Moiselle

Production Design by
Stephen B. Grimes		(as Stephen Grimes)
J. Dennis Washington		(as Dennis Washington)

Set Decoration by
Josie MacAvin

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins

Makeup Department
Fern Buchner	....	makeup designer
Anthony Cortino	....	hair designer
Louise Dowling	....	hair stylist
Anne Dunne	....	hair stylist: second unit
Keis Maes	....	makeup artist
Christopher Shihar	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Tom Shaw	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gay Brabazon	....	second assistant director: second unit
John 'Joe' Brooks	....	second assistant director
Seamus Byrne	....	first assistant director: second unit
John Halpin	....	trainee assistant director: second unit
Hugh Linehan	....	trainee assistant director: second unit
Rosemary Morton	....	trainee assistant director: second unit
Tom Shaw	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Tommy Bassett	....	construction manager: second unit
Maurice G. Beaudoin	....	laborer
Robert A. Blackburn	....	carpenter foreman
Robert Calvert	....	property maker
Richard Cramer	....	carpenter
Paddy Dunne	....	painter
Cos Egan	....	props: second unit
Lee E. Ewing Jr.	....	property maker
Candy Flanagin	....	construction coordinator
Scott Hall	....	set painter
Jaymes Hinkle	....	sign painter
Joseph E. Hubbard	....	assistant art director (as Joe Hubbard)
Phil Hurst	....	property assistant
Philip C. Hurst	....	greensman
George Joyce	....	carpenter: second unit
Robert Kramer	....	plasterer
Sam Mendoza	....	property maker
Wayne Moseley	....	propmaker foreman
Sunny Mulligan	....	property buyer: second unit
Barbara Murphy	....	key set painter
William Powley	....	paint foreman
Clayton Reynolds	....	property maker
Roberto Ruiz	....	laborer
Bobby Scott	....	painter
Alex Scutti Jr.	....	plaster foreman (as Alexander Scotti III)
Tom Shaw Jr.	....	property master
Edward Terry	....	carpenter
Robert Winiger	....	carpenter

Sound Department
John Asman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Chuck Blecka	....	assistant sound editor
Margaret Duke	....	sound: documentary crew
Robert W. Glass Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marvin I. Kosberg	....	sound editor
Marvin I. Kosberg	....	supervising sound editor
Walt Martin	....	sound: documentary crew
James E. Nownes	....	sound editor
Anthony Palk	....	foley editor
Ken S. Polk	....	sound re-recording mixer
William M. Randall Jr.	....	second boom operator (as Bill Randall Jr.)
William M. Randall Jr.	....	sound mixer (as Bill Randall)
Don Sanders	....	sound: documentary crew
David Stafford	....	first boom operator

Special Effects by
Candy Flanagin	....	special effects
Maurice Foley	....	special effects supervisor: second unit
Robert Calvert	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Butler	....	clapper loader: second unit
Grant Cameron	....	assistant camera: Ireland
Louis Conroy	....	gaffer: second unit
Paddy Corcoran	....	rigger: second unit
Michael Coulter	....	camera operator: Ireland
Stuart E. Cropley	....	electrician
Noel Cullen	....	electrician: second unit
David Dubois	....	best boy
David Dubois	....	electrician
François Duhamel	....	still photographer
Brad Edmiston	....	first assistant camera
Todd Griffith	....	best boy grip
Derek Hate	....	generator operator
Rick Herres	....	grip
Pascal Jones	....	rigger: second unit
Ian Kincaid	....	gaffer
Kim Kono	....	electrician
Bill Levins	....	electrician: second unit
Walt Martin	....	camera operator: documentary crew
John Murphy	....	camera grip: second unit
Randy Nolen	....	camera operator
Paul Prince	....	second assistant camera
Lisa Rinzler	....	camera operator: documentary crew
Philip Sloan	....	key grip
Des Whelan	....	focus puller: second unit

Casting Department
Peggy Weber	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Butler	....	costumer: women
Delbert Grant	....	costumes: in-house
Marilyn Matthews	....	ladies' costumer
John McDonald	....	costumer: men
Jennifer L. Parsons	....	costume supervisor
Maeve Paterson	....	wardrobe mistress
Robert Pecina	....	costumer: men
Nava R. Sadan	....	costumes: in-house

Editorial Department
Ray Morfino	....	color timer

Music Department
Richard Bronskill	....	orchestrator
Leonard A. Engel	....	music recording engineer (as Len Engel)
Ann Stockton	....	musician: solo harp
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
Kenneth Wannberg	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Ronnie Baker	....	transportation coordinator
Robert D. Benton	....	driver
Tom Brodie	....	construction driver: second unit
Colin Duffin	....	unit driver

Other crew
Nestor Alban	....	head tailor
Sheila Barr	....	publicist
Joan Bennett	....	production secretary
Mary Carroll	....	production secretary
Vicky Dennison	....	cutter-fitter: ladies
Bruce Feldman	....	publicist
Ciara J. Fenton	....	film accountant
Judy Flanagan	....	craft service
Tzetzi Ganev	....	cutter-fitter: ladies
Paul Gleason	....	choreographer
Karen Golden	....	script supervisor
Clive Hart	....	literary advisor: James Joyce estate
Kathy Knapton	....	assistant accountant
Marilyn La Salandra	....	assistant: Mr. Huston
Ben Levy	....	publicist
Niall McQuillan	....	film accountant
Paul Myler	....	film accountant: second unit
Eily O'Grady	....	piano coach
Ann Shaw	....	production coordinator
Molly Shaw	....	office assistant
Lilyan Sievernich	....	director: documentary crew
Garrison Singer	....	production accountant
Ian Abercrombie	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Melissa J.L. Smith	....	director of studio operations (uncredited)
Melissa J.L. Smith	....	sales and marketing coordinator (uncredited)
Melissa J.L. Smith	....	sales department: original staff (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Channel 4
• Delta Film
• Liffey Films
• Vestron Pictures
• Zenith Entertainment

Distributors

• Vestron Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Delta (1987) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Vestron UK (1987) (UK) (theatrical)
• AMLF (1988) (France) (theatrical)
• Vestron Video (1988) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Vestron Video (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1989) (UK) (VHS)
• Manga Films (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Park Circus (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• Al!ve AG (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Look Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Pioneer LDC (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• West Bridge (2008) (Japan) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Alter Image  negative cutting
• Clein & Feldman Associates  publicity
• Compact Sound Services  sound post-production
• Contempo Recording Co.  music recorded at (as Contempo Recording)
• Entertainment Completions Inc.  completion bond
• Howard Anderson Company, The  titles and optical effects (as Howard A. Anderson Co.)
• Lorimar Studios  music recorded at (as Lorimar)
• Moviecam  camera equipment
• PPI  payroll services
• Western Costume Company  costumes

Also Known As:

"John Huston's The Dead" - USA (DVD box title)

Runtime:

83 min | Spain:79 min (DVD edition)

Country:

UK | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | West Germany:6 (f) | Australia:PG | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Finland:S | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

15 Usher's Island, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Channel 4

Trivia:

The character Mr. Grace does not appear in Joyce's original story. He is an invention of John and Tony Huston's, and was chiefly included so as to permit a reading of the eighth-century Irish poem Donal Og ("Young Donal"). Although it represents a departure from Joyce's text, the poem is nonetheless appropriate to the story's themes: like the song "The Lass of Aughrim" that follows it, "Donal Og" deals with the suffering that love can bring to young women...just as it has for Gretta.

Quotes:

Gabriel Conroy:[asking Gretta about Michael Furey] What was it he died of so young? Consumption, was it?
Gretta Conroy:I think he died for me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Criminal Minds: Demonology (#4.17)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Arrayed for the Bridal

A faithful screen adaption by a director at the peak of his powers

Superlatives really are a dangerous thing. No sooner do we rashly assert something as being unsurpassable, the object of our veneration immediately becomes just that. James Joyce's concluding story in his book 'Dubliners,' entitled, 'The Dead,' was always going to be the exception to that rule. It's been described by a number of critics over the years as the greatest short story in the English language. After seeking the story out many years ago when I was a teenager, I can do nothing but agree whole heartedly with the critics.

The story captured a time, a place, and a romanticism that I've dreamt about all my life. The setting is a house at the turn of the century, filled with guests from all over Ireland, who gather for an evening of dancing, poetry and piano recitals.

Joyce's consummate story telling, is not found in the almost mechanical way most authors put their stories together, but it's revealed in the sheer power and strength of feeling projected by the characters involved; Gabriel's concern about his after dinner speech and the ongoing changes in Ireland, Gretta's secret passion for someone she'd once loved and lost, and now even the mere acknowledgment of such a love threatens to destabilize her relationship with Gabriel, Freddie's inability to rise beyond his drug dependency, the arrogant tenor Mr D'Arcy at the table loudly trying to upgrade his status through his supposed musical superiority, Lilly the housemaid all nervousness and efficiency, the list goes on: each playing their part with absolutely convincing character motivation.

How could John Huston's film ever really of taken on such a literary masterpiece and still proved faithful? Well, to his credit, he comes pretty close.

Of course when we're reading a story, an author often leaves a degree of ambiguity, specific areas in which we're allowed to interpret our own mental pictures from the words cited. Joyce was no different. Here lies the problem: transfering a work of fiction to celluloid is like trying to join up the dots. Not everyone is going to recognize the picture and be happy with the adaptation.

Personally, I loved the film. However, there were a couple of scenes that I knew were going to prove a problem, and they did prove problematic. Firstly, when Gretta defers her descent down the stairs after dinner, because she's filled with thought's of Michael Furey and the love that she'd lost. The memories come flooding back. She can hear his voice superimposed over D'arcy's and it unsettles her. It's such a deep enduring moment. In the film, Huston just looks away dreamily. There's very little to express the full range of thoughts rushing through her head. It's not Angelica Huston's fault. It simply highlights how difficult it is to accommodate the limitless expression of literature to the silver screen, which is why like an earlier commentator on this film asserted, I too strongly recommend that Joyce's story is read first. It really does add a great deal.

The second scene that troubled me was the ending. It doesn't even begin to pack the tremendous power of Joyce's written word. How could it? This is a stream of subconscious thought extracted from the greatest short story in the English language reduced to a simple voice-over.

Ah, well! Still a good film. Overall Rating: 8 out of ten.