Withnail & I (1987)

Director:

Bruce Robinson

Writer:

Bruce Robinson

Release Date:

19 June 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

You are cordially invited to spend a funny weekend in the English countryside. (US poster)

Plot:

London 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp...

Plot Keywords:

Cottage | Actor | Rain | Countryside | Drug Dealer

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Richard E. Grant	...	Withnail
Paul McGann	...	& I / Marwood
Richard Griffiths	...	Monty
Ralph Brown	...	Danny
Michael Elphick	...	Jake
Daragh O'Malley	...	Irishman
Michael Wardle	...	Isaac Parkin
Una Brandon-Jones	...	Mrs. Parkin
Noel Johnson	...	General
Irene Sutcliffe	...	Waitress
Llewellyn Rees	...	Tea Shop Proprietor
Robert Oates	...	Policeman One
Anthony Wise	...	Policeman Two
Eddie Tagoe	...	Presuming Ed
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bruce Robinson	...	Double for various actors in distant shots (uncredited)

Directed by
Bruce Robinson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bruce Robinson

Produced by
George Harrison	....	executive producer
Paul M. Heller	....	producer (as Paul Heller)
Lawrence Kirstein	....	associate producer
Denis O'Brien	....	executive producer
David Wimbury	....	co-producer

Original Music by
David Dundas
Rick Wentworth

Cinematography by
Peter Hannan		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Alan Strachan

Casting by
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Michael Pickwoad

Art Direction by
Henry Harris

Costume Design by
Andrea Galer

Makeup Department
Peter Frampton	....	makeup artist
Sue Love	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Matthew Binns	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Kohn	....	first assistant director
Kathy Sykes	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Les Allett	....	props
Leith Boler	....	property buyer
Peter Browne	....	stagehand
Alan Chesters	....	supervising carpenter
Bert Gadsden	....	property master
Steve Payne	....	props stand-by
Wesley Peppiatt	....	props
John Roberts	....	painter

Sound Department
Peter Best	....	dialogue editor
Allan Brereton	....	sound maintenance
Peter Holt	....	footsteps editor
Alan Paley	....	sound editor
Trevor Rutherford	....	boom operator
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer
Clive Winter	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Paul Corbould	....	special effects
Martin Gutteridge	....	special effects supervisor
Dominic Tuohy	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Paul Heasman	....	stunt double: Paul McGann

Camera and Electrical Department
Murray Close	....	still photographer
Colin Davidson	....	focus
Perry Evans	....	electrician
Ian Foster	....	clapper loader
Michael Heller	....	additional still photographer
Brian Martin	....	best boy
Don Maton	....	electrician
Don McLellan	....	rigger
Reg Parsons	....	gaffer
Bob Smith	....	camera operator
Brian Sullivan	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alan Murphy	....	costume maker
Shaun Wyldeck-Estrada	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Bob Mullen	....	assistant editor
Anne Sopel	....	assistant editor
Jeremy Strachan	....	assistant editor
Tony Tromp	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Mike Beaven	....	transportation
Steve Miller	....	transportation

Other crew
Joanna Campling	....	unit publicist
David Carrigan	....	production runner
Valerie Craig	....	production coordinator
Gordon Davis	....	assistant accountant
Jacky Holding	....	accounts secretary
Sally Jones	....	script supervisor
Paula Merwin	....	assistant to producer
Ringo Starr	....	special production consultant (as Richard Starkey)

Thanks
Inger Best	....	additional thanks
Dennis Carrigan	....	additional thanks
Ray Cooper	....	thanks
Bob Crowdy	....	additional thanks
John Geary	....	additional thanks
Martin Gutteridge	....	additional thanks
Debbie London	....	additional thanks
John Mackswith	....	additional thanks
Paul Oliver	....	additional thanks
Ronnie Pearce	....	additional thanks
Nicole Rothman	....	additional thanks
Mody Schreiber	....	thanks
Bella Serrell	....	additional thanks
John Stanborough	....	thanks
Ralph Steadman	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• HandMade Films

Distributors

• Hem Films Scandinavia (1988) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1988) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Park Circus (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Video (2011) (Canada) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Video (2011) (Canada) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• América Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2009) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Astral Video (1988) (Canada) (video)
• Atlantic Film (2012) (Finland) (DVD)
• Cineplex-Odeon Films (USA)
• Criterion Collection, The (1997) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• HandMade Films (1987) (UK)
• Image Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Image Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Koch Media (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1993) (Finland) (TV)
• Media Home Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (UK) (video)
• Seville Pictures (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Showtime (198?) (Finland) (VHS)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• Video Treasures (1990) (USA) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1999) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates

Other Companies

• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  sound re-recording (as De Lane Lea)
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Technicolor  color

Also Known As:

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Spain:13 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-16 (1988) | Canada:R (Ontario) | USA:R (certificate #28355) | Australia:MA | Canada:G (Quebec) | New Zealand:R13 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:M (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

35 Glebe Place, Chelsea, London, England, UK

Company:

HandMade Films

Trivia:

Ralph Brown turned up for his audition dressed up like the Danny described in the script, with purple hair and painted fingernails. The casting director Mary Selway and director Bruce Robinson found him frightening but also hilarious. Because of his extra mile, he got the part.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Surmonti-50 (which was to be taken with a pork pie so they could "miss out Monday") was not available until 1980 or so.

Quotes:

Withnail:I will say one thing for Monty, he keeps a sensational cellar!

Movie Connections:

Featured in 50 Years of Bad Sex (2011) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Hang Out the Stars in Indiana

Role of a lifetime

Richard E Grant is simply perfect as Withnail, the addled but undoubtedly well-equipped "actor" on holiday with his pal, the "I" in the title. His soliloquy from Hamlet in the final scene is one of the best readings of that scene anyone's done in film. This is a film with a point, and a great way of avoiding making it too emphatically. I love every character, and every line. When Withnail frantically searches for antifreeze after drinking lighter fluid in a crazed attempt to become drunk, "I" says, "Everyone knows you shouldn't mix your drink!" Superb!