Scandal (1989)

Director:

Michael Caton-Jones

Writer:

Michael Thomas (written by)

Release Date:

28 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

The Story That Seduced The World Is Now The Most Controversial Film Of The Year.

Plot:

An English bon-vivant osteopath is enchanted with a young exotic dancer and invites her to live with him...

Plot Keywords:

Scandal | Profumo Scandal | Osteopath | Sex | Stockings

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

John Hurt	...	Stephen Ward
Joanne Whalley	...	Christine Keeler (as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer)
Bridget Fonda	...	Mandy Rice-Davies
Ian McKellen	...	John Profumo
Leslie Phillips	...	Lord Astor (Bill)
Britt Ekland	...	Mariella Novotny
Daniel Massey	...	Mervyn Griffith-Jones
Roland Gift	...	Johnnie Edgecombe
Jean Alexander	...	Mrs. Keeler
Alex Norton	...	Detective Inspector
Ronald Fraser	...	Justice Marshall
Paul Brooke	...	John, Detective Sgt.
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Eugene Ivanov (as Jeroen Krabbe)
Keith Allen	...	Kevin, Reporter Sunday Pictorial
Ralph Brown	...	Paul Mann
Ken Campbell	...	Editor of Pictorial
Iain Cuthbertson	...	Lord Hailsham
Susannah Doyle	...	Jackie
Joanna Dunham	...	Lady Bronwen Astor
Trevor Eve	...	Matinee Idol
Oliver Ford Davies	...	Mr. Woods, MI5
Deborah Grant	...	Valerie (Hobson) Profumo
Valerie Griffiths	...	Landlady
Czeslaw Grocholski	...	Polish Gent
Leon Herbert	...	Lucky Gordon
Chris Humphreys	...	Clive
Stefan Kalipha	...	Hanif (as Stephan Kaliphi)
Tacy Kneale	...	Jennifer
Tony Mathews	...	Press Secretary
Richard Morant	...	D'Lazlo
Mia Nardi	...	Olga (as Mia Nadasi)
Jeff Nuttall	...	Percy Murray, Club Owner
Sarah Prince	...	Mr. Woods' Secretary
Ann Queensberry	...	Mrs. Hare
Raad Rawi	...	Aziz
Terence Rigby	...	James Burge
Jennifer Scott Malden	...	Jilly
Johnny Shannon	...	Peter Rachman
Malcolm Terris	...	Northern Gent
Joan Turner	...	Plump Neighbor
Doremy Vernon	...	Headgirl
James Villiers	...	Conservative M.P.
Alison Waters	...	Joannie
Arkie Whiteley	...	Vicky
Tariq Yunus	...	Ayub Khan
Toni Shiletto	...	Murray's Dancers
Colette Dolan	...	Murray's Dancers
Jackie Harvey	...	Murray's Dancers
Kate Charman	...	Murray's Dancers (as Kate Charmen)
Mark Adelman	...	Murray's Band
John Piper	...	Murray's Band
Ray Irwin	...	Murray's Band
Patrice Serapiglia	...	Murray's Band
Anders Janes	...	Murray's Band
Susie Ann Watkins	...	Maureen - Redhead

Directed by
Michael Caton-Jones

Writing credits
Michael Thomas		(written by)

Produced by
Joe Boyd	....	executive producer
Redmond Morris	....	associate producer
Nik Powell	....	executive producer
Bob Weinstein	....	co-executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	co-executive producer
Stephen Woolley	....	producer

Original Music by
Carl Davis

Cinematography by
Mike Molloy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Angus Newton

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Simon Holland

Art Direction by
Chris Townsend

Costume Design by
Jane Robinson

Makeup Department
Pat Hay	....	chief makeup artist
Joan Hills	....	makeup artist
Meinir Jones-Lewis	....	chief hair stylist
Liz Michie	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Susan Slonaker	....	executive in charge of production
Lisa Wills	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Clayton	....	first assistant director (as Pat Clayton)
Nick Laws	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Steve Allett	....	stand-by propman
Martin Asbury	....	sketch artist
Roy Biggs	....	stand-by stagehand
Jack Carter	....	construction manager
Dave Clarke	....	chargehand dressing propman
Gary Crosby	....	stand-by painter
Winston Depper	....	dressing propman
Maria Djurkovic	....	set dresser
Elli Griff	....	art department assistant
Paul Purdy	....	chargehand stand-by props
Jill Quertier	....	buyer
Suzanna Smith	....	draughtsperson
David Stone	....	stand-by carpenter
Brian Wells	....	property master
John Wells	....	chargehand prop storeman

Sound Department
Mark Auguste	....	dialogue editor
Paul Cridlin	....	boom operator
Richard Fettes	....	footsteps editor
Andrew Glen	....	assistant dialogue editor
Leonard Green	....	assistant sound editor
Mark Holding	....	sound maintenance
David John	....	sound mixer
Eddy Joseph	....	sound editor
Jim Roddan	....	additional dubbing editor
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)
Noel Wallace	....	dubbing projectionist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Alan Church	....	optical effects

Stunts
Gloria Jones	....	stunt double: Joanne Whalley-Kilmer

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Archer	....	camera operator: second unit
Fred Brown	....	electrician (as Freddie Brown)
Steve Burgess	....	focus puller
Eddie Collins	....	camera operator
Tom Collins	....	still photographer
Perry Evans	....	gaffer
Brian Mcgivern	....	generator operator
Ossa Mills	....	best boy
David Morani	....	electrician (as Dave Maroni)
Phil Mullally	....	clapper loader
Malcolm Smith	....	grip
Richard Tindall	....	clapper loader
Gary Turnbull	....	focus puller: second unit
Jimmy Waters	....	grip
Paul Woods	....	electrician
John Wright	....	stand-by rigger

Casting Department
Abi Cohen	....	casting assistant
Beverley Keogh	....	crowd casting (as Beverly Keogh)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Catherine Halloran	....	wardrobe supervisor
Rosemary Thomson	....	wardrobe runner
Vernon White	....	wardrobe set supervisor
Kirsten Wing	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Laura Evans	....	second assistant editor
John Gavin	....	first assistant editor
Ian Seymour	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Carl Davis	....	conductor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Dick Lewzey	....	music recordist (as Richard Lewzey)
Nic Raine	....	orchestrator
Simon Chamberlain	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Mark White	....	transportation

Other crew
Emma Bailey	....	secretary to producer
John Beharrell	....	production accountant
Diane Chittell	....	production coordinator
Tony Clarkson	....	location assistant
Jo Dalton	....	assistant to director
Tracy Drew	....	title designer
Penny Forrester	....	assistant accountant
Michael Garland	....	post-production accountant
Charmian Hoare	....	dialogue coach
Charles Hubbard	....	location manager
Susan Johnson	....	assistant to producers
Cindy Milo	....	body double: Bridget Fonda
Peter Ogunsalu	....	assistant: Mr. Woolley
Tonya Richardson	....	production intern
James Sherwood	....	production runner
David Szulkin	....	production assistant
Angela Wharton	....	script supervisor (as Angela Noakes)

Production Companies

• British Screen Productions
• Palace Pictures

Distributors

• Palace Pictures (1989) (UK) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1989) (Canada) (video)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1989) (USA) (VHS) (For Miramax Film)
• MCA Home Video (1989) (Canada) (video)
• Palace Video (1989) (UK) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Blowup  stills laboratory
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  sound re-recorded at
• F.T.V. Workshops Ltd.  set construction
• Grip House  grip equipment
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Morris Angel & Son Ltd.  costumes supplied by
• Peter Govey Film Opticals  titles
• Samuelson Film Service  camera equipment
• The Chevaliex Brothers  group cast members

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for language

Runtime:

115 min | USA:106 min | Canada:111 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Bayswater, Paddington, London, England, UK

Company:

British Screen Productions

Trivia:

Many UK actors are said to have refused roles in this movie because of the subject could cost them knighthoods and the other honors.

Goofs:

Factual errors: A title card says, "One Year Later, 1962," indicating Profumo addressed Parliament re Keeler that year. But, Profumo's address was actually in March 1963.

Quotes:

John Profumo:I have nothing to hide.
Stephen Ward:Come off it John, we all have something to hide, what a boring life it would be if we didn't.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Empire of the Censors (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Blue Train

More Than Just a History Lesson

If "Scandal" (1989) was not a fairly accurate recounting of Britain's John Profumo Affair, the characters and events would be too weird to be considered plausible fiction. Defense Minister Profumo's attempt to refute allegations of his involvement with Christine Keeler ultimately brought down the 10 year Conservative Party government back in the mid-1960's. "Scandal recreates these events and gives the viewer a glimpse into the personalities and possible motives of the main players in this political soap opera.

But recreating history is a secondary consideration in this film whose theme is about individuals who live in a fairy tale world until they fall victim to the grim forces that take life more seriously. The main player is Stephen Ward (John Hurt), a osteopath and recreational artist whose main goal is to be part of the right crowd, not so much immersed in this kind of society as in a position to observe it closely for his amusement. His method for doing so involves discovering ravishing young women from the poor side of town and doing a Henry Higgins number on them. The film begins with his discovery of Keeler (Joanne Whalley) who he begins grooming and introducing to prominent members of his in-crowd.

The two soon fall in love, but theirs is not a physical relationship. Stephen delights in seeing his protégé work her magic on men in authority. This eventually leads to their doom, since no one quite understands such an unconventional relationship they have no credibility when an attempt is made to make Stephen a scapegoat for the government scandal.

In retrospect the process of attacking Ward to contain the widening scandal was one of the two most shameful abuses of the judicial system in post war Britain. Coincidentally Hurt played the victim in the other one as well; "10 Rillington Place" (1971), in which Hurt is wrongly executed for a murder committed by his landlord, the now notorious serial killer John Christie.

"Scandal" is a powerful and arresting film with solid performances. Whalley has the biggest role and is a bit too intelligent looking to be completely believable as a character like Keeler. But she is so nice to look at that almost anyone would willingly trade credibility for scenery-and she is otherwise entirely convincing in an excellent performance. I first noticed her in "Willow", the film she made just before "Scandal". She had a secondary part but her scenes were the most memorable in the entire film. Hurt somehow sells you on the fact that his character derives an innocent joy from simply seeing a beautiful young woman walking down the street on a nice day.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.