The Tichborne Claimant (1998)

Based on a true story, set in the late 19th century: Lord Tichborne, the ninth richest nobleman in England, disappears after a South American shipwreck. Some years later his erudite ... See full summary »

Director:

David Yates

Writer:

Joe Fisher

Stars:

Robert Pugh, John Kani, Stephen Fry

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Pugh	...	The Claimant
John Kani	...	Bogle
Stephen Fry	...	Hawkins
John Gielgud	...	Cockburn
Robert Hardy	...	Lord Rivers
Rachael Dowling	...	Mary Anne
Charles Gray	...	Arundell
James Villiers	...	Uncle Henry
Dudley Sutton	...	Onslow Onslow
Paola Dionisotti	...	The Dowager
Perry Fenwick	...	John Holmes
Tom McCabe	...	Keneally
Christopher Benjamin	...	Gibbes
Roger Hammond	...	Cubitt
John Challis	...	Rous the Landlord

Storyline

Based on a true story, set in the late 19th century: Lord Tichborne, the ninth richest nobleman in England, disappears after a South American shipwreck. Some years later his erudite Afro-English valet, Bogle, is sent to investigate rumors that Tichborne survived and settled in Australia. An alcoholic ruffian answer's Bogle's inquiries claiming to be the lost heir. Bogle suspects fraud, but conspires with the claimant to split the inheritance should the latter succesfully pass himself off to friends, family and the courts. As the claimant returns to England to continue his charade, enough people confirm his identity to make both the claimant and Bogle believe that he just might be the rightful heir after all...

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Plot Keywords:

independent film

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Redbus Film Distribution plc

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 1999 (UK)

Also Known As:

Tichbornes arv

Filming Locations:

Croxteth Hall, Croxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bigger Picture Company, Isle of Man Film Commission, Swiftcall International Telephone company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last film of both James Villiers and 'Charles Gray'.

User Reviews

Not A Typical Costumer

British period pieces typically suffocate under the dull weight of precise costumes and historically accurate settings, offering nothing but boring, predictable and comforting aesthetics. Here is a stronger number, true to the tired genre but beyond it -- a period piece with strong, well-developed themes and balanced, multidimensional characters liberated from crusty, faux bourgeois literariness. Aside from haunting, perfectly pitched performances, it examines questions that matter: What constitutes personality? What constitutes class? Is one contingent on the other? If a "coarse" man can be transformed into a convincing "gentleman," what is he really? And if the class boundaries are truly porous and arbitrary, what is their true function and purpose? Don't let the superficially "Masterpiece Theatre"-ish trappings fool you -- this mysterious, stimulating picture has a pulse.