Longford (TV 2006)

A portrait of Lord Longford, a tireless British campaigner whose controversial beliefs often resulted in furious political debate and personal conflict.

Director:

Tom Hooper

Writer:

Peter Morgan

Stars:

Lee Boardman, Jim Broadbent, Tam Dean Burn

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 13 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lee Boardman	...	Talk Show Host
Jim Broadbent	...	Lord Longford
Tam Dean Burn	...	Roy
Lindsay Duncan	...	Lady Elizabeth Longford
Kate Miles	...	Rachel Pakenham
Sarah Crowden	...	Lady Tree
Robert Pugh	...	Harold Wilson
Caroline Clegg	...	Longford's Secretary
Samantha Morton	...	Myra Hindley
Alex Blake	...	Paddy Pakenham
Roy Barber	...	Father Kahle
Ian Connaughton	...	Reporter
Charlotte West-Oram	...	Downing Street Secretary (as Charlotte West Oram)
Roy Carruthers	...	Albany Prison Officer
Andy Serkis	...	Ian Brady

Storyline

Biopic of Lord Longford, known for many years for his work with prisoners and prisoners rights in general. The film focuses on Longford's work on behalf of Myra Hindley convicted, along with her boyfriend Ian Brady, of several child murders. Hindley is nothing short of notorious and even Longord's wife is shocked when he announces that he will visit her in prison. When Prime Minister Harold Wilson removes him as the Government Leader in the House of Lords soon after his visits to Hindley are made public, Longford continues to work for her release. A devout convert to Roman Catholicism, Longford sees hope for Hindley when he learns that she too once converted to Catholicism. In the end, his campaign to get her released on parole is for naught when she reveals that other murders took place. Longford stood by his convictions however and never regretted the good work he had done over a great many years.

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Plot Keywords:

prisoner | murder | prisoner's rights | house of lords | child murder | 

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Taglines:

The only thing more shocking than her crime was his crusade to free her.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 February 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Moormörderin von Manchester

Filming Locations:

Durham, County Durham, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel 4 Television Corporation, Granada Television, HBO Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To look as much as possible like the real Lord Longford, Jim Broadbent wore a prosthetic nose and chin that took two hours to apply each day. A prison guard who had known the real Lord Longford was once very startled when Broadbent entered the prison door in costume. To make himself walk very slowly and lamely when Longford sees Myra Hindley for the last time in the movie (when the character is 92 years old), Broadbent put small, painful stones inside his shoes.

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Goofs

When Lord Longford is riding the bus and watches two schoolboys looking at porn, he is on a refurbished Routemaster (RM) bus with fluorescent lighting. At this time the bus would have had light-bulbs as the refurbishment program did not begin until much later.

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Quotes

Ian Brady: An hysteric! That's what she is. Are ye familiar with the term, in its strict, clinical use?
Lord Longford: No.
Ian Brady: [very seriously] An hysteric is someone who gives to people, reflects back to them, that which they believe makes them most acceptable... most likable... what they think others want to see. And Myra Hindley is a *classic* hysteric. It explains why to you, she's a virtuous, church-going angel. To her co-prisoners and dykes, she's a strong woman with a soft heart. And to me: she was a brutal sadist - ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards (2007)

User Reviews

Well acted but low-key biopic

Excellent if only for the quality of the acting. Broadbent succeeds in giving us an unexpected private view of a public figure (with a beautifully calibrated thirty year physical deterioration). In this he is brilliantly supported by Lindsay Duncan.

Andy Serkis' Brady is unremittingly foul and electrically charged with danger to boot. The most horrible thing is that his performance is simultaneously magnetic - a non-Guignol Hannibel Lecter. Best of all is Samantha Morton's Hindley: an almost schizophrenically duplicitous harpie, although one got the impression that the Jekyll & Hyde act was Hindley's character flaw, not a cunning affectation. A fearless performance from Morton.

The purpose of the drama? To rehabilitate the publicly maligned Longford I'd imagine. In this it was successful at putting its case, giving us a profile of the man in relief from tabloid-bias. But this was all - there were no big moral points to be made and I didn't feel the need to think closely about the crimes and criminals he brushed up against.