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IMDbPro

The Guest

Original title: The Caretaker
  • 19631963
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
841
YOUR RATING
The Guest (1963)
  • Drama
While renovating his house in London, Aston, out of pity, lodges a homeless man, but Aston's brother taunts and harasses the cranky old bum.While renovating his house in London, Aston, out of pity, lodges a homeless man, but Aston's brother taunts and harasses the cranky old bum.While renovating his house in London, Aston, out of pity, lodges a homeless man, but Aston's brother taunts and harasses the cranky old bum.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
841
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Clive Donner
  • Writer
    • Harold Pinter(play)
  • Stars
    • Alan Bates
    • Donald Pleasence
    • Robert Shaw
Top credits
  • Director
    • Clive Donner
  • Writer
    • Harold Pinter(play)
  • Stars
    • Alan Bates
    • Donald Pleasence
    • Robert Shaw
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 20User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Photos6

    The Guest (1963)
    Donald Pleasence and Robert Shaw in The Guest (1963)
    Donald Pleasence and Alan Bates in The Guest (1963)
    Donald Pleasence and Alan Bates in The Guest (1963)
    Donald Pleasence in The Guest (1963)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Alan Bates
    Alan Bates
    • Mick
    Donald Pleasence
    Donald Pleasence
    • Mac Davies…
    Robert Shaw
    Robert Shaw
    • Aston
    Harold Pinter
    Harold Pinter
    • Man
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Clive Donner
    • Writer
      • Harold Pinter(play)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Donald Pleasence was nominated for the 1962 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Drama for "The Caretaker" and re-created his role in this movie.
    • Quotes

      Mick: I could turn this place into a penthouse. For instance this room. This room could have been the kitchen. Right size, nice window, sun comes in. I'd have I'd have teal-blue, copper and parchment linoleum squares. I'd have those colours re-echoed in the walls. I'd offset the kitchen units with charcoal-grey worktops. Plenty of room for cupboards for the crockery. We'd have a small wall cupboard, a large wall cupboard, a corner wall cupboard with revolving shelves. You shouldn't be short of cupboards. You could put the dining-room across the landing, see? Yes. Venetian blinds on the window, cork floor, cork tiles. You could have an off-white pile linen rug, a table in... in afromosia teak veneer, sideboard with matte black drawers, armchairs in oatmeal tweed, a beech frame settee with a woven sea-grass seat... (sits up) it wouldn't be a flat it'd be a palace.

    • Connections
      Referenced in This Week in Britain: The Caretaker (1963)

    User reviews20

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A cast of three play two crazed brothers and a rather simple but aggressive 'gentleman of the road'.
    Very impressive adaptation of the Harold Pinter play for the screen. Only opened up a couple of times but both turn out to be short but crucial scenes that say all the more for being set outside. The main 'set', however, is the amazingly crushed and crowded room with all its junk, or what could be considered items that might be useful in the future. A cast of three play two crazed brothers and a rather simple but aggressive 'gentleman of the road'. Pleasence plays the tramp and it is a stunning performance, at once cringing and self effacing, yet also wildly defensive and nasty. I had always wondered where the actor had managed to draw his character in Cul de Sac from, this Pinter portrayal would seem to be the answer. Robert Shaw plays the quieter of the two brothers and Alan Bates the more clearly schizoid with wild swings between what might be caring or killing. The succinct and portentous dialogue has echoes of Beckett yet even the darkest and pessimistic of the Irishman's writings resonate with a sense of kindliness towards the desperate characters, not here. However enjoyable it is to watch these three struggle for supremacy in such a forsaken situation, it is without doubt a very jaundiced view of the human psyche on display.
    helpful•5
    1
    • christopher-underwood
    • Apr 19, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 23, 1964 (Denmark)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Hausmeister
    • Filming locations
      • 31 Downs Road, Hackney, London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Caretaker Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • £30,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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