A Severed Head (1971)

The wine taster and merchant Martin Lynch-Gibbon is married to the shallow and spoiled Antonia Lynch-Gibbon, and loves his mistress Georgie Hands. Antonia is under therapy with Martin's ... See full summary »

Director:

Dick Clement

Writers:

Iris Murdoch (novel), Iris Murdoch (play)

Stars:

Lee Remick, Richard Attenborough, Ian Holm

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lee Remick	...	Antonia Lynch-Gibbon
Richard Attenborough	...	Palmer Anderson
Ian Holm	...	Martin Lynch-Gibbon
Claire Bloom	...	Honor Klein
Jennie Linden	...	Georgie Hands
Clive Revill	...	Alexander Lynch-Gibbon
Ann Firbank	...	Rosemary Lynch-Gibbon
Rosamund Greenwood	...	Miss Seelhaft
Constance Lorne	...	Miss Hernshaw
Robert Gillespie	...	Winking Patient
Katherine Parr	...	Receptionist
Nerys Hughes	...	Nurse
Anne Jameson	...	Woman at Party (as Ann Jameson)
Yvette Rees	...	Woman at Party

Storyline

The wine taster and merchant Martin Lynch-Gibbon is married to the shallow and spoiled Antonia Lynch-Gibbon, and loves his mistress Georgie Hands. Antonia is under therapy with Martin's best friend, the psychiatrist Palmer Anderson. One day, Antonia decides to ask for a divorce from Martin, to live with Palmer, but they want to keep Martin as their friend. When Palmer's sister Dr. Honor Klein comes from Oxford to stay with her brother, she discloses the affair of Georgie, who was her student, and Martin to Palmer and Antonia. Meanwhile, Martin's brother Alexander Lynch-Gibbon has a love affair with Georgie, and Martin falls in unrequited love with Honor, but he discovers a secret about Palmer. Who will stay with whom in the end?

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | topless female nudity | friend | psychiatrist | mistress | 

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Taglines:

Martin and Antonia are an ideal couple. Devoted. But not to each other. Georgie loves Martin. Palmer loves Antonia. And all's well. Until Alexander grabs Georgie ... and Honor snags Palmer.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 January 1971 (UK)

Also Known As:

Affairs and Relations

Filming Locations:

Edgware Road, Paddington, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Winkast Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, Anouk Aimée was considered for a leading role in this movie.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits feature the main characters as children's dolls in a series of vignettes mounted on a turntable.

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Connections

Referenced in McCloud: Top of the World, Ma! (1971)

User Reviews

British Humor

The wine taster and merchant Martin Lynch-Gibbon (Ian Holm) is married with the shallow and spoiled Antonia Lynch-Gibbon (Lee Remick) and loves his mistress Georgie Hands (Jennie Linden). Antonia is under therapy with Martin's best friend, the psychiatrist Palmer Anderson (Richard Attenborough). One day, Antonia decides to ask for the divorce to Martin to live with Palmer, but they want to keep Martin as their friend. When Palmer's sister Dr. Honor Klein (Claire Bloom) comes from Oxford to stay with her brother, she discloses the affair of Georgie, who was her student, and Martin to Palmer and Antonia. Meanwhile Martin's brother Alexander Lynch-Gibbon (Clive Revill) has a love affair with Georgie and Martin falls in unrequited love with Honor, but he discovers a secret about Palmer. Who will stay with whom in the end?

"A Severed Head" is an unfunny British comedy about infidelity that maybe satisfies the British humor. The story is awful and wastes a wonderful cast with names such as Lee Remick, Richard Attenborough and Ian Holm among others. It is impossible to give a single laugh after 98 minutes running time. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Amantes Infiéis" ("Unfaithful Lovers")