The Dresser (1983)

Personal Assistant Norman (Sir Tom Courtenay) of deteriorating veteran actor Sir (Albert Finney) struggles to get him through a difficult performance of King Lear.

Director:

Peter Yates

Writers:

Ronald Harwood (screenplay), Ronald Harwood (based on a play by)

Stars:

Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Edward Fox

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Albert Finney	...	Sir
Tom Courtenay	...	Norman
Edward Fox	...	Oxenby
Zena Walker	...	Her Ladyship
Eileen Atkins	...	Madge
Michael Gough	...	Frank Carrington
Cathryn Harrison	...	Irene
Betty Marsden	...	Violet Manning
Sheila Reid	...	Lydia Gibson
Lockwood West	...	Geoffrey Thornton
Donald Eccles	...	Mr. Godstone
Llewellyn Rees	...	Horace Brown
Guy Manning	...	Benton
Anne Blackman	...	Beryl (as Anne Mannion)
Kevin Stoney	...	C. Rivers Lane

Storyline

In a touring Shakespearean theater group, a backstage hand, the dresser, Norman (Sir Tom Courtenay), is devoted to the brilliant but tyrannical head of the company. He struggles to support deteriorating star Sir (Albert Finney) as the company struggles to carry on during the London blitz. The pathos of his backstage efforts rival the pathos in the story of Lear and the Fool that is being presented on-stage, as the situation comes to a crisis.

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Plot Keywords:

gay lead character | backstage | actor | theater | theater company | 

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Taglines:

What happens backstage is always true drama. And often pure comedy.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

El vestidor

Filming Locations:

York Station, York, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP1,456,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$5,310,748

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,310,748

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Goldcrest Films International, World Film Services

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During 1962 and 1963, Sir Tom Courtenay in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), and Albert Finney in Tom Jones (1963), were stars in two of Director Tony Richardson's most celebrated movies, and each movie ignited their fames.

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Goofs

After Sir and Norman leave the marketplace, they're passed by a Routemaster bus. These buses were first used in London in 1954, and weren't used outside London until the 1970's.

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Quotes

Sir: [a bombing raid is taking place outside just as the play is about to begin] Get the curtain up this instant! No squadron of fascist Bolsheviks will stop me now!

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Michael Douglas/Deniece Williams (1984)

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Soundtracks

(We're Going To Hang Out) The Washing the Siegfried Line
(uncredited)
Music by Michael Carr
Lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy
Sung by Tom Courtenay (as Norman)

User Reviews

Finney masterpiece is a forgotten gem

This is a movie that deserves another look--if you haven't seen it for a while, or a first look--if you were too young when it came out (1983). Based on a play by the same name, it is the story of an older actor who heads a touring Shakespearean repertory company in England during World War II. It deals with his stress of trying to perform a Shakespeare each night while facing problems such as bombed theaters and a company made up of older or physically handicapped actors--the young, able bodied ones being taken for military service. It also deals with his relationship with various members of his company, especially with his dresser. So far it all sounds rather dull but nothing could be further from the truth. While tragic overall, the story is told with a lot of humor and emotions run high throughout. The two male leads both received Oscar nominations for best actor and deservedly so. I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys human drama, theater--especially Shakespeare, or who has ever worked backstage in any capacity. The backstage goings-on make up another facet of the movie that will be fascinating to most viewers.