Scandal (1989)

Based on the Profumo Scandal of 1963, an affair between an exotic dancer and the Minister of War shakes up the British government.

Director:

Michael Caton-Jones

Writer:

Michael Thomas

Stars:

John Hurt, Joanne Whalley, Bridget Fonda

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Hurt	...	Stephen Ward
Joanne Whalley	...	Christine Keeler (as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer)
Bridget Fonda	...	Mandy Rice-Davies
Ian McKellen	...	John Profumo
Leslie Phillips	...	Lord Astor (Bill)
Britt Ekland	...	Mariella Novotny
Daniel Massey	...	Mervyn Griffith-Jones
Roland Gift	...	Johnnie Edgecombe
Jean Alexander	...	Mrs. Keeler
Alex Norton	...	Detective Inspector
Ronald Fraser	...	Justice Marshall
Paul Brooke	...	John, Detective Sgt.
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Eugene Ivanov (as Jeroen Krabbe)
Keith Allen	...	Kevin, Reporter Sunday Pictorial
Ralph Brown	...	Paul Mann

Storyline

An English bon-vivant osteopath is enchanted with a young exotic dancer and invites her to live with him. He serves as friend and mentor, and through his contacts and parties she and her friend meet and date members of the Conservative Party. Eventually a scandal occurs when her affair with the Minister of War goes public, threatening their lifestyles and their freedom. Based on the real Profumo scandal of 1963.

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Plot Keywords:

profumo scandal | osteopath | female frontal nudity | breasts | social climber | 

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Taglines:

It Would Be A Scandal To Miss It

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for language

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Skandalen

Filming Locations:

UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$8,800,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Screen Productions, Palace Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie narrowly escaped an X rating in the U.S. because of some questionable footage during the Cliveden House orgy. Closer scrutiny revealed that two extras were having real sex on a piano in one of the background scenes. Even though they were blurry, the scene had to be trimmed for all general releases to avoid the restrictive rating, which BBFC censor James Ferman accomplished by defusing the light from a table-lamp in the foreground. The inquisitive-minded will find this sequence about forty-nine minutes and five seconds into the movie.

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Goofs

Near the end of the film, when Mandy Rice-Davies is surrounded by the press, one photographer, using a twin-lens reflex camera, has his finger on the lower (taking) lens at the moment of exposure. No professional photographer would make this mistake.

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Quotes

Kevin, Reporter Sunday Pictorial: You got your rainboots on?
Editor of Pictorial: Why?
Kevin, Reporter Sunday Pictorial: Because this shit's deep. That story? Gunshots at home of that society doctor, got a picture of the girl? It's going to make some people very very nervous.
Editor of Pictorial: Yeah?
Kevin, Reporter Sunday Pictorial: And listen, that's not the half of it. If what this tart has just told me is true, then we are sitting on dynamite. Look, we can't run with it until we get more evidence, but it's John Profumo. The bloody War Minister's involved!
Editor of Pictorial: Yeah? Alright, great!
Kevin, Reporter Sunday Pictorial: Yeah, I thought you'd like that.

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Alternate Versions

Upon its original UK release, the chief censor at the BBFC claimed to be able to see a couple in the background of an orgy scene who were actually having sex on top of a piano. Although the footage was not clear enough to confirm this, the scene had to be optically blurred to cover up the offending genitalia!

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: The Freshman/The Jungle Book/Navy SEALs/The Unbelievable Truth/How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired (1990)

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Soundtracks

Waltz in Mean Time
(uncredited)
Music by David Lee
KPM Music Ltd

User Reviews

Excellent representation of the times and facts.

I've read the book that the movie is based on (a collection of reports on the 1963 affair that shook the UK politics). I must say that the movie is very accurate in its portrayal of the times and facts of the case.

That of course would not have made it the film to watch. So it has a lot of nudity to spice things up (man, the sixties were a decadent time!), good acting, and brilliant soundtrack of theme songs just recreates the times for you. John Hurt as the ambitious 'doctor' is excellent, as is Bridget Fonda. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, who played the protagonist, Christine Keeler, is quite forgettable though.

I highly recommend this movie, but beware it's a STRONG "R" film.