Under Milk Wood (1972 film)
| Under Milk Wood (film) | |
|---|---|
|
Theatrical Release Poster | |
| Directed by | Andrew Sinclair |
| Produced by | John Comfort et al. |
| Written by | Dylan Thomas |
| Screenplay by | Andrew Sinclair |
| Based on |
Under Milk Wood, A Play for Voices by Dylan Thomas |
| Starring |
Richard Burton Elizabeth Taylor Peter O'Toole |
| Music by | Brian Gascoigne |
| Cinematography | Robert Huke |
| Edited by | Willy Kemplen, Greg Miller |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1972,UK), Altura Films International (1973,USA) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 87 min |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
Under Milk Wood is a 1972 British film directed by Andrew Sinclair and based on the 1954 radio play Under Milk Wood by the Welsh writer Dylan Thomas. It featured performances from many well-known actors as the residents of the fictional Welsh fishing village of Llareggub including Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Siân Phillips, David Jason, Glynis Johns, Victor Spinetti, Ruth Madoc, Angharad Rees, Ann Beach, Vivien Merchant and Peter O'Toole.[1]
Production
Under Milk Wood was Sinclair's first film and he was able to sign up Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to the project with the help of O'Toole, Sinclair's long-term friend. Burton and Taylor were paid £10,000 each.[2] Elizabeth Taylor was only available for three days of filming, which at her request took place in London. At £600, her three dresses took up half of the costume budget.[2]
It was the only film in which Burton, Taylor and O’Toole appeared together. It was shot primarily on location in Wales and has since acquired a reputation among aficionados as a cult movie.[3] "The film, beautifully photographed and spoken, casts the brooding spell of Thomas’ verse in its reconstruction of the seaside village and the daily round of its inhabitants", wrote Andrew Sinclair in the International Herald Tribune.[3]
The filming took place in Wales.[4]
Aftermath
The film was not a box office success and the main stars wrote it off as a tax loss.[2]
In December 2012 the director of the film, Andrew Sinclair, gave its rights to the people of Wales.[5] In 2014 the film was digitally remastered and re-released to celebrate the centenary of Thomas's birth.[2]
Cast
- Richard Burton as First Man
- Elizabeth Taylor as Rosie Probert
- Peter O'Toole as Captain Tom Cat
- Glynis Johns as Myfanwy Price
- Vivien Merchant as Mrs. Pugh
- Siân Phillips as Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard
- Victor Spinetti as Mog Edwards
- Ryan Davies as Second Man
- Angharad Rees as Gossamer Beynon
- Ray Smith as Mr. Waldo
- Michael Forrest as Sinbad Sailor
- Ann Beach as Polly Garter
- Glynn Edwards as Mr. Cherry Owen
- Bridget Turner as Mrs. Cherry Owen
- Talfryn Thomas as Mr. Pugh
- Tim Wylton as Mr. Willy Nilly
- Bronwen Williams as Mrs. Willy Nilly
- Meg Wynn Owen as Lily Smalls
- Hubert Rees as Butcher Beynon
- Aubrey Richards as Reverend Eli Jenkins
- Mark Jones as Evans the Death
- Dillwyn Owen as Mr. Ogmore
- Richard Davies as Mr. Pritchard
- David Jason as Nogood Boyo
- Davyd Harries as Police Constable Attila Rees
- David Davies as Utah Watkins
References
- ↑ Under Milk Wood on Internet Movie Database
- 1 2 3 4 Andrew Preston (19 April 2014) "'I'm not drinking on your film. And by not drinking, I mean just one bottle of vodka a day': How Richard Burton was persuaded to film Dylan Thomas classic", The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
- 1 2 Interview with director Andrew Sinclair on englishpen.org
- ↑ Wales hosts Hollywood blockbusters
- ↑ Trivia about the film on Internet Movie Database