The essential 1963 adaptation of harold pinters the caretaker, starring donald. Harold pinter s first major success as a dramatist. The caretaker is a play in three acts by harold pinter. Astons brother, mick alan bates a taunting, quasisadist harasses the. It was entered into the th berlin international film festival where it won the silver bear extraordinary jury prize. As michael billington remarked in his book the life and work of harold pinter, power is the theme. Numerous critics have said that much of the action of the caretaker by harold pinter is dominated by the characters struggle for power over one another. Aug 22, 2006 excerpt from the clive donner 1963 film of pinter s play. Director david jones adapted harold pinters play of the same name with the help of pinter himself to better fit this chronologically reversed drama.
Coming only a few years after pinters original 1960 play, and using two of the original trio from its stage cast, clive donners adaptation of the caretaker 1963 is the purest example of whats called pinteresque. The story follows two brothers, aston robert shaw and mick, who live in a semiderelict house in east london. Excerpt from the clive donner 1963 film of pinter s play. Nov, 2017 the caretaker by harold pinter starring alan bates, donald pleasence and robert shaw. A nobel prize winner, pinter was one of the most influential modern british dramatists with a writing career that spanned more than 50 years. Harold pinter biography, movie highlights and photos allmovie. Hyman known as jack was a tailor specializing in womens clothing and frances was a homemaker. He was one of the most influential and imitated of modern british dramatists. In cinematic terms, it perhaps lacks interest, but it preserves for ever the wonderful performance of donald pleasance as davies, the tramp entering astons and micks lives. The caretaker also known as the guest is a 1963 british drama film directed by clive donner and based on the harold pinter play of the same name. He befriends and takes in mac davies donald pleasence, an old derelict who has been fired from a menial job in a cafe. The caretaker takes place in a house in west london during the 1950s and examines the strange relationship between a tramp, davies, and two damaged and disconnected brothers, mick and aston.
During rehearsals for the caretaker, ive sometimes felt that harold pinter was trying his hardest to disprove john donnes line that no man is. The caretaker, threeact play by harold pinter, published and first produced in 1960. The collection, harold pinter, 1976, with malcolm mcdowellalan bateshelen mirrenlaurence olivier duration. While renovating his home in london, aston, out of pity, allows an old homeless. Lee evans to step out of retirement for homage to harold pinter. The caretaker act i summary and analysis gradesaver. The caretaker is a classic tragicomedy play by harold pinter. Sep 06, 2017 during rehearsals for the caretaker, ive sometimes felt that harold pinter was trying his hardest to disprove john donnes line that no man is an island.
Mar 29, 2017 the collection, harold pinter, 1976, with malcolm mcdowellalan bateshelen mirrenlaurence olivier duration. The caretaker is a 1963 british drama film directed by clive donner and based on the harold pinter play of the same name. Pleasence was nominated for the 1962 tony award new york city for actor in a drama for the caretaker and recreated his role in this movie. The guest is a filmed adaptation of the harold pinter play of the same name. The action of the play occurs in the flat of aston and mick, two brothers. Pinters screenplay is an almost direct transfer of his stage play carrying the same name. His davies is full of echoes of remembered gentility as he neatly folds his trousers over a chair. The caretaker 2016 cast and crew when the aging, sickly birdie sondra blake scares off her last caretaker, her granddaughter mallorie meegan warner. The caretaker study guide contains a biography of harold pinter, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
Donald pleasence plays a laconic tramp, who is invited to stay in the home of robert shaw, on the implied promise that. Harold pinter will be in conversation with michael billington at the barbican, london ec2, on wednesday following a screening of the caretaker. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers and a tramp, became pinter s first significant commercial success. This starts right from the beginning of the playdavies is rescued from the potentially dangerous. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. After the nearuniversal bewilderment that greeted harold pinter s first play, the birthday party, in 1958. With alan bates, donald pleasence, robert shaw, harold pinter. After pinters radio play a slight ache first produced 1959 was adapted for the stage 1961, his reputation was secured by his second fulllength play, the caretaker first produced 1960. The basic interest of this paper is to shed light on the theme of loneliness as reflected in pinters the caretaker. The caretaker by harold pinter starring alan bates, donald pleasence and robert shaw. Harold pinters contribution to cinema film the guardian.
The caretaker tv movie 1981 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Harold pinters work is represented by judy daish associates limited and applications for all performances and uses of harold pinters work including amateur and professional stage performances, radio broadcasts, television transmissions and readings and use of extracts need to be addressed to them in the first instance and in advance of finalizing your plans. The play opens as aston saves davies from a fight and brings him home to give him a place to stay. It brings jonathan pryce back to the liverpool stage where he learned his craft, celebrates the pinter play. Oct 07, 2009 harold pinter the caretaker 3 5 stars 3 out of 5 stars. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. His bestknown plays include the birthday party 1957, the homecoming 1964, and betrayal. The screenplay is by nobel prizewinning playwright, harold pinter. Oct 23, 2019 after viewing both the colin farrell movie and the pinter play, it is easy to see the connections. Filmed during the freezing winter of 1963, clive donners the caretaker is a faithful translation of pinter s groundbreaking stage play. They are symbolic of the right path, action and destination, which all the three are utterly lacking.
Filmed during the freezing winter of 1963, clive donners the caretaker is a faithful translation of pinters groundbreaking stage play. Harold pinter, both in his original play and in the screenplay which with the. Mar 20, 2016 dennis, mark and andrew rodbert recorded this audio only version of harold pinter s classic play in 2004. Harold pinters plays are considered comedies of menace, intrusion, and violence. While renovating his house in london, aston, out of pity, lodges a homeless man, but astons brother taunts and harasses the cranky old bum. The play the caretaker is a psychological chamber drama studying the dynamics of. When aging, sickly birdie scares off her last caretaker, granddaughter mallorie must move into her large victorian home to take care of her. Harold pinters the caretaker the job offer youtube. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers and a tramp, became pinters first significant commercial success. Pinters writing career spanned over 50 years and produced 29 original. Davies donald pleasance as a caretaker after his invalid brother aston robert shaw invites. Dennis, mark and andrew rodbert recorded this audio only version of harold pinters classic play in 2004.
Dennis, mark and andrew rodbert recorded this audio only version of harold pinter s classic play in 2004. Shaws offinthecoop brother alan bates is delighted to have pleasence play with. This film is an adaptation of the harold pinter play and focuses mainly on dialouge as the whole film basically takes place in one room. Dec 24, 2008 in 1974, harold pinter ventured into film directing with butley, an over the top comedy by peter gray thats as far removed from the usual pinter style as a marx brothers film. Excerpt from the clive donner 1963 film of pinters play. Harold pinters the caretaker available on bluray 15 april bfi. With kenneth cranham, warren mitchell, jonathan pryce. Aug 19, 2018 the caretaker by harold pinter the caretaker is a play in three acts by harold pinter. The theme of loneliness in harold pinter s the caretaker. Aston robert shaw, a quiet, reserved man, lives alone in a topfloor cluttered room of a small abandoned house in a poor london district. Pinter s screenplay is an almost direct transfer of his stage play carrying the same name. Modern man has three faces mike, aston and davies in the caretaker by harold pinter.
Donald pleasence plays a laconic tramp, who is invited to stay in the home of robert shaw, on the implied promise that he, pleasence, will be hired as caretaker. The remarkable performances are by donald pleasence, robert shaw and alan bates. Jul 02, 2018 where to begin with harold pinter on screen movies inspire a lot of passion, but the back catalogue of film history can be daunting. For every fan whos obsessed with an actor, director or subgenre, theres another struggling to know where to start. The caretaker 2016 cast and crew when the aging, sickly birdie sondra blake scares off her last caretaker, her granddaughter mallorie meegan warner must move into birdies large victorian. In the play the caretaker by harold pinter, violence is very closely tied in with power. Donald pleasence plays a laconic tramp, who is invited to stay in the home. Davies seems grateful, but it is soon clear that he is a perpetual liar and a.
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