Woman in a Dressing Gown is a 1957 British film directed by J. Lee Thompson. The film won four awards at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival including "Best Foreign Film". Yvonne Mitchell won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. The film also won the 1958 Golden Globe Award for Best English-Language Foreign Film.
The screenplay was written by Ted Willis and the cinematographer was Gilbert Taylor. The producer was Frank Godwin.
Video Woman in a Dressing Gown
Plot
The Prestons are an apparently happy household, made up of wife Amy (Yvonne Mitchell), husband Jim (Anthony Quayle) and teenage son Brian (Andrew Ray), living in a cramped flat on a London housing estate. Although the family appears happy, tensions soon become clear. Though she is a breezy, loving character, Amy has always been a disorganised housewife, and finds it difficult to concentrate enough to tidy or cook properly. Jim is having an affair with a co-worker, Georgie (Sylvia Syms), who threatens to break it off unless Jim divorces his wife and leaves his family. He promises that he will do so, and eventually demands a divorce from Amy. Amy is shocked and distraught, while Brian becomes angry with his father.
Amy calls from a telephone kiosk to invite Jim and Georgie back to the Prestons' flat, to try to convince Georgie not to take her husband away. In preparation, she gets her hair done, buys a bottle of whisky for her husband and tries to organise a meal, paying for it all by pawning her engagement ring. However, on leaving the hairdresser's she is caught in the rain, ruining the hairdo. At home, after discussing the matter with a neighbour, a young unhappy wife, who persuades Amy to have a glass from the spirits bottle to calm her down, Amy becomes drunk and falls asleep on the bed, again ruining her plans. After a confrontation she orders Jim and Georgie out of the flat. Jim leaves, but has second thoughts, returning to his wife and son, who cautiously accept him back.
Maps Woman in a Dressing Gown
Cast
- Yvonne Mitchell - Amy Preston
- Anthony Quayle - Jim Preston
- Sylvia Syms - Georgie Harlow
- Andrew Ray - Brian Preston
- Carole Lesley - Hilda
- Michael Ripper - Pawnbroker
- Nora Gordon - Mrs. Williams
- Marianne Stone - Hairdresser
- Olga Lindo - Manageress
- Harry Locke - Wine merchant
- Max Butterfield - Harold
- Roberta Woolley - Christine
- Melvyn Hayes - Newsboy
- Cordelia Mitchell - Hilda's baby
Reception
The film lost money at the box office but was well received by critics.
References
- Williams, Melanie, 'Remembering the poor soul walking in the rain: Audience Responses to a Thwarted Makeover in Woman in a Dressing Gown' in Journal of British Cinema and Television, 10 (2013), pp. 709-726.
- Williams, Melanie, 'Dawn of the Kitchen Sink', Sight and Sound, August 2012, p. 22.
- Williams, Melanie, 'Twilight women of 1950s British cinema' in : The British Cinema Book. British Film Institute, 2009.
- Williams, Melanie, 'Housewives' choice': Woman in a Dressing Gown' in British Cinema of the Fifties. MUP, 2003.
External links
- Woman in a Dressing Gown on IMDb
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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