Now Barabbas

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Now Barabbas
Now Barabbas.jpg
Directed by Gordon Parry
Written by William Douglas Home (play)
Anatole de Grunwald
Produced byTeddy Baird
Anatole de Grunwald
Starring Richard Greene
Cedric Hardwicke
Richard Burton
Beatrice Campbell
Cinematography Otto Heller
Edited byGerald Turney-Smith
Music by Leighton Lucas
George Melachrino
Production
company
Warner Brothers-First National Productions
Distributed by Warner Brothers
Release date
24 May 1949
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
Language English

Now Barabbas, also known as Now Barabbas Was a Robber, is a 1949 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Richard Greene, Cedric Hardwicke and Kathleen Harrison. [1] It was based on a 1947 play of the same title by William Douglas Home. The film features one of the earliest screen performances by Richard Burton and was an early role for Kenneth More.

Contents

The title refers to Barabbas, a Biblical character who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released.

Plot

A set of self-contained stories about a group of men in jail.

Cast

Production

The film was shot at Teddington Studios.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The characters are finely drawn with true insight into character. The portrayal of the prison chaplain is worth seeing as an example of how necessary tact is and how delicate the problem of religion in times of stress. The warders' flashes of kindness under gruff exteriors make good propaganda for prison officials. All parts are well played and the direction is more than excellent. There is no "sob-stuff", but there is plenty of pathos tinged with real fun. Kathleen Harrison and Leslie Dwyer provide the comic relief and their awful small boy is a gem. The photography is good and the story well knit together. It is essentially an interesting film whether from a social or entertainment point of view." [2]

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Now Barabbas is a play by the British writer William Douglas Home. Its original West End run at the Vaudeville Theatre lasted for 130 performances from 7 March to 28 June 1947. It concerns a variety of inmates at a British prison, including new arrivals, old hands and a convicted murderer sentenced to hang. The original cast included Jill Bennett. The title refers to Barabbas the robber of biblical tradition.

References

  1. "Now Barabbas". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  2. "Now Barabbas". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 16 (181): 98. 1 January 1949 via ProQuest.