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 (1949-05-24)
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 written by Anatole de Grunwald based on the 1947 play Now Barabbas 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]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "very good", writing: "Characters clearly drawn, emotions skilfully played upon." [3]

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 3/5 stars, writing: " 'Elsie's Dad is inside again' reads the chalk message on a prison wall, one of several humorous touches in an otherwise sombre story of prison life. The assorted inmates include a bigamist, an embezzler, an Irish terrorist (strikingly portrayed by Richard Burton in his second screen role) and a well-mannered murderer about to be executed (a likeable performance by Richard Greene). Ably directed by Gordon Parry, this film version of William Douglas Home's play argues against the death penalty, but had the development of a homosexual relationship cut by the censor." [4]

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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.
  3. ↑ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 235. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.
  4. ↑ Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 672. ISBN   9780992936440.
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