Connecting Rooms | |
---|---|
Directed by | Franklin Gollings |
Written by | Franklin Gollings |
Produced by | Franklin Gollings Harry Field |
Starring | Bette Davis Michael Redgrave Alexis Kanner Kay Walsh Olga Georges-Picot |
Cinematography | John Wilcox |
Edited by | Jack Slade |
Music by | John Shakespeare |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Connecting Rooms is a 1970 British drama film written and directed by Franklin Gollings. The screenplay is based on the play The Cellist by Marion Hart. [1] The film stars Bette Davis, Michael Redgrave, and Leo Genn. [2]
The plot explores the relationships shared by the residents of a seedy boarding house owned by dour Mrs. Brent. Among them are busker Wanda Fleming, who is flattered by the attention paid her by rebellious pop songwriter wannabe Mickey Hollister, and former schoolmaster James Wallraven, who has been accused of pedophilia and reduced to working as a janitor in an art gallery.[ citation needed ]
The Paramount Pictures release was filmed on location in Bayswater in 1969. It was given a limited release in the United States in 1970, then had some regional UK showings in 1971 but only appeared in London in 1972.
Scenes in which Wanda Fleming played the cello featured close-ups of the hands of British classical cellist Amaryllis Fleming. [3]
In a scene set in the West End theatre district, a theatre marquee lists Margo Channing as one of the cast of the play it is housing. Margo Channing was the name of the character Bette Davis portrayed in All About Eve .
In his review in Film Threat, Phil Hall describes the film as "a compelling and often heartbreaking drama" and adds "Redgrave, who was never the most subtle screen actor...manages to reign in his hammy tendencies and find the angst and isolation in the disgraced teacher's existence." Regarding Davis, Hall writes: "When her secret is revealed, Davis' character says absolutely nothing. Instead, her body freezes slightly while her eyes (yes, those Bette Davis eyes) give a look which is initially shameful, but then suddenly appear to present endless relief. In her silence and her ocular expression, Davis achieves a state of grace which is astonishing to behold."[ citation needed ]
Time Out London wrote "Riddled with act and scene pauses...it's a fairly classic condensation of several fetishistic concerns endemic to British cinema." [4]
TV Guide calls it a "dull, sappy melodrama." [5]
All About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does not receive a screen credit.
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Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic, sardonic characters and was known for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies, although her greatest successes were her roles in romantic dramas. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, was the first person to accrue ten Academy Award nominations for acting, and was the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. In 1999, Davis was placed second on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema.
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