Murder in the Cathedral (film)
| Murder in the Cathedral | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Hoellering |
| Produced by | George Hoellering |
| Screenplay by | George Hoellering |
| Based on | Murder in the Cathedral by T. S. Eliot |
| Starring | John Groser |
| Music by | László Lajtha |
| Cinematography | David Kosky |
| Edited by | Anne Allnatt |
Production company |
Film Traders Limited |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 140 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Murder in the Cathedral is a 1951 British drama film directed by George Hoellering and starring John Groser. It tells the story of archbishop Thomas Becket and his temptations before he was murdered in the Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. The film is based on T. S. Eliot's verse drama with the same title. Eliot himself participates as the voice of the fourth tempter.
The film competed at the 12th Venice International Film Festival and received the award for best production design, given to Peter Pendrey.[1] It was released in the United Kingdom in 1952.[2]
Cast
- John Groser as Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury
- Alexander Gauge as King Henry II
- David Ward as First Tempter
- George Woodbridge as Second Tempter
- Basil Burton as Third Tempter
- T. S. Eliot as Voice of Fourth Tempter
- Donald Bisset as First Priest
- Clement McCallin as First Knight
- Michael Aldridge as Second Knight
- Leo McKern as Third Knight
- Paul Rogers as Fourth Knight
- Alban Blakelock as Bishop Foliot
- Niall MacGinnis as Herald
Reception
Bosley Crowther wrote in The New York Times: "Whatever literary merits T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral may have and whatever strange dramatic virtues it may possess in performance on a stage, it is obvious that this stylized verse drama is not felicitous material for the screen. ... There are flashes of stark pictorial beauty in some of the somber scenes of prelates and noblemen and worshippers gathered in the Archbishop's Hall of Canterbury Cathedral, where the entire action of the play takes place. And some nods toward cinema dynamics are more or less effectively made in not too imaginative cutting for dramatic emphasis and flow. But, for the most part, Mr. Eliot's cold recounting of Becket's defiance of the King and his murder by helmeted assassins for insisting upon the Church's authority is conveyed in lengthy orations by individuals and choral groups, photographed in static poses and solemnly massed attitudes." Crowther continued: "Fortunately, the spoken words have richness as they flow off the cultivated tongues of handsomely costumed performers who, at least, look their medieval roles. Father John Groser, an English cleric, is grandly dignified and benign as the conscientious Archbishop who coolly calculates his martyrdom and Alexander Gauge is forceful as King Henry in a scene especially written for the film."[3]
References
- ↑ Lancia, Enrico (1998). I premi del cinema (in Italian). Gremese Editore. p. 304. ISBN 9788877422217.
- ↑ "Murder in the Cathedral (1952)". Explore Film & TV. British Film Institute. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
- ↑ Crowther, Bosley (1952-03-26). "The Screen in Review; Eliot's 'Murder in the Cathedral,' British-Made Film, Shown at Trans-Lux 60th St.". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-09-26.