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| image_size =
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| caption =
| caption =
| director = [[Roy Boulting]]<br>[[Arne Sucksdorff]]<br>Alfred Viola
| director = [[Roy Boulting]] (uncredited)<br>A Viola<br>'''Antarctica sequences'''<br>[[Arne Sucksdorff]]
| producer =
| producer = Henry Trettin
| based on = novel by Graham Billings
| based on = novel by Graham Billings
| writer = [[Anthony Shaffer (writer)|Anthony Shaffer]]
| writer = [[Anthony Shaffer (writer)|Anthony Shaffer]]
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| starring = [[John Hurt]]<br>[[Hayley Mills]]
| starring = [[John Hurt]]<br>[[Hayley Mills]]
| music = [[John Addison]]
| music = [[John Addison]]
| cinematography =
| cinematography = [[Edward Scaife]]
| editing =
| editing =
| studio = [[EMI Films]]<br>[[National Film Finance Corporation]]
| studio = [[EMI Films]]<br>PGL Productions
| distributor = [[British Lion Films]]
| distributor = [[British Lion Films]]
| released = 1971 (UK)<br>1981 (US)
| released = 1971 (UK)<br>1981 (US)
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| amg_id =
}}
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'''''Mr. Forbush and the Penguins''''' (also known as '''''Cry of the Penguins''''') is a 1971 [[United Kingdom|British]] film, directed by [[Arne Sucksdorff]], Alfred Viola and [[John and Roy Boulting|Roy Boulting]]. It stars [[John Hurt]], [[Hayley Mills]], [[Dudley Sutton]] and [[Tony Britton]].
'''''Mr. Forbush and the Penguins''''' (also known as '''''Cry of the Penguins''''') is a 1971 [[United Kingdom|British]] film, directed by [[Arne Sucksdorff]], Alfred Viola and [[John and Roy Boulting|Roy Boulting]]. It stars [[John Hurt]], [[Hayley Mills]], [[Dudley Sutton]] and [[Tony Britton]].<ref>MR. FORBUSH AND THE PENGUINS
Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 39, Iss. 456, (Jan 1, 1972): 11. </ref>


It was also known as '''Cry of the Penguins'''.
==Plot==
A brilliant biology student, Richard Forbush, is sent to study a penguin colony.
==Cast==
==Cast==
* [[John Hurt]] as Richard Forbush
* [[John Hurt]] as Richard Forbush
Line 46: Line 50:


==Production==
==Production==
===Development===
The film was based on a 1965 novel by Graham Billings, who had worked for the New Zealand Antarctic Division.<ref>Books of The Times: The Man Who Loved Penguins
The film was based on a 1965 novel by Graham Billings, who had worked for the New Zealand Antarctic Division.<ref>Books of The Times: The Man Who Loved Penguins
By ORVILLE PRESCOTT. New York Times 18 Mar 1966: 37.</ref>
By ORVILLE PRESCOTT. New York Times 18 Mar 1966: 37.</ref>


The film was a co-production between [[EMI Films]], the [[National Film Finance Corporation]] and [[British Lion Films]].
The film was a co-production between [[EMI Films]], PGL Productions and [[British Lion Films]]. It was part of the initial slate of movies greenlit by [[Bryan Forbes]] who had been appointed head of EMI.<ref>In the Picture
Sight and Sound; London Vol. 38, Iss. 4, (Fall 1969): 181. </ref>

Director Al Viola was had won awards for his commercials and this would be his feature film debut. The novel was adapted by Anthony Schaeffer, doing his first script.. Swedish filmmaker [[Arne Sucksdorff]] was hired to shoot footage in Antarctica.
===Shooting===
Filming started 4 November 1969 at Palmer Peninsular near the South Pole.<ref>Nichols Meets Jules Feiffer: Mike Nichols By A. H. WEILER. New York Times 26 Oct 1969: D17. </ref>


Making the film was a turbulent experience. Penguin footage shot by [[Arne Sucksdorff]] on location in [[Antarctica]] did not cut smoothly into scenes involving humans. [[Roy Boulting]] of British Lion replaced director Al Viola, and replaced [[Susan Fleetwood]], the original female lead, with his then-wife, [[Hayley Mills]]. [[John Hurt]] was angry at this and [[Bryan Forbes]] of EMI had to spend an entire evening persuading him not to quit.<ref>Bryan Forbes, ''A Divided Life'', Mandarin Paperbacks, 1993 p 221-222</ref>
Making the film was a turbulent experience. Penguin footage shot by [[Arne Sucksdorff]] on location in [[Antarctica]] did not cut smoothly into scenes involving humans. [[Roy Boulting]] of British Lion replaced director Al Viola, and replaced [[Susan Fleetwood]], the original female lead, with his then-wife, [[Hayley Mills]]. [[John Hurt]] was angry at this and [[Bryan Forbes]] of EMI had to spend an entire evening persuading him not to quit.<ref>Bryan Forbes, ''A Divided Life'', Mandarin Paperbacks, 1993 p 221-222</ref>

Schaeffer recalled it as "a fairly chaotic movie which had the young John Hurt capering about the Atlantic slinging rocks at Skuas with a Roman balista, in a vain attempt to protect penguins' eggs from their deprivations. I'm not sure that it all added up though my younger daughter assures me... it's her favourite film of mine." The writer added that the female lead "was replaced after the first rough assembly and it was the only film I know of in which a stage direction was delivered as spoken dialogue. It didn't matter. No one noticed - which should generally tell you something about the respect accorded the screen writer's craft."<ref>THE WICKER MAN AND OTHERS
Shaffer, Anthony. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 5, Iss. 8, (Aug 1, 1995): 28. </ref>
==Reception==
''The Guardian'' said the film "isn't as bad as we'd been led to believe."<ref>BOND IS FOREVER
Malcolm, Derek. The Guardian 30 Dec 1971: 8. </ref>


The film failed to recoup its considerable cost.<ref>Walker, Alexander, ''Hollywood England'', Harrap and Stein, 1974 p433-434</ref>
The film failed to recoup its considerable cost.<ref>Walker, Alexander, ''Hollywood England'', Harrap and Stein, 1974 p433-434</ref>
Line 63: Line 79:
*[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/19/movies/mr-forbush-studies-penguin-mating.html Review of film] at [[New York Times]]
*[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/19/movies/mr-forbush-studies-penguin-mating.html Review of film] at [[New York Times]]
*[http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/?p=18426 Review of film] at Film Fanatic
*[http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/?p=18426 Review of film] at Film Fanatic
*[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/graham-billing-2/forbush-and-the-penguins-2/Review of novel] at Kirkus
*[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/graham-billing-2/forbush-and-the-penguins-2/ Review of novel] at Kirkus


{{Anthony Shaffer}}
{{Anthony Shaffer}}

Revision as of 05:39, 6 May 2019

Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
Directed byRoy Boulting (uncredited)
A Viola
Antarctica sequences
Arne Sucksdorff
Written byAnthony Shaffer
Produced byHenry Trettin
StarringJohn Hurt
Hayley Mills
CinematographyEdward Scaife
Music byJohn Addison
Production
companies
EMI Films
PGL Productions
Distributed byBritish Lion Films
Release dates
1971 (UK)
1981 (US)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Mr. Forbush and the Penguins (also known as Cry of the Penguins) is a 1971 British film, directed by Arne Sucksdorff, Alfred Viola and Roy Boulting. It stars John Hurt, Hayley Mills, Dudley Sutton and Tony Britton.[1]

It was also known as Cry of the Penguins.

Plot

A brilliant biology student, Richard Forbush, is sent to study a penguin colony.

Cast

Production

Development

The film was based on a 1965 novel by Graham Billings, who had worked for the New Zealand Antarctic Division.[2]

The film was a co-production between EMI Films, PGL Productions and British Lion Films. It was part of the initial slate of movies greenlit by Bryan Forbes who had been appointed head of EMI.[3]

Director Al Viola was had won awards for his commercials and this would be his feature film debut. The novel was adapted by Anthony Schaeffer, doing his first script.. Swedish filmmaker Arne Sucksdorff was hired to shoot footage in Antarctica.

Shooting

Filming started 4 November 1969 at Palmer Peninsular near the South Pole.[4]

Making the film was a turbulent experience. Penguin footage shot by Arne Sucksdorff on location in Antarctica did not cut smoothly into scenes involving humans. Roy Boulting of British Lion replaced director Al Viola, and replaced Susan Fleetwood, the original female lead, with his then-wife, Hayley Mills. John Hurt was angry at this and Bryan Forbes of EMI had to spend an entire evening persuading him not to quit.[5]

Schaeffer recalled it as "a fairly chaotic movie which had the young John Hurt capering about the Atlantic slinging rocks at Skuas with a Roman balista, in a vain attempt to protect penguins' eggs from their deprivations. I'm not sure that it all added up though my younger daughter assures me... it's her favourite film of mine." The writer added that the female lead "was replaced after the first rough assembly and it was the only film I know of in which a stage direction was delivered as spoken dialogue. It didn't matter. No one noticed - which should generally tell you something about the respect accorded the screen writer's craft."[6]

Reception

The Guardian said the film "isn't as bad as we'd been led to believe."[7]

The film failed to recoup its considerable cost.[8]

References

  1. ^ MR. FORBUSH AND THE PENGUINS Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 39, Iss. 456, (Jan 1, 1972): 11.
  2. ^ Books of The Times: The Man Who Loved Penguins By ORVILLE PRESCOTT. New York Times 18 Mar 1966: 37.
  3. ^ In the Picture Sight and Sound; London Vol. 38, Iss. 4, (Fall 1969): 181.
  4. ^ Nichols Meets Jules Feiffer: Mike Nichols By A. H. WEILER. New York Times 26 Oct 1969: D17.
  5. ^ Bryan Forbes, A Divided Life, Mandarin Paperbacks, 1993 p 221-222
  6. ^ THE WICKER MAN AND OTHERS Shaffer, Anthony. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 5, Iss. 8, (Aug 1, 1995): 28.
  7. ^ BOND IS FOREVER Malcolm, Derek. The Guardian 30 Dec 1971: 8.
  8. ^ Walker, Alexander, Hollywood England, Harrap and Stein, 1974 p433-434

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