Rachel Roberts

  • Lindsay Anderson – O Lucky Man! (1973)

    Lindsay Anderson1971-1980ComedyUnited Kingdom

    One man’s dreams of success take him on a Byzantine journey through the various stations of the British class system in this politically charged black comedy from director Lindsay Anderson. Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell) is an ambitious young man who is looking to get his foot on the first rung of the ladder of success by landing a job as a salesman. After the death of Imperial Coffee’s leading drummer in the North, Travis’ charm and enthusiasm so impresses manager Mr. Duff (Arthur Lowe) that he’s given the job, and after some coaching from Gloria Rowe (Rachel Roberts), Travis sets out to find his fortune in the coffee trade.Read More »

  • Peter Weir – Picnic at Hanging Rock [Director’s Cut] (1975)

    1971-1980AustraliaDramaMysteryPeter Weir

    Quote:
    Desire as persistent and intense as the sunshine on a bright summer day is what teases out madness in Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock. The objects, or goals, of these desires are disparate, though they all spiral out following the 1900 disappearance of three young women and a teacher from the Appleyard School during a trip to the small titular ridge on St. Valentine’s Day. The vanishing of these women is central to the plot, but Weir’s film is never as fascinated with the reasons for this absence as it is with the characters left in its inexplicable wake. Cliff Green’s script, adapted from Joan Lindsay’s novel of the same name, never goes about teasing what could have happened to these women at Hanging Rock, instead focusing on the wild cupidity that erupts in the surrounding community in reaction to the mystery.Read More »

  • Lindsay Anderson – This Sporting Life (1963)

    Drama1961-1970ClassicsLindsay AndersonUnited Kingdom

    Synopsis:
    In Northern England in the early 1960s, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver. Machin lodges with Mrs Hammond, whose husband was killed in an accident at Weaver’s, but his impulsive and angry nature stop him from being able to reach her as he would like. He becomes increasingly frustrated with his situation, and this is not helped by the more straightforward enticements of Mrs Weaver.Read More »

  • Karel Reisz – Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)

    1951-1960DramaKarel ReiszUnited Kingdom

    Synopsis
    The sights and sounds of industrial Nottingham resonate with a grimy thud as Arthur Seaton works his tedious factory job. Through ale, women and practical jokes, he vents his frustrations against the “establishments” of work and marriage… until his reckless ways lead him to a night that changes his life. Forced to reevaluate his convictions, Arthur must decide exactly what he stands for.Read More »

  • Charles Frend – Girl on Approval (1961)

    Drama1961-1970Charles FrendUnited Kingdom


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    Sheila’s 14. Her father abandoned her as a baby, her mum’s in jail and she’s stuck in a
    children’s home. Every family that’s tried to look after her has found her too difficult. Now
    Anne and John Howland want to foster Sheila. But if they can’t make a home for her, her
    future looks bleak…

    Starring Oscar Nominated actress Rachel Roberts (This Sporting Life, O Lucky Man!) as
    Anne and sensitively directed by Charles Frend (The Cruel Sea, Scott of the Antarctic) Girl
    on Approval is a major example of the British New Wave, a brilliant study of troubled lives.Read More »

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