In this lugubrious but brilliantly realized adaptation of henry james classic novella the turn of the screw, 19th century british governess miss giddens deborah kerr arrives at a bleak mansion. Written by william archibald and truman capote, with additional scenes and dialogue by john mortimer, based on henry jamess the turn of the screw and archibalds stage adaptation, the innocents. This one is produced by dan curtis as one of the many tv movie adaptations of classic horror literature that he turned out, and the screenplay was by scifi writer william f. Jack claytons film is one of the best in british cinema and deborah kerr considered this her best performance. Henry jamess novella the turn of the screw has inspired many screen adaptations, most notably jack claytons the innocents, which starred deborah kerr, and a live tv version with. Mild spoilers clips from the innocents 1961 starring deborah kerr, martin stephens, pamela franklin and megs jenkins. Deborah kerr obituary this article is more than 12 years old refined, elegant star of black narcissus, the king and i and from here to eternity who seldom, if ever, gave a weak performance. The turn of the screw and the innocents a moot point. In fact, the jack claytondirected 1961 horror classic, the innocents, starring deborah kerr, remains a definitive and terrifying adaptation.
Quint, although hanged for murder, still makes an appearance among the shadows of the manor house along with miss jessel, a previous. The 1961 film version of henry james the turn of the screw was entitled the innocents and stars deborah kerr. The turn of the screw tv movie 1999 the turn of the. With caroline pegg, jodhi may, colin firth, pam ferris. No 11 best horror film of all time film the guardian. With amy irving, david hemmings, balthazar getty, micole mercurio. The turn of the screw the works of henry james have generally proven difficult to dramatize witness the drearily flat recent film adaptations of his masterpieces the portrait of a lady and. Deborah jane kerrtrimmer cbe 30 september 1921 16 october 2007, known professionally as deborah kerr k r, was a scottish film, theatre and television actress.
While enjoying a peaceful morning near the lake, the governess deborah kerr notices a blackclad figure standing in the distance. This genuinely frightening, exquisitely made supernatural gothic stars deborah kerr as an emotionally fragile governess who comes to suspect that there is something very, very wrong with her precocious new charges. The innocents based on henry james the turn of the. Based on the story, the turn of the screw, by henry james, deborah kerr stars as a woman hired to look after two children at a vast estate. With a plethora of movies nowadays with ibetchadidntseethatcoming plots, sometimes, i just wanna think that the innocents is just a simple ghost story. Later on, in the television miniseries a woman of substance 1984 and its followup, the tv movie follow the dream 1986, deborah kerr played a former kitchen maidturnedbusinesswoman who didnt reach the top by being all chaste and poised along the way. In october 1898 it appeared in the two magics, a book published by macmillan in new york city and heinemann in london. Redgraves acting abilities were much more rewarding than this recent redo. If you want seriously creepy night time horror, watch the kerr version, the sighting of miss jessel appearing in the distant marsh is hair raising, and the children are downright disturbing. Michael redgrave, the patriarch of the well known redgrave acting clan, costarred. In this lugubrious but brilliantly realized adaptation of henry james classic novella the turn of the screw, 19th century british governess miss giddens deborah kerr arrives at a.
It follows miss giddens played in the film by deborah kerr. A governess is hired to look after two neglected children, who show signs of having been corrupted by the insidious influence of the groom peter quint. Classified as both gothic fiction and a ghost story, the novella focuses on a governess who, caring for two. Based on the 1898 novella the turn of the screw by the american novelist. The horror of the innocents, and the forgotten career of director. I suggest you watch lynn redgraves portrayal of the governess in the turn of the screw made in 2002. Certainly, it is one that need not impinge on the enjoyment of the innocents as one of the most cerebral and subtle of ghost stories. With that line, nervously delivered in response to a strange, unidentified noise from outside, she reopens a can of worms thats been actively squirming since 1898, when henry james the turn of the screw was first published. Nov 30, 2017 the innocents based on henry james the turn of the screw. Suspensethe innocents 1961, subtitulos en castellano. The turn of the screw is, of course, another version of the classic ghost story written by american author henry james. With deborah kerr, megs jenkins, michael redgrave, martin stephens, pamela franklin, peter wyngarde. The kerr film also does a better job of underscoring the isolation of the governess in her plight. Henry james the turn of the screw, an absorbing ghost story from 1898, has been made into great films before.
The way james wrote almost everything in an ambiguous way that forces the readers to. Adapted fairly freely from henry jamess the turn of the screw, via william. Ronald grant archive e arly on in his 1898 novella. A psychosexually intensified adaptation of henry jamess classic the turn of the screw, cowritten by truman capote and directed by jack clayton, the innocents is a triumph of. Based on henry james novel, the turn of the screw, the innocents is a thoroughly absorbing chiller that pot boils with almost unbearably knowing glee as to what its doing to the viewer.
Many films have also been made either called the turn of the screw or, in a brilliant adaptation, the innocence. The turn of the screw tv movie 1974 the turn of the. Nightmare classics the turn of the screw tv episode. Described by critic pauline keal as the best ghost movie ive ever seen, jack claytons adaptation of henrys jamess the turn of the screw is a virtuoso piece. Henry jamess the turn of the screw has inspired novels, an opera and several films including the innocents, which pauline kael called the best ghost movie shed ever seen. With deborah kerr, peter wyngarde, megs jenkins, michael redgrave. Shortly after coming to live with orphans flora and miles in their dark, eerie mansion, the new governess kerr mistakes their strange behavior for preciousness. Throughout the story, only the nanny sees the ghosts, and the reader is left wondering if shes mad or if the house is truly haunted. The innocents is a 1961 british psychological horror film directed and produced by jack clayton, and starring deborah kerr, michael redgrave, and megs jenkins.
Deborah kerr stars as miss giddens, the lady hired by michael redgrave to act as governess to his young niece and nephew. Clayton has to do it by trying to turn concrete, exact images into visions of. Deborah kerr portrayed miss giddens, a spinster governess, hired by an affluent bachelor. Based on the book the turn of the screw by henry james. This 2009 film takes a decidedly different approach and.
With lynn redgrave, megs jenkins, john barron, anthony langdon. The all time champion of ghost movies is the 1962 film the innocents, produced and directed by jack clayton, starring deborah kerr, and adapted by william archibald and truman capote from the turn of the screw by henry james. Deborah kerr stars in this horrifying gothic ghost tale newsweek based on henry james the turn of the screw, a powerful psychological drama about innocence possessed by evil. Eerie clips and other moments from the innocents 1961. There has been much debate about whether the subtleties of henry jamess story are dealt justice in the innocents, although this is very much an academic one. Deborah kerr plays miss giddens, a governess hired to look after.
Deborah jane kerr deborah kerr viertel, actor, born september 30 1921. A governess put in charge of two young children begins to see the ghost of her dead predecessor. Based on the novella the turn of the screw by henry james, this is one of the best. During her international film career, she won a golden globe award for her performance as anna leonowens in the musical film the king and i 1956.
An english governess is hired to take care of two adorable orphans, who. But after reading henry james the turn of the screw, im convinced that theres more to the story than ghosts or delusional protagonists. Though not as widely known as the haunting, poltergeist or even the bad seed and the omen, this combination haunted housecreepy kid flick is a film that is ripe for rediscovery with its much anticipated release on dvd. Deborah kerr plays miss giddens, a governess hired to look after little flora and miles by their uncle michael. The turn of the screw is an 1898 horror novella by henry james that first appeared in serial format in colliers weekly magazine january 27 april 16, 1898. While enjoying a peaceful morning near the lake, the governess deborah kerr notices a. Another great movie that was inspired by the turn of the screw though its not an. So, my username and the title and background image of this blog all pay homage to the fabulous 1961 adaptation of henry james novella the turn of the screw, starring deborah kerr the blonde holding the candelabra as miss giddens, the governess who becomes convinced that her young charges are possessed by ghosts. Deborah kerr in the innocents, based on the turn of the screw. In the innocence, sir michael redgrave is the owner of blye and the person who hires deborah kerr to be in complete charge of his niece and nephew. Sometimes one cant help imagining things, fragile british governess miss giddens tells one of her countrymanor wards early in 1961s the innocents.
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