The innocents is a 1961 british psychological horror film directed and produced by jack clayton, and starring deborah kerr, michael redgrave, and megs jenkins. As an unhappily married woman having a torrid affair with an army officer shortly before the japanese attack on pearl harbor, deborah kerr is equally powerful in one of her bestremembered movies, from here to eternity 1953, stealing the romantic melodrama from her male costars. The innocentsdeborah kerr in the innocents 1961, directed by jack. With deborah kerr, peter wyngarde, megs jenkins, michael redgrave. 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. The innocents 1961 deborah kerr, horror movie posters. Deborah kerr plays miss giddens, a governess hired to look after little flora and miles by their uncle michael. The innocents stars claire bloom the new york times. It is her first position, but the wealthy bachelor. This film, starring deborah kerr, is based on the henry james novella the turn of the screw. Blogs remembering deborah kerr and the innocents amc. The following is a chapter on the innocents from cinematographer freddie franciss memoir, the straight story from moby dick to glory.
Cast deborah kerr as miss giddens, michael redgrave as the uncle, peter wyngarde as peter quint, megs jenkins as mrs. The innocents, british horror film, released in 1961, that is widely considered one of the best ghost stories ever filmed and the finest screen adaptation of henry jamess novella the turn of the screw 1898. This film has extreme depth in character and story textures. Check out the official the innocents 1961 trailer starring deborah kerr. Anchored by a mesmerising central performance from deborah kerr, the innocents is a chilling masterpiece of british horror cinema. The innocents is a 1961 british psychological horror film directed and produced in cinemascope by jack clayton, and starring deborah kerr, michael redgrave and megs jenkins. Closely based on henry james novel the turn of the screw, the film skilfully draws its spectator into a dreamlike gothic fantasy world and then proceeds.
The innocents is too elegant and subtle to be labelled simply a horror film, but too genuinely marrowchilling to fit any other pigeonhole, with. Deborah kerrs performance is absolutely fascinating. Based on the 1898 novella the turn of the screw by the american novelist henry james, the screenplay was adapted by william archibald and truman capote, who used archibalds own stage play also titled the innocents as a primary source text. The movies is based on the novella the turn of the screw by henry james. The obvious influence for 2001s the others, the innocents portrays themes of paranoia, death and madness. Deborah kerr, peter wyngarde, megs jenkins directed by jack clayton.
And heres where the innocents does something that absolutely should not work at all, but proves to be one of the smartest tricks the film ever plays. The innocents deborah kerr 1961 twentieth century fox martin stephens in the innocents 1961 deborah kerr in. The passing today of deborah kerr, one of the classiest and most talented movie stars of the 40s, 50s, and 60s, may not seem like news to a horror blog, but it is when you consider that she starred in one of screendoms alltime finest ghost stories, jack claytons the innocents based on the classic henry james novel the turn of the screw adapted countless times for film, stage and tv. Film poster for the innocents attempting to mislead the paying customer. Cowritten by truman capote, the film is chilling and claustrophobic as it explores the power of imagination, fear, and what might be lurking behind an innocent smile. Karine, pascal bonitzer, anne fontaine and alice vial, after an original idea by philippe maynial. 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. Youre powerless to stop it and it feels terribly invasive. Haunted house, gothic horror, psychological horror, mystery. A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted. It is adapted from henry jamess novella the turn of the screw miss giddens kerr, a young governess in her first position, is sent to look after two children at a country manor called bly. She was an actress, deborah kerrs husband of 47 years, the writer peter viertel, noted in affairs to remember. The best and most frightening vignette in the innocents occurs when the governess.
Maynial took inspiration from the experiences of his aunt. Based on henry jamess 1898 novella the turn of the screw, the innocents is a piercing psychological thriller that follows a governess deborah kerr as she begins to suspect the children in her care are possessed. In the first scene, miss giddens deborah kerr is applying for a job as a governess. Deborah kerr portrayed miss giddens, a spinster governess, hired by an affluent bachelor. Deborah kerr, megs jenkins, pamela franklin, martin stephens. This film didnt get much credit when it was released but many critics have come to realize that its a brilliant spooky film and deborah kerr gives the performance of her career. The story revolves around an uncle who doesnt have time for the children he has inherited, and therefore hires miss giddens deborah kerr to look after them. Dvd includes a commentary, filmed introduction, a short story, original u. The innocents by jack clayton deborah kerr, megs jenkins. Throughout the film, clayton demonstrates an encyclopaedic understanding of the nature of supernaturallycharged fear.
The last picture i worked on as a cinematographer in my first phase with the exception of another in 1964 and my return to the craft in the 1980s was jack claytons now cult classic the. The horror of the innocents, and the forgotten career of. The innocents is a 1961 british horror film directed by jack clayton and starring deborah kerr. An affair to remember, the life and death of colonel blimp, black narcissus, from here to eternity, tea and sympathy, heaven knows, mr. The 1961 film version of henry james the turn of the screw was entitled the innocents and stars deborah kerr. The film begins by showing a pair of clasped hands, and a womans voice is heard, whispering that all she ever wanted was to help the children, not hurt them, and that more than anything, she loves children. In horror movies women are often a sobbing mess for much of the film, but deborah kerr soldiers through the scares, cleareyed, until the end when her tears are truly earned. The sound in the film is quite remarkable and is certainly the reason why the film remains so extremely creepy from the rush of pigeon wings, insects, whisperings and creaking floorboards topped off with the tinny strains from a ghostly music box. Biography death announced photo gallery deborah kerr video on demand.
Creepily atmospheric, the innocents is a stylishly crafted, chilling british ghost tale with deborah kerr at her finest. Deborah kerr stars in this chilling drama, regarded as one of the best psychological thrillers ever made. In cinemas from december deborah kerr stars in this chilling drama. It is now a quarter of a century since the english. The innocents, british horror film, released in 1961, that is widely.
Sometimes one cant help imagining things, fragile british governess miss giddens tells one of her countrymanor wards early in 1961s the innocents. Deborah had one film to do for twentieth century fox, and so did i. The naive young woman, who has a lived a solidly middle class existence as a vicars daughter, marvels at the stately home and spacious grounds. Allison, separate tables, the innocents, the sundowners. Deborah jane kerrtrimmer cbe, known professionally as deborah kerr, was a scottish film, theatre and television actress. While enjoying a peaceful morning near the lake, the governess deborah kerr notices a. Fred zinnemanns academy awardwinning blockbuster marked one of the rare times when kerrs physique played a. 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 story is set in england in the late 1800s and the plot centers on a young woman kerr who is hired to be governess to two schoolage children at an isolated country estate. A young governess for two children becomes convinced that. Based on henry jamess novella the turn of the screw, the film wisely leaves in doubt how much what occurs may be supernatural, and how much may be. Miss giddens deborah kerr, the new governess for two orphaned children in victorian england, arrives at their idyllic country estate in the beginning of the psychological horror film, the innocents 1961. Deborah kerr stars as miss giddens, the lady hired by michael redgrave to act as governess to his young niece and nephew. In the biography deborah kerr by eric braun, director jack clayton recalled how the innocents and the casting of deborah kerr as miss giddens came about.
No 11 best horror film of all time film the guardian. Watching jack claytons psychological suspense film, the innocents, is a bit like peering over someones shoulder as they descend irrevocably into madness. Critics had raved about the brilliant of this new interpretation of the henry james masterpiece of horror, turning of the screw, about the superb acting of deborah kerr. 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. Here miss giddens, a governess to two orphans living in a haunted. Rent the innocents 1961 starring deborah kerr and peter wyngarde on dvd and bluray. 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. 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. Deborah kerr gives an outstanding performance as the governess to two very unusual children the other child being played by martin stephens a rare performer would later appear in the witches of 1966 these must have been two of the most demanding film roles for yesterdays traditional child stars in particular, stephens dramatic and. A fter winning international acclaim for his groundbreaking social realist drama room at the top, british director jack clayton went on to make what many consider to be one of the greatest supernatural thrillers of them all, the innocents. Jack clayton starring deborah kerr, michael redgrave, megs jenkins, martin stevens, pamela franklin, peter wyngarde. Film poster gallery buy bluray film poster gallery other galleries.
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