It was first produced in london at the new arts theatre on 6 may 1964 and transferred to. A grade iilisted building, the 1856 house was in a sad state of disrepair when it was put on the market by owners southwark council for. Sloane comments that the skyline is perfect as kemp tells him that he applied for one of the flats just outside the cemetery. Entertaining mr sloane is my favourite play of his, and the film version starring beryl reid, harry andrews and peter mcenery captures its anarchic irreverence perfectly. Themes of murder, nymphomania and sadism bubble just below the surface of this scandalous black comedy penned by joe orton whose works have shocked, outraged and amused audiences since the early 1960s.
Perhaps the best moment of the film is the one in which his name on the opening credits is superimposed over a grave. It was first produced in london at the new arts theatre on 6 may 1964 and transferred to the west ends wyndhams theatre on 29 june 1964. The film of entertaining mr sloane gets the style and tone right but the rhythms are sometimes a little off. Sloane david esbjornsons buoyant staging of entertaining mr. This is my favorite british film comedy of the 70s, based on the stage play by joe orton, a queer enfant terrible who was so ahead of his time that the. Beryl reid, harry andrews, peter mcenery, alan webb. Mathew horne, of gavin and stacey fame, is the star draw in this latest revival of joe ortons debut play. The playwrights perverse spin on parlor comedy might not. This bluray disc is the way to see entertaining mr sloane though crisply rendered and as dark and pithily funny as ever. This is my favorite british film comedy of the 70s, based on the stage play by joe orton, a queer enfant terrible who was so ahead of his time that the beatles commissioned a screenplay from himbut when he cast them as crossdressing terrorists, they returned it to him without comment.
Beryl reid, harry andrews, peter mcenery, alan webb locations. Joe ortons dark comedy made his career in its 1964 uk stage premiere. Compare it to your reading of the stage version and discuss the ways in which the film version either succeeds or. With beryl reid, harry andrews, peter mcenery, alan webb. Clive exton based on the play by joe orton starring.
Compare it to your reading of the stage version and discuss the ways in which the film version either succeeds or fails to represent your experience of the play. Entertaining mr sloane not rated 1h 34min comedy, mystery 1970 uk sloane, a handsome, sexy and completely amoral young man, joins kaths household as a lodger and proceeds to manipulate her and her brother, ed. This was the second adaptation of the play, the first having been developed for british television and broadcast by itv on 15 july 1968. The lodge where kath entertains mr sloane peter mcenery stands at the entrance to the cemetery on on forest hill road, opposite marmora road, se22. One of ortons more unusual talents was the ability to sustain such plots all the way to a tight conclusion, and entertaining mr sloane is a splendid example of that. But although horne, in the spirit of ortons dialogue, keeps his end up, the big surprise. Package deal image via film and filming entertaining mr. The cast works brilliantly dumping out ortons acid laced platitudes in a. I do so wish, though, that studiocanal hadnt spoiled the ship for a haporth of tar. Published fifty years after the premiere of entertaining mr sloane in 1964, and with a new introduction, this anniversary edition offers an opportunity to reappraise joe ortons reputation, and the status of his first major play, from a twentyfirst century perspective. Discuss how these relationships are reflected in the characters, plot, humor, and tone of entertaining mr. Perhaps the best moment of the film is the one in which his name on the opening credits is superimposed over a gravestone, as this film does indeed conspire to bury him. Apr 08, 20 that said, entertaining mr sloane still manages to cause moments of genuine discomfort and extonas adaptation of ortonas script keeps a good deal of the refined, verbose dialogue that provides such a frothy counterpoint to the grimness on screen.
Sloane is the sexually opportunistic, lowermiddleclass young man who comes to the home of kath and her father as a lodger, accidentally kills kemp at the end of act ii, and ends up as an. Buy entertaining mr sloane dvd from amazons movies store. Hes been married for over a dozen years to actress julia st. The screenplay by clive exton is based on the 1964 play of the same title by joe orton. Entertaining mr sloane 1970 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Entertaining mr sloane was his first play, beginning as an experimental production at the. Sloane shows joe ortons breakthrough work to be as durable as black leather. Sloane is amoral and selfish, willing to do whatever it takes to get through life like the gorgeous little hustler that he is, but no one around him is willing to hold him responsible for his behaviour because of what they long for so desperately every time he parades around in his tightywhities. Gavin and stacey actor mathew horne collapses on west end. Based on the play by joe orton, this film follows the adventures of two pals who. When a film opens with bery reid, wearing a seethrough frock, noisily eating an icelolly in a.
Deeper meanings of entertaining mr sloane the edge of. Entertaining mr sloane is a threeact play written in 1963 by the english playwright joe orton. The beauty about reading a play is that you have time to stop, think, and reread what was written. Entertaining mr sloane methuen drama edition cover, 2001 written byjoe orton characters sloane, a young, goodlooking psychopath kath, a middleaged landlady ed, kaths brother kemp, kath and eds father date premiered6 may 1964 place premierednew arts theatre london, england subjecta landlady and her brother entice a psychopathic young man into sexual liaisons genreblack comedy settinga house on the edge of a rubbish dump entertaining mr sloane is a threeact play written in 1963 by the english. Sloane, a handsome, sexy and completely amoral young man, joins kaths household as a lodger and proceeds to manipulate her and her brother, ed. The film itself is lovingly restored and the extras, such as they are, interesting. Sloane is amoral and selfish, willing to do whatever it takes to get through life like the gorgeous little hustler that. Seeing a play or a film is a great experience, but it is not always one that allows you to soak in the nuances of a work like reading does. Having the house in the middle of a cemetery instead of a garbage dump i think is a mistake because it takes away a point orton wanted to make with his dialogue.
Well worth purchasing to remind yourself how black comedy can be. Entertaining mr sloane is a play by the english playwright joe orton. Sloane you are looking for dark humor, humorous and sexual movies about with murder, family relations, womanizer, manipulations, farce, human nature and dishonesty themes of comedy and mystery genre shot in uk. Sloane, a 35mm print of which just screened for the first time in the u. Sloane weasels his way into the lives of a middleaged brother and sister, while trying to disguise the truth about his unpleasant past. Entertaining mr sloane is a 1970 black comedy directed by douglas hickox and based on the 1964 play of the same title by joe orton. The screenplay by clive exton is based on the 1964 play of the same. She is quite open about damage caused to her by a previous relationship. I finally got around to reading some of it last night and of course started with entertaining mr. Joe ortons bestknown play is brought to the big screen three years after his murder, a cheeky plot about a handsome young man peter mcenery who comes to live with a batty middleaged woman while catching the eye of her sexually repressed brother harry andrews. Two years later douglas hickox directed thus feature film version, with beryl reid as the landlady and harry andrews in the.
Mar 19, 2019 presented by john cameron mitchell, who writes. The film version of loot directed by silvio narizzano, with a screenplay by ray galton and alan simpson arrived in british cinemas just a few weeks after entertaining mr sloane in 1970. With a cast of four beryl reid and harry andrews as kath and ed, the twisted siblings, peter mcenery as mr sloane, and alan webb as da da this play almost survives intact, and is very well played. Sloane by joe orton dark comedy, with incredible finale this is an interesting comedy play that descends into a weird mayhem. Sloane, mcenerys character ties the knot with a man a rare image of gay marriage and a woman, but in life, his domestic situation appears to be more traditional. The play is known for its implied commentary on societys attitude toward homosexuals and heterosexual practice out of wedlock. Entertaining mr sloane project gutenberg selfpublishing. Sloane s just desserts are not what one would expect. Joe orton was on record as saying he thought marriage was a rather toxic institution, so here he subverts the whole thing to become a way to trap people, as well as an excuse for sentimental but meaningless ritual. Entertaining mr sloane is a 1970 british black comedy film directed by douglas hickox. David esbjornsons buoyant staging of entertaining mr. Sloane opens with kath showing her prospective new boarder, mr. Sloane is a film directed by douglas hickox with peter mcenery, beryl reid, harry andrews, alan webb, year. Peter mcenery in entertaining mr sloane 1970 beryl reid in entertaining mr.
The flats stand on wood vale, to the south of camberwell old cemetery. He is recognized by kemp dadda as the murderer of kemps former employer, whereupon sloane murders kemp. Sloane 1970 douglas hickox on allmovie an attractive young charmer by the name of mr. Kath beryl reid is a lonely, middleaged woman living in the london suburbs with her ageing father kemp alan webb. Entertaining mr sloane is probably ortons most censorbaiting play, dealing with such issues as homosexuality, nymphomania, sadism, and murder. The cast is nothing if not eclectic richard attenborough, lee remick, milo oshea, hywel bennett, roy holder, dick emery. Movie trailer for joe ortons entertaining mr sloane.
Jan 20, 2012 performed at brighton little theatre in oct 2008. Coming attractions for you 2020s most anticipated movies. A guide to entertaining mr sloane, the 1970 film about an amoral man. Filmed version of joe ortons irreverent comedy, starring beryl reid. Kath is dowdy, middleaged, and clearly attracted to young sloane, whose surface show of. The themes and meanings of joe ortons entertaining mr sloane are more numerous, darker, and more important than may be readily apparent. Fresh from similarly scandalous adaptation the killing of sister george, reid brings something to the film that is all her own. Sloane is a misfire, all in all, although worth catching for the great performances and whats left of ortons sparkling dialogue. Sloane, a 1964 play by joe orton presented by the irish classical theatre company, directed by ictc associate director greg natale, starring kelli bococknatale. With special guest john cameron mitchell hedwig and the angry inch in person. Centering around a home that borders a dump, the play is a dark comedy that surrounds a psychopath and seedy lives of the underclass. Sloane also contains what must be one of the first same sex marriages on film. For the film adaptation, see entertaining mr sloane film. Douglas hickox, georgie fame, colin green, and colin green.