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The play had been very successful in the provinces, so Watkyn wanted £10,000 for the film rights; neither Clark nor Warner would pay this, so Watkyn refused to sell until the play opened in London. When it did, it was a box office disaster and lasted only four performances. Watkyn agreed to sell the
481:
should be interpreted as Clark's 'last stand' on politics and film culture. Rather than display a preference for the attractive and swashbuckling
Cavaliers (as is so often evident in British popular culture), Clark's film takes care to establish the moral superiority of the Roundheads. Its soldiery
515:
Sylvia Syms called the film "for its time it's quite sweet ... compared with some of the costume dramas coming out of
Hollywood at that time, at least we looked right for the period. I had correct hair styling, covered with the modest lace cap, and the costumes were authentic. I liked working with
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The film was eventually made several years later. It was one of the last films Clark green-lit while head of the company and he is credited as "director of production". According to one writer, "this was an unusual occurrence for Clark, and indicates his intense interest in the project. And indeed
510:
I actually wrote quite a lot of it. A couple of the love scenes with Sylvia were entirely my work ... The film is always popular on television. David
Macdonald, who directed it, was unfortunately a bit of a lush, and it was almost his last film. When we got the script he went through it with us,
482:
are on the whole presented as moral men convinced of the probity of their cause, and
Cromwell (John Le Mesurier) is a dignified and balanced leader. Clark clearly favoured an interpretation of history which presented Puritanism as more sober and even-handed than its alternative."
511:
saying, "Here you don't 'walk' across the room — you either 'jump' or 'swing' across but you don't 'walk'. And this twelve lines of dialogue is absolutely useless, we can cut it down to a few words." He did this all the way through, so it's absolutely an action film.
42:
314:. However, the dashing Royalist hero nicknamed The Moonraker prepares to smuggle him to safety into France, under the noses of Cromwell's soldiers. According to the story, the hero is named after the smuggler term,
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said that "on its chosen level, which is that of boys' romantic yarn, this film may be said to succeed. It moves at such a breathless rate that many of its probabilities go unremarked."
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469:. Associated British had an arrangement with Warner Bros; Jack Warner liked the story and agreed to a co production starring Hepburn and Wilde.
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In
February 1952 Robert Clark of Associated British proposed that his company purchase the film rights as a vehicle for
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said the film "has too many cast members who look like George Baker but is quite lovely with terrific colour."
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Porter, Vincent (2001). "All Change at
Elstree: Warner Bros., ABPC and British Film Policy, 1945–1961".
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This article is about the
British swashbuckler film of 1958. For the 1979 James Bond spy film, see
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An autobiography of
British cinema : as told by the filmmakers and actors who made it
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718:, Nepean, Edith. Picture Show; London Vol. 70, Iss. 1814, (4 January 1958): 11.
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Sylvia Syms and Peter Arne were under long-term contract to ABPC at the time.
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George Baker ... And, of course, Max Greene always made me look beautiful."
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listed it as being "in the money" at the
British box office in 1958.
278:, arranged by the Earl of Dawlish, who leads a double life as a
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704:
British cinema of the 1950s : The decline of deference
808:
Billings, Josh (18 December 1958). "Others in the Money".
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The film at site dedicated to the escape of
Charles II
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The film was one of the last productions made by the
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rights. However the film was not made with Hepburn.
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as the Moonraker, otherwise Anthony, Earl of Dawlish
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659:; London Vol. 71, Iss. 1855, (1 October 1958): 2.
672:; London Vol. 71, Iss. 1845, (9 August 1958): 9
590:Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television
274:The film depicts a fictionalised account of the
784:"The Surprisingly Saucy Cinema of Sylvia Syms"
655:"At Home with George Baker: 'The Moonraker'",
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8:
1301:Cultural depictions of Charles II of England
1276:Films directed by David MacDonald (director)
680:
678:
461:, whom they had under contract, and either
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862:
854:
40:
31:
636:British Film Institute Collections Search
489:, Boreham Wood with sets designed by the
1286:Films shot at Associated British Studios
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450:The film was based on the 1952 play by
1296:Cultural depictions of Oliver Cromwell
155:Associated British Picture Corporation
702:Harper, S., & Porter, V. (2003).
502:George Baker said he "enjoyed making
7:
423:Jennifer Browne as Henrietta Dorset
782:Vagg, Stephen (22 February 2023).
372:Iris Russell as Judith Strangeways
14:
1281:Films scored by Laurie Johnson
1:
553:called it "a routine costume
1311:1950s English-language films
1306:British films based on plays
16:1958 film by David MacDonald
914:It's Never Too Late to Mend
271:. It was released in 1958.
263:. It was based on the 1952
1332:
1291:British swashbuckler films
302:, the main aim of General
18:
892:
716:Round the British Studios
602:10.1080/01439680020030879
542:The Monthly Film Bulletin
39:
1261:British historical films
525:Associated British-Pathe
300:Second English Civil War
166:Associated British-Pathé
1271:English Civil War films
1256:British adventure films
922:Death Croons the Blues
1251:1950s historical films
970:Dead Men Tell No Tales
513:
310:, son of the executed
286:called The Moonraker.
265:play of the same title
23:. For other uses, see
755:Monthly Film Bulletin
508:
485:The film was shot at
408:Sylvia Bidmead as Meg
378:as Martin Strangeways
180:22 May 1958
46:British cinema poster
1122:Devil Girl from Mars
1066:Christopher Columbus
1018:Men of the Lightship
810:Kinematograph Weekly
575:Kinematograph Weekly
376:Michael Anderson Jr.
369:as Henry Strangeways
276:escape of Charles II
1316:1950s British films
1266:British drama films
1146:Three Cornered Fate
506:very much" adding:
342:as Colonel Beaumont
296:Battle of Worcester
1178:Alias John Preston
1058:The Bad Lord Byron
884:Films directed by
753:"Moonraker, The",
728:McFarlane, Brian.
412:Patrick Waddington
382:Paul Whitsun-Jones
298:at the end of the
227:is a 1957 British
93:Hamilton G. Inglis
1228:
1227:
1218:The Golden Rabbit
1210:Petticoat Pirates
978:This Man in Paris
962:This Man Is News
668:"The Moonraker",
433:George Woodbridge
405:as Captain Foster
399:as Captain Wilcox
397:Patrick Troughton
261:Patrick Troughton
231:film directed by
220:
219:
1323:
1246:1958 drama films
1162:Triple Blackmail
1114:Operation Malaya
1002:Law and Disorder
994:Spies of the Air
946:A Spot of Bother
906:The Last Curtain
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435:as Captain Lowry
388:John Le Mesurier
354:as Lord Harcourt
257:John Le Mesurier
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21:Moonraker (film)
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886:David MacDonald
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487:Elstree Studios
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348:as Edmund Tyler
336:as Anne Wyndham
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233:David MacDonald
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439:Victor Brooks
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245:Marius Goring
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235:and starring
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224:The Moonraker
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84:Arthur Watkyn
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79:The Moonraker
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69:Alistair Bell
67:Wilfred Eades
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1154:Final Column
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1130:One Just Man
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1106:Tread Softly
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1074:Diamond City
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1034:The Brothers
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1010:This England
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898:Double Alibi
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812:. p. 7.
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791:. Retrieved
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693:Porter p. 20
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684:Porter p. 12
670:Picture Show
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657:Picture Show
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639:. Retrieved
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494:Robert Jones
491:art director
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467:Cornel Wilde
456:
449:
358:Gary Raymond
352:Clive Morton
328:George Baker
293:
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249:Gary Raymond
237:George Baker
229:swashbuckler
223:
222:
221:
196:Running time
173:Release date
130:Richard Best
102:George Baker
77:
29:
1186:Small Hotel
930:Riding High
793:23 February
596:(1): 5–35.
463:David Niven
334:Sylvia Syms
241:Sylvia Syms
106:Sylvia Syms
90:Produced by
65:Robert Hall
52:Directed by
1241:1958 films
1235:Categories
1082:Cairo Road
618:References
569:Box office
523:regime at
446:Production
429:as Trooper
418:Fanny Rowe
384:as Parfitt
346:Peter Arne
316:moonrakers
294:After the
284:highwayman
253:Peter Arne
200:82 minutes
184:1958-05-22
147:Production
62:Written by
1042:Snowbound
610:191341678
531:Reception
312:Charles I
282:-baiting
280:roundhead
126:Edited by
25:Moonraker
536:Critical
290:Synopsis
213:Language
136:Music by
98:Starring
74:Based on
788:Filmink
771:Variety
706:. p. 90
562:Filmink
550:Variety
216:English
205:Country
182: (
149:company
1221:(1962)
1213:(1961)
1205:(1958)
1197:(1958)
1189:(1957)
1181:(1955)
1173:(1955)
1165:(1955)
1157:(1955)
1149:(1955)
1141:(1954)
1133:(1954)
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1117:(1953)
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1005:(1940)
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941:(1938)
933:(1937)
925:(1937)
917:(1937)
909:(1937)
901:(1937)
842:at BFI
608:
555:meller
641:9 May
606:S2CID
582:Notes
833:IMDb
795:2023
643:2024
322:Cast
259:and
831:at
769:at
598:doi
557:."
465:or
390:as
360:as
267:by
82:by
1237::
786:.
677:^
634:.
604:.
594:21
592:.
527:.
454:.
255:,
251:,
247:,
243:,
239:,
877:e
870:t
863:v
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645:.
612:.
600::
186:)
27:.
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