Actors - Tom Jones

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	Actors - Tom Jones

Tom Jones was an international hit, British 1963 comedy film, and won the coveted Academy Award for Best Picture for 1963.

The film was based on a famous semi-comic novel, the first truly popular novel written in the English language, by Henry Fielding in 1754.

Tagline: The whole world loves Tom Jones!

Plot

It tells the story of a young 18th century man who is taken into the household of a rich West-country gentleman as a foundling baby, and is raised as an almost legitimate gentleman. He grows up being the darling of the local girls, due to his good natured charm and apealing looks. A rather bawdy love-life with several women of mostly servant class status, lead him astray as a teen. He is handsome and totally likable.

The title character is found as a baby on Squire Allworthy's bed. Thinking that his barber and one of his servants, Jenny Jones, had "birthed" the infant out of careless lust, he banishes them, and chooses to raise baby Tom himself. Tom grows up to be a rougish, kind, and yet very decent fellow who adores, and is adored by the opposite sex. But he truly loves only one woman, the gentle Sophie Western, who of course, loves him madly. Sadly, Tom is stigmatized as a bastard, and cannot wed a young lady of her high station. There is another young man in the Allworthy family, named Blifil, who is supposed to be legitimate, having been the stepson of the Squire's sister Bridget, after the untimely death of her Husband. Soon, the hipocritical, representatives of sobriety including two of Tom's tutors and Allworthy's evil nephew, the geekish Blifil, twist the truth. Allworthy, very sadly banishes Tom from his home with a small cash legacy, and sends him out into the world to seek his fortune. In his traveling road odyssey, Tom beds a Mrs. Waters, has to escape from a jealous husband who accuses Tom of having an affair with his wife (he did not), two deadly swordfights, Tom meets his accused "father", saves Mrs. Waters from rape by an evil Redcoat Officer, and is bashed in the head by that officer and robbed of his small legacy. Soon he arrives in London and attracts the attention of a very sensual gentlewoman over 50 years of age. This is Lady Bellaston...rich, beautiful and completly unscupulous. Eventually Tom winds up at Tyburn Gaol, facing a boistrous hanging crowd for a murderous assault on a still dying man. He is rescued in the nick of time... and cleared of any wrong doing, and all ends up well.

Production

The entire London portion is richly textured with the grim authenticity of a Hogarth (18th century engraver/artist) illustration of the tacky street life in period London. Camera work was mobile to a degree unseen up to that point in feature films. Art direction, especially in the street scenes is perhaps the best dealing with the grubby side of that period...ever. Time magazine devoted a cover, 3 pages to the film, and simply raved about the singular greatness & innovation of the film.

The screenplay was adapted by John Osborne from Fielding's novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. The director is Tony Richardson.

Bridgwater's Castle Street was used as a location in several scenes.

Cinematography

The film is also noteworthy in that at several points, various characters break the fourth wall, look directly into the camera, and address the audience. It is said to be the last movie watched by John F. Kennedy. Some consider it to have one of the sexier eating scenes found in cinema.

Awards

This is one of the most admired films in British cinema, and is a classic film and comedy of the highest order, in the opinion of most who saw it originally in a theater setting. It is frequently included near the top in personal lists of a cinema devotee's 10 most favorite films...such is the charm and end to end entertainment quality of this matchless BEST PICTURE,Oscar winning film.

It won Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Music, Score - Substantially Original(John Addison), Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. It was also nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Albert Finney), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Hugh Griffith), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Diane Cilento), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Dame Edith Evans), Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color.

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Actors - Tom Jones

Plot

Production

Cinematography

Awards

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