Joseph Andrews

1977
R
1h 39m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Lady Booby alias "Belle" (Ann-Margret), the lively wife of the fat landed squire Sir Thomas Booby (Peter Bull), has a lusty eye on the attractive, intelligent villager Joseph Andrews (Peter ... Read allLady Booby alias "Belle" (Ann-Margret), the lively wife of the fat landed squire Sir Thomas Booby (Peter Bull), has a lusty eye on the attractive, intelligent villager Joseph Andrews (Peter Firth), a Latin pupil and protégé of Parson Adams (Sir Michael Hordern), and makes him the... Read allLady Booby alias "Belle" (Ann-Margret), the lively wife of the fat landed squire Sir Thomas Booby (Peter Bull), has a lusty eye on the attractive, intelligent villager Joseph Andrews (Peter Firth), a Latin pupil and protégé of Parson Adams (Sir Michael Hordern), and makes him their footman. Joseph's heart belongs to a country girl, foundling Fanny Goodwill (Natalie Og... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.6/10

692

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 2 nominations total

Trivia
Making this film some 14 years after Tom Jones (1963), Tony Richardson was persuaded to hire Hugh Griffith, who had scored a great personal success (and an Oscar nomination) in the earlier film, to play a brief cameo. In the intervening years, however, Griffith's legendary fondness for alcohol had degenerated into a chronic condition which would kill him in 1980, and Richardson was, he later wrote, shocked by his appearance and condition. Without alcohol, Griffith could not perform at all; but if he had even a small amount, he became incoherent, slurred and unpredictable. Compromising, Richardson fed him a tablespoon of brandy before each take, which he estimated was just about as much as Griffith could safely take.

Goofs
Some stonework at the Roman baths is clearly stained with coal soot from the Industrial Revolution. This would not have been present in 1742 but was still common on old British buildings in 1977.

Connections
Featured in The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996)

Soundtracks
(He Was Such a) Gentle Boy
Words and Music by Robert Stewart (as Bob Stewart)
Sung by Jim Dale

User reviews11

Review

Featured review

8/10

A gleeful 18th century romp

There's one or two disturbing moments in this film, but overall a very British earthiness is apparent in the rhythm, tone, and incidents of the film. The costumes and make-up are both a delight and (as best I know) historically accurate. Not that they're always wearing costumes.... Lots of top notch English actors (Peter Firth, young - and ludicrously pretty - here, hasn't stopped since). The reversals of fortune probably owe more to Fielding than the scriptwriter, and are a reminder that soap opera has a long history, under whatever name. -- For those who don't understand the term "double entendre", the shot of Ann-Margret's character lovingly swallowing the full length of an asparagus dipped in oil should about clear it up.