537:, its author Graham Billing claimed that it was '"he first serious novel to come out of Antarctica". The film, as it has emerged from EMI, has managed not only to banish all seriousness but also to minimise the relevance of the Antarctic setting – this despite some fine, hard-edged location photography by Edward Scaife, and the drama of the wild-life sequences compiled by Arne Sucksdorff. Of course, the novel has been through a few mutations on its way to the screen: the original version of the film, completed by Al Viola and featuring Forbush alone with his terror in the face of the cruelty of life and death in the Antarctic, has been pruned and supplemented by entirely new framing material, set in London and shot by an uncredited Roy Boulting. This new footage inserts Hayley Mills and that weariest of old pop moralities, the futility of the promiscuous life, even bringing the point – and Forbush – confidently home with a final clinch on the London rooftops. Before being subjected to this inexplicable attack of double-think, the film conceivably held some interest. The surviving Antarctic material features some realistically gruelling action; but the central character is now reduced to the abbreviated, caricatured motions of a clown, comic and tragic by unconvincing turns.
495:
assures me... it's her favourite film of mine." He added that the female lead "was replaced after the first rough assembly and it was the only film I know of in which a stage direction was delivered as spoken dialogue. It didn't matter. No one noticed - which should generally tell you something about the respect accorded the screen writer's craft."
469:
Boultings take over the rescripting and reshooting with Hayley Mills, then Roy
Boulting’s wife, recast as the female lead. I felt that such drastic surgery was bound to make matters worse at such a late and critical stage but I was outvoted and landed with the unhappy task of conveying these decisions to those concerned."
557:
called it "a spectacularly charmless movie in which Mills is wasted, only worth watching for its location photography. Hayley is charming in her few scenes and the film would’ve been better if she’d played the lead – she would have been more at home with the material than the actual star, John Hurt."
494:
Schaffer, the screenwriter, recalled it as "a fairly chaotic movie which had the young John Hurt capering about the
Atlantic slinging rocks at Skuas with a Roman balista, in a vain attempt to protect penguins' eggs from their deprivations. I'm not sure that it all added up, though my younger daughter
468:
did not cut smoothly into scenes involving humans shot in the studio. He says the
Boulting Brothers and Launder and Gilliat, then on the Board of British Lion "were adamant that drastic changes had to be made. They insisted that the director be replaced together with the leading lady and that the
31:
440:
Forbes later described the film as a "calculated risk" with an "intriguing script" and "formidable logistical problems... Admittedly a far cry from The Sound of Music, but positively different and worth attempting."
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preying on the penguins' eggs and chicks and he builds a catapult to try to fight them although he is meant to observe and not interfere with nature. He is reminded of this by his failure to get rid of the skuas.
589:
Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of
British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 361 gives figure as £625,113 up from original budget of £564,725
457:. It was the first movie to be shot on that continent. This was followed by studio work at Elstree Studios. By March 1970 it was reported that filming was expected to finish soon.
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with his only links to the outside world being a two-way radio to contact the navy who occasionally visit to deliver supplies and take his letters and tape recordings to Tara.
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in
Antarctica. Fifteen technicians, including the producer Henry Trettin and director Al Viola, plus John Hurt, travelled to Antarctica and stayed for eight weeks living at
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then on the board of
British Lion called the film "a terrible hodgepodge" and felt Bryan Forbes "made a great mistake putting Hurt in it instead of Crawford."
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Director Al Viola had won awards for his commercials and this would be his feature film debut - the same for producer Henry
Trettin.
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said the film "isn't as bad as we'd been led to believe, though there's a pretty grotty first half hour to sit through."
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for six months to study a penguin colony. At first he does it mostly to impress a girl he is chasing, Tara. He stays in
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called it "a comfortably old fashioned comedy in the Ealing tradition" in which the lead character was "a stale bore".
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who had been appointed head of EMI. Forbes announced it in August 1969 as part of a slate of fifteen films.
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THE WICKER MAN AND OTHERS Shaffer, Anthony. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 5, Iss. 8, (Aug 1, 1995): 28.
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Books of The Times: The Man Who Loved
Penguins By ORVILLE PRESCOTT. New York Times 18 Mar 1966: 37.
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later argued " it boggles the mind that" Forbes "allowed someone as green as Al Viola to direct
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Nichols Meets Jules
Feiffer: Mike Nichols By A. H. WEILER. New York Times 26 Oct 1969: D17.
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By the end of his expedition, Forbush is a changed man with a totally new outlook on life.
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Filming involving Hayley Mills took place in
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was hired to shoot footage in Antarctica. The original stars were John Hurt and
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In the Picture Sight and Sound; London Vol. 38, Iss. 4, (Fall 1969): 181.
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Viola was replaced by Roy Boulting and Susan Fleetwood by Hayley Mills.
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which involved having to match footage with scenes shot in Antarctica."
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of EMI had to spend an entire evening persuading him not to quit.
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880:"Cold Streaks: The Studio Stewardship of Bryan Forbes at EMI"
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BOND IS FOREVER Malcolm, Derek. The Guardian 30 Dec 1971: 8.
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415:. It was part of the initial slate of movies greenlit by
404:, who had worked for the New Zealand Antarctic Division.
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A brilliant biology student, Richard Forbush, is sent to
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663:"Forbush finds fulfilment with web-footed waiters"
712:"Intrepid 'Frobush' Crew Invades Penguin Privacy"
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514:The film failed to recoup its considerable cost.
839:(456): 11. 1 January 1972 – via ProQuest.
644:"British finance backs plans for 15 new films"
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460:According to Forbes, penguin footage shot by
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791:Fowler, Roy; Haines, Taffy (15 May 1990).
577:EMI Films and the Limits of British Cinema
29:
1634:Films with screenplays by Anthony Shaffer
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604:British Film Institute Collections Search
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859:Walker, Alexander (23 December 1971).
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425:The novel was adapted by playwright
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449:Filming started 4 November 1969 at
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730:"Screen chance for newcomer Susan"
642:Day-Lewis, Sean (13 August 1969).
16:1971 British film by Roy Boulting
14:
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1629:Films shot at EMI-Elstree Studios
1619:Films directed by Arne Sucksdorff
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878:Vagg, Stephen (10 October 2021).
861:"Laughs galore in a cold climate"
816:, Harrap and Stein, 1974 p433-434
579:. Palgrave MacMillan. p. 75.
261:. It is based on the 1965 novel
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827:"Mr. Forbush and the Penguins"
780:. 14 November 1970. p. 6.
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600:"Mr. Forbush and the Penguins"
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1:
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288:He is challenged mentally by
1624:Films scored by John Addison
1599:1970s English-language films
1562:Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
987:Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
902:Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
736:. 19 March 1970. p. 11.
710:Samson, Hugh (24 May 1970).
661:Cooper, Rod (7 March 1970).
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221:Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
24:Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
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535:Forbush and the Penguins
263:Forbush and the Penguins
1594:British adventure films
1541:The Flute and the Arrow
1462:Soft Beds, Hard Battles
907:Internet Movie Database
763:Bryan Forbes, p 221-222
533:In the introduction to
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1216:Seagulls Over Sorrento
1191:Films directed by the
1043:Appointment with Death
750:A Divided Life:Memoirs
747:Forbes, Bryan (1993).
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484:was angry at this and
411:, PGL Productions and
1589:1970s adventure films
1555:My Home Is Copacabana
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314:as Tara St. John Luke
1604:Films about penguins
774:"Rivals Collaborate"
575:Moody, Paul (2018).
49:Antarctica sequences
1649:1970s British films
1609:Environmental films
1548:The Boy in the Tree
1534:The Great Adventure
812:Walker, Alexander,
734:Runcorn Weekly News
648:The Daily Telegraph
241:, Alfred Viola and
227:Cry of the Penguins
1527:Symphony of a City
1513:Films directed by
1414:Happy Is the Bride
1382:Sailor of the King
1299:Rotten to the Core
1291:I'm All Right Jack
1275:Private's Progress
1208:Seven Days to Noon
1035:Evil Under the Sun
520:Critican reception
413:British Lion Films
380:as Police Sergeant
374:as foodstore clerk
332:as Mr. Forbush Sr.
308:as Richard Forbush
237:film, directed by
168:December 1971
154:British Lion Films
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326:as George Dewport
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106:Edward Scaife
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83:Henry Trettin
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1374:High Treason
1372:
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1342:Thunder Rock
1340:
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867:. p. 2.
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691:Forbes p 107
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607:. Retrieved
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542:The Guardian
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486:Bryan Forbes
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417:Bryan Forbes
406:
399:
372:Brian Oulton
366:Sally Geeson
354:Avril Angers
342:Joss Ackland
324:Tony Britton
312:Hayley Mills
295:
287:
276:
262:
259:Tony Britton
251:Hayley Mills
243:Roy Boulting
235:comedy drama
230:) is a 1971
226:
225:
220:
219:
218:
185:Running time
161:Release date
126:John Addison
96:Hayley Mills
48:
44:(uncredited)
42:Roy Boulting
18:
1334:Pastor Hall
1318:Trunk Crime
1132:Adaptations
667:Kine Weekly
609:26 December
396:Development
362:as Tringham
320:as Starshot
245:. It stars
189:101 minutes
80:Produced by
38:Directed by
1584:1971 films
1578:Categories
1027:Absolution
562:References
510:Box office
466:Antarctica
391:Production
384:Hugh Moxey
378:John Comer
279:Antarctica
133:Production
59:Written by
1283:Lucky Jim
1243:John only
1086:Whodunnit
1051:Sommersby
937:at Kirkus
505:Reception
482:John Hurt
409:EMI Films
368:as Jackie
350:as Julien
306:John Hurt
247:John Hurt
176: (UK)
141:EMI Films
135:companies
112:Edited by
92:John Hurt
72:novel by
1310:Roy only
1200:Together
1078:Murderer
445:Shooting
356:as Fanny
213:£638,842
202:Language
122:Music by
88:Starring
69:Based on
46:Al Viola
1326:Inquest
1224:Suspect
905:at the
884:Filmink
555:Filmink
529:wrote:
475:Forbush
471:Filmink
232:British
205:English
194:Country
172:1971-12
170: (
1473:(1979)
1465:(1974)
1457:(1970)
1449:(1968)
1441:(1966)
1433:(1960)
1425:(1959)
1417:(1958)
1409:(1957)
1401:(1956)
1393:(1955)
1385:(1953)
1377:(1951)
1369:(1948)
1361:(1947)
1353:(1945)
1345:(1942)
1337:(1940)
1329:(1939)
1321:(1939)
1302:(1965)
1294:(1959)
1286:(1957)
1278:(1956)
1270:(1951)
1262:(1948)
1254:(1945)
1235:(1963)
1227:(1960)
1219:(1954)
1211:(1950)
1151:(2007)
1148:Sleuth
1143:(2006)
1124:(1978)
1116:(1955)
1108:(1952)
1097:Novels
1089:(1977)
1081:(1975)
1073:(1970)
1070:Sleuth
1054:(1993)
1046:(1988)
1038:(1982)
1030:(1978)
1022:(1978)
1014:(1973)
1006:(1972)
1003:Sleuth
998:(1972)
995:Frenzy
990:(1971)
916:at BFI
210:Budget
1062:Plays
796:(PDF)
290:skuas
611:2023
547:The
300:Cast
273:Plot
257:and
922:at
265:by
1580::
882:.
863:.
837:39
835:.
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675:^
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602:.
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269:.
253:,
249:,
1506:e
1499:t
1492:v
1184:e
1177:t
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964:e
957:t
950:v
886:.
613:.
174:)
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