Lady Chatterley's Lover

Lady Chatterley's Lover

Sir Clifford Chatterley

Oliver Mellors

Ivy Bolton

Lady Eva

Hilda

Field

Anton

The Priest

Flora

Roberts

Footman

Maid

Gigolo

Gigolo

Priest (uncredited)

Nicholas Clay was very much a third choice for the part of Oliver Mellors, Oliver Reed and Ian McShane being the higher preferences for the role. Clay was an unknown actor when he was cast as Mellors. However, Clay became much more well known around the time this picture was release around the world, also appearing in Excalibur (1981) and Evil Under the Sun (1982).

Analytically, this movie and its source D.H. Lawrence novel addresses the stuffy and polarized British class structure of the early 1920s.

The character of Oliver Mellors was originally going to be played by Ian McShane who was a former boyfriend of lead star Sylvia Kristel. McShane pulled-out of the film when his wife objected to him partaking in sex scenes with his ex-girlfriend.

The film is supposed to be set during the early 1920's but when Lady Chatterley is sent away by her husband, a brief scene is shown of a steam locomotive travelling towards the camera. The Standard Class 4-6-0 is number 75043 - this number was not allocated until nationalisation of the four big railway companies and the formation of British Railways in 1947.

Hyacinth flowers are seen in the bedroom during mid autumn in Great Britain in the early 1920s. These plants bloom in the springtime.