Home / The Dresser

The Dresser

Year:

1983

Duration:

118 min

Genres:

Drama

IMDB rate:

7.6

Director:

Peter Yates

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 12 nominations

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 1983-12-06

Filming Locations: Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Earnings

Opening Weekend: $43,132 (USA) (11 December 1983)

Gross: $5,310,748 (USA) (8 April 1984)

Cast

Actor

Character

Cathryn Harrison

Albert Finney

Sir

Tom Courtenay

Norman

Edward Fox

Oxenby

Zena Walker

Her Ladyship

Eileen Atkins

Madge

Michael Gough

Frank Carrington

Betty Marsden

Violet Manning

Sheila Reid

Lydia Gibson

Lockwood West

Geoffrey Thornton

Donald Eccles

Mr. Godstone

Llewellyn Rees

Horace Brown

Guy Manning

Benton

Anne Blackman

Beryl (as Anne Mannion)

Kevin Stoney

C. Rivers Lane

Ann Way

Miss White

John Sharp

Mr. Bottomley

Kathy Staff

Bombazine Woman

Roger Avon

Charles

Christopher Irvin

Evelyn the Airman

Stuart Richman

Evelyn's Friend

Sandra Gough

Actress on Station

Joe Belcher

Arthur

Johnny Maxfield

Electrician

Paul Luty

Stallkeeper

Lori Wells

Barmaid

Alan Starkey

Train Guard

Ralph Morse

Man at Station

Did you know?

Trivia

Ronald Harwood based his play "The Dresser" (and this film's subsequent screenplay) and the biography "Sir Donald Wolfit CBE: His life and work in the Unfashionable Theatre" on his experiences as an actor and dresser for renowned Shakespearian actor Donald Wolfit and his Shakespeare Company. Harwood was Wolfit's dresser between 1953 and 1958.

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The name of the repertory theater troupe was "The Coronet Players".

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One of the critic's names on a quote on the theater foyer reviews board is "R. Harwood" of the fictitious 'Portsmouth and Gosport Express'. The name is a reference to Ronald Harwood, the film's screenwriter, source playwright and also one of the film's producers.

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Goofs

After Sir and Norman leave the marketplace, they're passed by a Routemaster bus. These buses were first used in London in 1954, and weren't used outside London until the 1970's.

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Quotes

Oxenby: [after calling for Sir several times to appear on stage] Is he coming or he isn't?

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Sir: The critics? No, I have nothing but compassion for them. How can I hate the crippled, the mentally deficient, and the dead?

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Frank Carrington: Now where was I? Oh yes. So Davenport-Scott said to me...

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