Home / The Madness of King George

The Madness of King George

Year:

1994

Duration:

107 min

Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History

IMDB rate:

7.3

Director:

Nicholas Hytner

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 15 wins & 18 nominations

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 1994-12-28

Filming Locations: Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, England, UK

Earnings

Gross: $15,238,994 (USA)£3,330,349 (UK)

Cast

Actor

Character

Caroline Harker

The Madness of King George

Rupert Graves

Greville

Helen Mirren

Queen Charlotte

Amanda Donohoe

Lady Pembroke

Charlotte Curley

Amelia

Peter Bride-Kirk

Royal Child

Eve Camden

Royal Child

Thomas Copeland

Royal Child

Joanna Hall

Royal Child

Cassandra Halliburton

Royal Child

Russell Martin

Royal Child

Natalie Palys

Royal Child

Rupert Everett

Prince of Wales

Julian Rhind-Tutt

Duke of York

David Leon

Footman

Martin Julier

Footman

Nigel Hawthorne

George III

Anthony Calf

Fitzroy

Matthew Lloyd Davies

Papandick

Adrian Scarborough

Fortnum

Paul Corrigan

Braun

John Wood

Thurlow

Dan Hammond

Footman

Nicholas Irons

Footman

Nick Sampson

Sergeant at Arms

Jeremy Child

Black Rod

Nicholas Selby

Speaker

Julian Wadham

Pitt

Jim Carter

Fox

Barry Stanton

Sheridan

Struan Rodger

Dundas

Janine Duvitski

Margaret Nicholson

Iain Mitchell

Farmer

Roger Hammond

Baker

Geoffrey Palmer

Warren

Celestine Randall

Lady Adam

Cyril Shaps

Pepys

Michael Grandage

Amputee

Ian Holm

Willis

James Peck

Willis' Attendant

Clive Brunt

Willis' Attendant

Selina Cadell

Mrs. Cordwell

Fergus Webster

Willis' Attendant

Barry Gillespie

Willis' Attendant

Joe Maddison

Willis' Attendant

Dermot Keaney

Footman

Peter Woodthorpe

Clergyman

Collin Johnson

Roger Ashton-Griffiths

Robert Swann

1st MP

Alan Bennett

2nd MP

Did you know?

Trivia

One bit of business that failed to survive the transition from stage to film: Pitt's drinking. While in the film George III briefly mentions Pitt's drinking habits to his wife, on stage, as Alan Bennett puts it, "Pitt takes a swig from a hip flask, such a regular feature of his behaviour it is not noted in the stage directions." (The historical Pitt was considered a heavy drinker even by eighteenth-century standards, especially as he got older; modern biographers agree that his alcohol intake probably contributed to his early death.)

Share this

Nigel Hawthorne - a relatively inexperienced cinema actor most of whose work up till then had been confined to the stage and TV - was so keen to reprise his award-winning stage role for the movie version that he took the part of a villain in Sylvester Stallone's vehicle Demolition Man (1993) just to prove that he had screen presence. As it transpired this was unnecessary as Hawthorne was the producers' automatic choice for the lead.

Share this

For this film, Nigel Hawthorne became the first openly gay actor nominated for an Academy Award. (Other actors who later admitted or were later confirmed to have been gay had been previously nominated, but he was the first actor who was "out" at the time the nomination occurred.) He then became frustrated that this was all the American interviewers wanted to discuss, rather than the film or the nomination itself.

Share this

Goofs

Early in the film, as King George rides his horse, lawnmower tire tracks are visible on the field.

Share this

The left side of the door has 1862 carved in it, even though the film is set in the 1780s.

Share this

The red dispatch box in which the Prime Minister carries papers for the monarch to sign dates from Victorian times. The first PM to use it was William Gladstone around 1860.

Share this

Quotes

Pitt: I used to sit with my father when he was ill. I used to read him Shakespeare.

Share this

George III: By your dress, sir, and general demeanor, I'd say you were a minister of God.

Share this

Thurlow: [to Dr. Willis] King Lear; do you think that is wise?

Share this