Harold pinter s work is represented by judy daish associates limited and applications for all performances and uses of harold pinter s work including amateur and professional stage performances, radio broadcasts, television transmissions and readings and use of extracts need to be addressed to them in the first instance and in advance of finalizing your plans. During rehearsals for the caretaker, ive sometimes felt that harold pinter was trying his hardest to disprove john donnes line that no man is an island. This production, anchored by pryces multifaceted performance, potently communicates the simple menace of pinters writing. Frequently hilarious, suddenly moving, insidiously menacing, this great play is now given a new production to herald this festival of pinter s works. T here are many different kinds of betrayal in harold pinters play. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the caretaker by harold pinter. This starts right from the beginning of the playdavies is rescued from the potentially dangerous. May 08, 2018 e31cf57bcd the theme of loneliness in harold pinters. There have been many stage versions of this bestknown classic drama from harold pinter. This quietly crafted revelation of harold pinter unfolds steadily to satisfying and sometimes profound effect. London, for over a year and ensuing productions brought acclaim and awards from nearly every country in the world. As michael billington remarked in his book the life and work of harold pinter, power is the theme. When the aging, sickly birdie sondra blake scares off her last caretaker, her granddaughter mallorie meegan warner must move into birdies large victorian home to take care of her. A nobel prize winner, pinter was one of the most influential modern british dramatists with a writing career that spanned more than 50 years.
Harold pinters contribution to cinema film the guardian. Pinters comments while making the film version of the caretaker emphasize the importance of such crossmedia activity. An old bum receives shelter in a cluttered room of an abandoned house. Numerous critics have said that much of the action of the caretaker by harold pinter is dominated by the characters struggle for power over one another. Mr pinter writes, as he says, about charactersthough they are characters obsessed by their own qualities. Bbc production from the late 80s, starring the playwright, harold pinter, and a stellar ensemble including julie walters, joan plowright, and kenneth cranham as stanley webber. Donald pleasence plays a laconic tramp, who is invited to stay in the home of robert shaw, on the implied promise that. One of them was the very act of writing about a relationship, inspired by pinters own affair with joan bakewell while she. May 28, 2015 the collection, harold pinter, 1976, with malcolm mcdowellalan bateshelen mirrenlaurence olivier. Pdf the caretaker by harold pinter mansoor ahmed khan. I think the caretaker is about some pretty serious matters. Harold pinter specializes in the tragicomedy of the breakdown of communication, broadly in the tradition of the theatre of the absurds and this is demonstrated in both the caretaker and the birthday party.
Pieces of masterclass workshop with the playwright alternate with onset interview and reminiscence and are complemented by rejoinder and commentary by longtime friend and collaborator henry woolf. This production, anchored by pryces multifaceted performance, potently communicates the simple menace of pinter s writing. Harold pinters the caretaker1 was first published in. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Hi, for our drama course we are working on harold pinter s play the homecoming over the next 2 weeks. The homecoming 1973 pg 111 min drama 16 april 1977 france in a dreary north london flat, the site of perpetual psychological warfare, a philosophy professor visits his family after a nineyear absence and introduces the four men father, uncle and two brothers to his wife. It has three characters, the brothers aston and mick and the tramp davies. Dennis, mark and andrew rodbert recorded this audio only version of harold pinter s classic play in 2004. Filmed during the freezing winter of 1963, clive donners the caretaker is a faithful translation of pinter s groundbreaking stage play. The homecoming harold pinter full text the homecoming harold pinter full text pdf the homecoming harold pinter full text pdf download if you looking for where to the homecoming analysis harold pinter. The first cinema film made from his writing, the caretaker presents the epitome of pinters london, with the people and places he knew recreated with perfect precision not least because the house was situated only a road away from where pinter himself grew up. The guest is a filmed adaptation of the harold pinter play of the same name. Harold pinter 19302008 at the poetry archive includes audio recording by harold pinter of it is here, later, and episode made on 16 december 2002 at the audio workshop, london, as produced by richard carrington.
Pinter s screenplay is an almost direct transfer of his stage play carrying the same name. The caretaker by harold pinter starring alan bates, donald pleasence and robert shaw. I commend the film version with donald pleasance, alan bates and robert shaw. The caretaker tv movie 1981 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The caretaker also known as the guest is a 1963 british drama film directed by clive donner and based on the harold pinter play of the same name.
The remarkable performances are by donald pleasence, robert shaw and alan bates. Nov 06, 2010 the caretaker was first produced in london in 1960 and was harold pinters first major success as a dramatist. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. The caretaker 2016 cast and crew when the aging, sickly birdie sondra blake scares off her last caretaker, her granddaughter mallorie meegan warner must move into birdies large victorian. The caretaker international journal of humanities and cultural. Hi, for our drama course we are working on harold pinters play the homecoming over the next 2 weeks. The caretaker was first produced in london in 1960 and was harold pinters first major success as a dramatist. Davies is shiftless and seems on the run, and aston is not playing with a full deck. His samaritan is a gentle young man whose kindness is so casual that he seems almost indifferent. In 1963, a film version of the play based on pinters unpublished screenplay was. Lee evans to step out of retirement for homage to harold pinter. The caretaker project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Aston, who it is revealed has suffered from mental illness and undergone electric shock treatment, invites davies into his house after rescuing him. May 31, 2018 life, death, and a good pair of shoes.
For reasons unclear, aston robert shaw invites a tramp named davies. I was clueless about what was going on with the old lady but the further into the movie things slowly open up. The collection, harold pinter, 1976, with malcolm mcdowellalan bateshelen mirrenlaurence olivier. Nov, 2017 the caretaker by harold pinter starring alan bates, donald pleasence and robert shaw.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Filmed during the freezing winter of 1963, clive donners the caretaker is a faithful translation of pinters groundbreaking stage play. The play opens as aston saves davies from a fight and brings him home to give him a place to stay. The caretaker is a play in three acts by harold pinter. Pinters screenplay is an almost direct transfer of his stage play carrying the same name. The caretaker is a 1963 british drama film directed by clive donner and based on the harold pinter play of the same name. While renovating his house in london, aston, out of pity, lodges a homeless man, but astons brother taunts and harasses the cranky old bum. They dont know what theyre missing, says michael billington. The action of the play occurs in the flat of aston and mick, two brothers. The caretaker is a classic tragicomedy play by harold pinter. When aging, sickly birdie scares off her last caretaker, granddaughter mallorie must move into her large victorian home to take care of her. Embodied solitude and ingratitude, and cruelty of course. The story is a simple one of a tramp given lodgings supposedly in exchange for acting as caretaker for the house in a storage room where a camp bed serves as the only comfort.
Aug 11, 2012 bbc production from the late 80s, starring the playwright, harold pinter, and a stellar ensemble including julie walters, joan plowright, and kenneth cranham as stanley webber. The caretaker takes place in a house in west london during the 1950s and examines the strange relationship between a tramp, davies, and two damaged and disconnected brothers, mick and aston. The screenplay is by nobel prizewinning playwright, harold pinter. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers and a tramp, became pinter s first significant commercial success. Jul 02, 2018 the first cinema film made from his writing, the caretaker presents the epitome of pinters london, with the people and places he knew recreated with perfect precision not least because the house was situated only a road away from where pinter himself grew up. Jonathan pryce on harold pinter s the caretaker live. Harold pinter is so famous as a playwright that people tend to overlook the enormous contribution he has made to cinema. It was entered into the th berlin international film festival where it won the silver bear extraordinary jury prize.
Harold pinters work is represented by judy daish associates limited and applications for all performances and uses of harold pinters work including amateur and professional stage performances, radio broadcasts, television transmissions and readings and use of extracts need to be addressed to them in the first instance and in advance of finalizing your plans. The caretaker was the play that made harold pinters name when it was first performed at the arts theatre, london in 1960, and it remains probably his most famous. Mar 29, 2017 the caretaker full movie thomas aubin. In cinematic terms, it perhaps lacks interest, but it preserves for ever the wonderful performance of donald pleasance as davies, the tramp entering astons and micks lives. Clive donners film version of harold pinters groundbreaking play. Starring alan bates, donald pleasence and robert shaw. The caretaker harold pinter wrote the play which was to disturb the approach of nearly all contemporary dramatic writers in their attitude. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers and a tramp, became pinters first significant commercial success. In the play the caretaker by harold pinter, violence is very closely tied in with power.