Hot on the heels of the recent BBC series, and thirty years on from its release, it’s
interesting to learn that Scandal was originally conceived as a three-part TV series
by producer Stephen Woolley and writer Michael Thomas who felt that was the
best medium for what is still a news story. Indeed, even in 1989 the Profumo
scandal was very much alive with the “establishment” obstructing this film
where they could – the BBC and others went cold after initial interest, locations
where hard to find and which actor was brave enough to play the role of one of Mrs
Thatcher’s best friends.
Interesting also is the initial take of director Michael
Caton-Jones on meeting Woolley and the team at Palace Pictures who he thought
were more about marketing stylish stories than content. Caton-Jones' graduate
film at the National Film and Television School – included here – was after
all, The Riveter (1986) a tough tale of working-class folk in Glasgow
whilst Woolley had just made Absolute Beginners (1986); was this going
to be another case of nostalgia for cash? After roughing them up on first
encounter he decided they were serious about the subject matter and the potential
the project had to make a political point as well as right some of the wrongs
of recent history.
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| Amazingly Ian became Sir Ian in spite of the film, Joanne became Whalley-Kilmer and that's a whole different story. |
My memory of the film did have it closer to Caton-Jones’
initial impressions – especially with the Pet Shop Boys and Dusty coolly
stylish theme, Nothing Has Been Proved - but watching it again now you can understand
why John Hurt listed it among his favourite films. Hurt plays a blinder as Dr Stephen
Ward who’s lust for life is as apparent as the determination of the powers that
be to set him up as the fall guy for the infidelity of the Minister of War. Of
course, John Profumo (Ian McKellen) also made the foolish decision to lie to
Parliament about his involvements not just for his unfaithfulness but also
because of the links Keeler and Ward had with a Russian spy.
Hurt plays Ward with a confident sensitivity, there’s
even an innocence in his game playing with the swinging set and his picking up
of young women to provide illicit thrills for strait-laced former public-school
boys in select parties in Knightsbridge. He’s attracted to Christine Keeler –
played here by the It Girl of the era, Joanne Whalley (who I once saw as Lulu
in Pandora’s Box at the Almeida…) – perhaps more for what she can
provide to others than himself and – she says – moulds her from show girl to
high-class “companion” if not escort.
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| The Man, John Hurt |
There’s another silent film link as the nightclub in
which Christine works is set in the Café de Paris, the location used for Piccadilly
(1928) with Anna May Wong. Here we also meet Mandy Rice-Davies played by Bridget
Fonda with decent English accent and enough sass to earn her a Golden Globe nomination.
As my daughter observed, the two actresses are more “objectified” than in the
recent TV series and even though Joanne Whalley refused to do nude scenes and a
double had to be used, the camera lingers long on the two as they put on their “warpaint”
as The Shadows Apache plays. Even 1989 is a long way away when you’re 21 and
when you’re older you just forget how much you’ve changed. The film was made 27
years after the scandal and released 31 years ago… which makes it braver than
it seemed at the time given the posthumous handling of Profumo’s affair.
Ian McKellen is excellent as the Minister in question
even though Profumo’s pattern baldness has clearly challenged make-up teams all
along. He captures the sympathy in ways which balance out the narrative, he was
as a victim too albeit one with more resources and friends in high places
enough to allow him to carry on his life working for a charity. There’s one
lovely moment when he’s in bed with Christine as she opens her moth in what initially
looks like ecstasy before covering it to stifle a yawn… yes, there was clearly
something else about the rich and powerful middle-aged man that attracted the
teenager other than his animal magnetism.
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| Getting ready for battle |
There’s also super support from the likes of Roland Gift
as Christine’s lover Johnny Edgecombe, the legendary Jean Alexander as Christine’s
Mum and Leslie Phillips as Lord Astor, one of Stephen’s better friends and
therefore one of his biggest betrayers when the need to make him guilty arose.
The police are a motley duo of Alex Norton and Ronald Fraser whilst the press
couldn’t get any sleazier than young Keith Allen and the brilliant Ken Campbell.
Deborah Grant plays Valerie Hobson and is identified only
as Mrs. Profumo in the film’s credits… even then there were some lines that
couldn’t be crossed and it’s a wonder that this film was able to tread the path
it did.
The BFI set includes a making of film with contributions
from Hurt as well as Woolley and the Michael’s Thomas and Caton-Jones along
with extended interviews with both director and producer. There are commentaries from all three along with the documentary Cabaret Girl (1956, 26 mins) on Murray’s Cabaret Club, shot shortly before its owner hired Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies as dancers. There’s the usual
essay-packed booklet and you even get the Dusty/PSB video.
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