Bert & Dickie (2012)
Actors
Plot
In 1948 a London beset by rationing and austerity measures has six weeks to go before the first Olympic Games after the war. With athletes having to supply their own kit the Labour government is desperately hoping the games will attract foreign tourists and their money. Working class Bert Bushnell is anxious for selection in the single sculls event and is upset when former Olympian medallist and innovative organizer Jack Beresford pairs him with journalist Dickie Burnell,whose privileged background he despises. Their initial poor performance sees them at odds but,after Bert has convinced Dickie that their boat needs alterations, their prowess and mutual respect increases. On the eve of the games a nervous Dickie is given confidence by Bert's father and applies a little of his own cunning to ensure a path to the finals. Ultimately Bert also seeks Dickie's father's reassurance,both elders having a secret of their own,and the pair go on to beat the favoured Danish duo and win Olympic gold.
Keywords: 1940s, based-on-a-true-story, class-differences, gold-medal, london-england, olympics, rationing, rowing, sculling, teamwork
Genres
Made in Dagenham (2010)
Actors
Plot
In 1968, the Ford auto factory in Dagenham was one of the largest single private employers in the United Kingdom. In addition to the thousands of male employees, there are also 187 underpaid women machinists who primarily assemble the car seat upholstery in poor working conditions. Dissatisfied, the women, represented by the shop steward and Rita O'Grady, work with union rep Albert Passingham for a better deal. However, Rita learns that there is a larger issue in this dispute considering that women are paid an appalling fraction of the men's wages for the same work across the board on the sole basis of their sex. Refusing to tolerate this inequality any longer, O'Grady leads a strike by her fellow machinists for equal pay for equal work. What follows would test the patience of all involved in a grinding labour and political struggle that ultimately would advance the cause of women's rights around the world.
Keywords: 1960s, 31-year-old, ambulance, apartment-building, apology, archive-footage, assembly-line, auto-industry, automobile-factory, banner
Genres
Taglines:
1968. It's a man's world. But not for long...
Dagenham, England, 1968. An ordinary woman fights for equal pay and achieves something extraordinary.
Quotes:
Barbara Castle: I am what is known as a fiery redhead. Now, I hate to make this a matter of appearance and go all womanly on you, but there you have it. And me standing up like this is in fact just that redheaded fieriness leaping to the fore. Credence? I will give credence to their cause. My god! Their cause already has credence. It is equal pay. Equal pay is common justice, and if you two weren't such a pair of egotistical, chauvinistic, bigoted dunderheads, you would realise that. Oh, my office is run by incompetents and I am sick of being patronised, spoken down to, and generally treated as if I was the May Queen. Set up the meeting!
Rita O'Grady: All right, um, everybody out!
Rita O'Grady: Look, I know you're not mentioning it because you're being polite and everything, but when we met in the corridor, well I was really upset, and I never usually use that type of language.::Lisa Hopkins: Don't you?::Rita O'Grady: No.::Lisa Hopkins: Well I called Mr Clarke a complete cock.
Lisa Hopkins: I'm Lisa Burnett, I'm 31 years old and I have a first class honours degree from one of the finest universities in the world, and my husband treats me like I'm a fool.
News Reporter 1: What if Mrs. Castle says "no deal"?::News Reporter 2: How will you cope then?::Rita O'Grady: Cope? How will we cope? We're women. Now, don't ask such stupid questions.
Eddie O'Grady: Christ, I like a drink, but I ain't out on the beer every night or screwin' other women, or... 'Ere, I've never once raised me hand to you. Ever. Or the kids.::Rita O'Grady: Christ.::Eddie O'Grady: What? Why are you looking like that?::Rita O'Grady: Right. You're a saint now, is that what you're tellin' me, Eddie? You're a bleedin' saint? 'Cause you give us an even break?::Eddie O'Grady: What are you saying?::Rita O'Grady: That is as it should be. Jesus, Eddie! What do you think this strike's all been about, eh? Oh yeah. Actually you're right. You don't go on the drink, do ya? You don't gamble, you join in with the kids, you don't knock us about. Oh, lucky me. For Christ's sake, Eddie, that's as it should be! You try and understand that. Rights, not privileges. It's that easy. It really bloody is.
Albert Passingham: This dispute's got nothing to do with what skill level you are. Ford decided to give you less money because they can. They're allowed to pay women a lower wage than men. All over the country women are getting less because they're women. You'll always come second. You'll always be fighting over the scraps from the top table, until you...::Rita O'Grady: Until we get equal pay, yeah.::Albert Passingham: Yeah.::Rita O'Grady: What I don't get is why it's so important to you.::Albert Passingham: I got brought up by my mum. Me and me brothers. She worked all her life. And she paid my aunt Lil to take care of us during the day. And it was hard, especially as she was getting less than half than what the blokes at the factory was getting, for doing the same work. And there was never any question that it could be any different. Not for her. Someone has got stop these exploiting bastards getting away with what they've been doing for years. And you can, you can, Rita, believe me.
Rita O'Grady: All those in favour of not only maintaining but increasing our current industrial action by going to an immediate all-out stoppage until we get the same rates of pay as the men! Well, why not? Cause that's what this is really about, innit? We're on the lowest rate of the entire bleeding factory despite the fact we got considerable skill. And there's only one possible reason for that. It's cause we're women. And in the workplace, women get paid less than men, no matter what skill they got! Which is why from now on, we got to demand a level playing field and rates of pay which reflect the job you do, not whether you got a dick or not! This strike is about one thing and one thing only! Fairness. Equal pay or nothing! All those in favour?::The Women: Yeah!::Rita O'Grady: Everybody out!
[Albert is being accused by his union of scuppering other negotiations with management by supporting the women's equal-pay strike]::Bartholomew: As a union we have to remember who comes first. The Communist Party. And Marx himself said "Men write their own history". That's "men", Albert.::Albert Passingham: But didn't he also say "Progress can be measured by the social position of the female sex"? Or was that a different Marx? That was Groucho, was it?::[Bartholomew is lost for words]::Albert Passingham: Equal pay across the board. You telling me that ain't worth fighting for? Of course it is, and you know it. I'll tell you something. This Rita has got a bigger set of balls than you three put together. And she ain't scared to lay 'em on the line, neither. And I for one am gonna help her. And if you are what you say you are, an organisation pledged to support its members, then you'll get off your lazy fat arses and you'll help her too. Good fucking evening.::[Albert walks out of the office]
[Rita gives an impromptu speech at the trade union conference]::Rita O'Grady: My best friend lost her husband recently. He was a gunner in the 50 Squadron in the RAF. Got shot down one time, on a raid to Essen. And even though he was badly injured, he managed to bail out. I asked him why he joined the RAF, and he said "Well, they've got the best women, haven't they?"::[audience laughs]::Rita O'Grady: And then he said "Well, you've got to do something, haven't you? You had to do something, that was a given. Cos it was a matter of principle. You had to stand up. You had to do what was right. Cos otherwise you wouldn't be able to look at yourself in the mirror." When did that change, eh? When did we, in this country, decide to stop fighting? I don't think we ever did. But you've got to back us up. You've got to stand up with us. *We* are the working classes - the men *and* the women. We're not separated by sex, but only by those who are willing to accept injustice and those like our friend George who are prepared to go into battle for what is right. And equal pay for women *is* right.
Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story (2008)
Actors
Plot
In the early 1960s, Mrs. Mary Whitehouse, a middle-aged school teacher, begins a campaign against what she sees as filth and smut on BBC television and radio. She and a friend start knocking on doors, circulating petitions and organizing rallies. Her nemesis during this time is Sir Hugh Carleton Greene, Director General of the BBC. He thinks she is just an old busybody who has no artistic taste and doesn't represent the mainstream of British society. Throughout his tenure, which lasted several years, he refused to see her or respond to her correspondence. She continued to campaign at what she viewed as unacceptable programming until her death in 2001.
Keywords: 1960s, art-teacher, campaign, campaigning, censorship, character-name-in-title, christian, christian-fundamentalism, conservatism, husband-wife-relationship
Genres
Quotes:
David Turner: I've just had a spot of bother in Birmingham - I was ganged-up on by a group of schoolgirls and that demented housewife.::Sir Hugh Carleton Greene: Ah yes, of course. Now what *is* her name? No, don't tell me. Well you know what they say, old chap? Writing well is the best revenge. [he turns to walk away] Though garrotting your enemy with cheesewire runs a close second.
[at breakfast, with his wife and two teenage sons]::Sir Hugh Carleton Greene: Pass the butter.::Elaine Carleton Green: What's the magic word?::Sir Hugh Carleton Greene: Pass the *fucking* butter.
Mary Whitehouse: Oral sex. Have you heard of it?::Ernest Whitehouse: I have.::Mary Whitehouse: Why would anybody want to... I suppose I should feel sorry for the poor souls. I mean if relations are really *so* unsatisfactory that they have to turn to that. It's sad, more than anything.
[Mary Whitehouse has just sent a supposedly obscene script to the Postmaster General who has ordered an episode of Swizzlewick which lampoons her to be pulled mid-way through its broadcast. Sir Hugh is fuming]::Sir Hugh Carleton Greene: Who? Who? I want the traitor flushed out. I want strict controls of all scripts issued to anyone and everyone - anywhere and everywhere. Contrive some memo to that effect.::Miss Tate: Yes, Sir Hugh.::Sir Hugh Carleton Greene: And! And! I am issuing a directive with immediate effect. No-one connected to the Corporation is to have anything whatsoever to do with that woman, either socially or professionally. Though Christ knows why anyone would want to!::Miss Tate: Yes, Sir Hugh. You *do* mean Mrs Whitehouse?::Sir Hugh Carleton Greene: I don't want to hear her name.
Sir Hugh Carleton Greene: The woman wants to censor us, Hill. If she had her way, all we'd show would be Andy bloody Pandy - and she'd stop him climbing into that basket with Looby Loo, let alone Teddy, lest some innocent child be corrupted by the whiff of puppet troilism. And bestiality, I suppose - or *would* it be bestiality with a teddy bear rather than a real bear?
[Mary Whitehouse is appearing on a discussion programme which is about to go on air]::Female Panellist: Mrs Whitehouse, can I just say before the programme starts, that I've followed your campaign right from the beginning.::Mary Whitehouse: Oh yes, dear.::Female Panellist: And I utterly disagree with everything single thing you're doing.::Male Panellist: Hear hear. Freedom of expression is one of the most precious values we have in our society. You seem to have taken it on yourself to speak for people who don't support you in any way whatsoever. You should be ashamed of yourself.::Mary Whitehouse: [sulking] Oh well, we're all here to put our different views.
[at a meeting of her supporters at her house, Mary Whitehouse proposes a name for the organisation]::Mary Whitehouse: We'll call it Clean Up National Television.::[she holds up a placard featuring the name, with the initial letters highlighted]::Ernest Whitehouse: [chuckling] Er, I think you might want to choose a different name, dear.
The Plot Against Harold Wilson (2006)
Actors
Plot
Dramatised documentary which explores the reasons behind the sudden resignation on 16 March 1976 of British prime minister Harold Wilson. It is based on secret discussions that he had at the time with two journalists in which he alleges that the British intelligence services had made his position as prime minister untenable and that Britain was on the brink of a military coup, with Lord Mountbatten, the Queen's cousin, lined up to head an interim government after Wilson had been deposed.
Keywords: character-name-in-title
Genres
Longford (2006)
Actors
Plot
Biopic of Lord Longford, known for many years for his work with prisoners and prisoners rights in general. The film focuses on Longford's work on behalf of Myra Hindley convicted, along with her boyfriend Ian Brady, of several child murders. Hindley is nothing short of notorious and even Longord's wife is shocked when he announces that he will visit her in prison. When Prime Minister Harold Wilson removes him as the Government Leader in the House of Lords soon after his visits to Hindley are made public, Longford continues to work for her release. A devout convert to Roman Catholicism, Longford sees hope for Hindley when he learns that she too once converted to Catholicism. In the end, his campaign to get her released on parole is for naught when she reveals that other murders took place. Longford stood by his convictions however and never regretted the good work he had done over a great many years.
Keywords: 10-downing-street, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, afterlife, apology, attorney, author, beads, bench
Genres
Taglines:
The only thing more shocking than her crime was his crusade to free her.
Quotes:
[On his first visit to Myra Hindley in prison, Lord Longford is looking aimlessly around the visiting room trying to find her. He approaches a woman with bleached blonde hair, then discovers that this is not Hindley. Suddenly a woman with jet-black hair stands up]::Myra Hindley: I think it's me you're looking for.::Lord Longford: Myra Hindley?::Myra Hindley: I got rid of the peroxide before the trial. I was blue at the trial, for most of it. And then red for the sentencing. Apparently it counted against me - showed I had no remorse.::Lord Longford: I wasn't aware of a correlation between hair colour and contrition.
[Lord and Lady Longford are sitting up in bed looking at pornographic magazines, such as Mayfair and Slave, to decide whether they are offensive]::Lady Elizabeth Longford: Frank, it's harmless. Completely harmless.::Lord Longford: I disagree. These things are read by children at a vulnerable age. The boys on the bus can't have been more than twelve.::Lady Elizabeth Longford: And in our day it was just the same.::Lord Longford: Nothing *like* so graphic or as available. Look at it! Sexual arousal is Pavlovian - if boys grow up thinking that these kind of breasts or this kind of submission is normal, they'll expect it in later life.::Lady Elizabeth Longford: I'm afraid I'm with Marilyn Monroe on this. When asked what she thought about sex she thought for a moment and then said that she felt it was here to stay. And if it is, so is prostitution and so is pornography.
Ian Brady: My hunger strike is a legitimate protest against the filthy conditions here.::Lord Longford: Then why don't you allow me to make representations to the Home Secretary on your behalf?::Ian Brady: Because I'm not *completely* insane! If I wanted to set my cause back a decade or two... if I wanted to be denied all exercise... if I wanted to have them piss in my food, as well as spit in it... *then* I'd ask a batty old pornography campaigner, "Myra Hindley's Whipping Boy," to make representations on my behalf.
[after visiting Myra Hindley in prison]::Lady Elizabeth Longford: It seemed to me that for years I have been merrily attacking your father for supporting her, without having the slightest idea what I was talking about. And I must say my eyes have been opened, rather. Ironically, the thing that finally persuaded me to offer her my help was the very same thing that had so made me hate her in the first place: the fact that she is a woman. Did you know there have been half a dozen similar child murders? The reason none of us has heard about them is because the killers in each case were men. And men, being sadistic violent killers, isn't a story. Incidentally, in each case, the men have also been paroled. The reason that Myra Hindley is still in jail and has never been considered for parole, is because she is a woman. And for that reason she will always have my understanding... if not my sympathy.
Lord Longford: Hello Myra, is this the nightie you wanted, I couldn't remember what colour you asked for.::Myra Hindley: It's great thanks [quietly]::Lord Longford: Now the business.::Myra Hindley: Frank.::Lord Longford: I have a friend on the parole board::Myra Hindley: _Frank.::Lord Longford: ...who tells me your application will be considered next month, now if that goes well and all things being equal the national::Myra Hindley: _Frank enough. [Inhales cigarette slowly] The police have been to see me. Brady's talked to the press about the other bodies. I'm saying, that i'm going to give a full confessional to all five murders.::Lord Longford: What other bodies?::Myra Hindley: Pauline Reade. And the Bennet boy. He hasn't given them any details yet, but he says he knows where they're buried, and before he grabs the initiative i'm going to come clean and tell the prison "I know".::Lord Longford: but you know nothing about the bodies you've told me as much yourself.::Myra Hindley: [Stares blankly]::Lord Longford: What are you saying?::Myra Hindley: I'm saying, that i'm going to make a confessional to all five murders.::Lord Longford: Dear girl... I asked you specifically if there was anything that you hadn't told me. I've staked my name on this, my reputation.::Myra Hindley: I know. And i'd perfectly understand if you never wanted to see me again. It's what my new solicitor suggested anyway.::Lord Longford: Your new solicitor...?::Myra Hindley: He feels, and if i'm honest i'd agree with him, that the campaign you have conducted on my behalf has hurt me, more than helped me, and that we should make this our last meeting.I see...::Lord Longford: I see... if that's what he feels... that you feel. [Looks down]::Myra Hindley: [pause] Goodbye Frank. [Walks off]::Lord Longford: [Sits for a bit, and then apprehensively walks towards the door]
Myra Hindley: I'm trying Frank, to know the God that you know. But if you had been there, on the moors, in the moonlight, when we did the first one, you'd know, that evil can be a spiritual experience too.
Myra Hindley: It would be a nice place to be.::Lord Longford: Where?::Myra Hindley: Inside your head.::Lord Longford: Oh, I'm not sure about that.
[last lines]::Myra Hindley: You know, we only missed it by a few weeks.::Lord Longford: What?::Myra Hindley: The death sentence. They abolished it while we were on remand. Looking back, don't you think it would have been better for everyone if they'd just hung us?::Lord Longford: Certainly not! Only God has the right to take human life.::Myra Hindley: Would He not have wanted to give the families that comfort?::Lord Longford: [staring off into space] None of us knows the true purpose of our lives on earth... Besides, [gallant again] had you been hanged, I would never have had the privilege of getting to know you!::Myra Hindley: [gazes at him with sadness in her eyes] You really believe that, don't you? [he smiles at her shyly, and says nothing]::Myra Hindley: Must be a rather nice place to be.::Lord Longford: [he glances around them] Where?::Myra Hindley: Inside your head.::Lord Longford: [grins awkwardly and wags his head from side to side as if to dismiss the thought] Oh! I'm not so sure about that!::Myra Hindley: [taking another cigarette from her pack and pulling out her lighter] A fine pair we are, then. [long pan on the two chatting on their bench, so close they are almost touching. Credit sequence rolls]
Ian Brady: [at first seeing Lord Longford in prison] How good of you not to disappoint! Wonderful, isn't it, when people look *exactly* as you imagined? So this is my competition? This is what I'm up against? Myra's new boyfriend? She certainly picks them, doesn't she? I did a little research before our first meeting. I'd say there's great evidence of mental instability in your past and mine.
Lord Longford: [in first visit] What can I do for you, Mr. Brady?::Ian Brady: [looks sad and troubled] I'd like to find my way back to God, Lord Longford. Will ye help me?::Lord Longford: [eagerly] Most certainly, if that's what you want to -::Ian Brady: Don't ye fucking dare. If ye start that pious mumbo-jumbo with me, I will jump across that table and bite out your tongue.
