Haydn Wheeler's Blog - Posts Tagged "yvonne-mitchell-1984"
Yvonne Mitchell and that novel, '1984'. Her part in the 1954 TV Production.
1984
Writing for the Manchester Evening News, a report on the upcoming screening of the BBC’s adaptation of George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’, titled as an article by a special correspondent, we are told the why of this production and why now. Those who decide what appears on our TV screens wanted to end the year 1954 with something that might have classic proportions. With a cast including Yvonne Mitchell as Julie and Peter Cushing as Winston Smith described as an event in itself, Rudolph Cartier as producer and BBC script writer Nigel Kneale, all working on the project, confirms the BBC’s ending intentions of this classic proportions endeavour. Rudolph and Nigel, both associated with the Quatermass serials, also worked together for a BBC’s production of ‘Wuthering Heights’ in 1953. This saw Yvonne Mitchell playing Cathy opposite Richard Todd as Heathcliff. Seen as a success and a classic interpretation on screen, ‘1984’ followed, and seen in excellent hands.
Shown over two nights, the 12th and repeated on the 16th of December 1954, this television screening has reached a legendary status in its reactions, controversy surrounding the broadcast. Those that watched on the night, and the repeat having their say. Before the television screening, broadcasters even issued a public warning, “unsuitable for children and elderly people of a nervous disposition.”
We see headlines speaking of horror, revolting, by some viewers, the BBC switchboard swamped, a motion in Parliament deploying the BBC’s “sadistic tastes” and even a story from the Daily Express that has a header stating, ‘1984, Wife Dies As She Watches’. This revelation loses its shock intention as you read on. A case of while watching, not as the reason for her death, becomes obvious later in the piece. One wonders what her husband thought of the use of his sadly departed wife, being used for effect in a newspaper.
Mostly, though, the newspapers of the day gave positive reviews and viewers such as David, from Woodham, are an example of viewers who praised the production.
“I congratulate the BBC on the first-class TV play 1984.” He continues praising the play, “making us more aware of our responsibility for the future and for our children.”
What about the cast of this newsworthy moment on television? Fortunately, we have Yvonne Mitchell, Peter Cushing, and producer Rudolph Cartier sharing their thoughts on their involvement in this historical TV production, again via the Daily Express.
Rudolph informs us the courage of the BBC staggered him. “From the moment they first proposed it they stuck to their decision through all kinds of difficulties and troubles, and people saying it would be difficult or tricky to put over.”
His remarks on Orwell’s 1984, in its message he says, “For that is what it is- a serious warning, outspoken propaganda against totalitarianism in all such forms, such as Fascism, Nazism, Communism or McCarthyism.” Explained passionately, and adding “if someone had written a novel in 1910 and called it 1954 and forecast extermination camps, slave labour, the horrors of atomic and hydrogen bombs they would probably have been accused of wild exaggeration, and morbid, crooked thinking.”
Yvonne Mitchell comes at her performance as an actress, concerning herself with acting, her interpreting of a role, but here also, we see her expressing her feelings at the rehearsal stage revealing the effect the play had on her when playing Julie.
“Rehearsing ‘1984’ was terrifying. All the things I dread were brought home starkly to me every day. The Totalitarian State where no one can exist as an individual, where no private thought is allowed where one is watched by a TV screen in every moment of one’s life, where men and women dress uniformly, where spying is encouraged, where love is a crime, is a way of life that makes me shake with fear.
There has been enough portent of this in our lifetime to make one recognise that such things are possible. Pray God they are not probable. Getting back after rehearsal to 1984 was each day a breath of relief. I began to appreciate the things I often take for granted: freedom to dress as one wants - even the choice of lunch on a menu card.
Actors very seldom have any strong feelings about the purpose of a play they appear in. We are concerned only with acting, with interpreting. We are nearly all of us constantly non-political animals. We take no sides. We have no axe to grind. But all of us who took part in this TV play were convinced of its importance, were proud to take part in it.”
Peter also shares a similar take on his thoughts concerning his part as Winston Smith. Stating it as a job of work, but also more than that. He adds in his summing up an interesting comparison of writers in their intentions of interpreting the message in the books.
“I was reminded in rehearsing ‘1984’ of Gulliver’s Travels, which Dean Swift wrote as a vicious tirade against governmental abuses. It has now become a children’s classic.
I do not suggest that ‘1984’ will ever become a book for children - but it must be remembered that George Orwell too was campaigning against the possibility of gross abuse of power.”
On a light note, The Sunday Pictorial gives a story regarding a telegram sent by Peter Cushing to his co-star Yvonne Mitchell of good wishes using ‘Newspeak’, A language brought about by 1984’s totalitarian government to limit the range of words, grammar, and vocabulary. Critical thinking curtailed, suppressing our ability to express ourselves in words.
It read: Double-plus-un-bad-luck-ful-ness.
“How many words is that?” Asked the operator, baffled. “One” replied Peter.
Writing for the Manchester Evening News, a report on the upcoming screening of the BBC’s adaptation of George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’, titled as an article by a special correspondent, we are told the why of this production and why now. Those who decide what appears on our TV screens wanted to end the year 1954 with something that might have classic proportions. With a cast including Yvonne Mitchell as Julie and Peter Cushing as Winston Smith described as an event in itself, Rudolph Cartier as producer and BBC script writer Nigel Kneale, all working on the project, confirms the BBC’s ending intentions of this classic proportions endeavour. Rudolph and Nigel, both associated with the Quatermass serials, also worked together for a BBC’s production of ‘Wuthering Heights’ in 1953. This saw Yvonne Mitchell playing Cathy opposite Richard Todd as Heathcliff. Seen as a success and a classic interpretation on screen, ‘1984’ followed, and seen in excellent hands.
Shown over two nights, the 12th and repeated on the 16th of December 1954, this television screening has reached a legendary status in its reactions, controversy surrounding the broadcast. Those that watched on the night, and the repeat having their say. Before the television screening, broadcasters even issued a public warning, “unsuitable for children and elderly people of a nervous disposition.”
We see headlines speaking of horror, revolting, by some viewers, the BBC switchboard swamped, a motion in Parliament deploying the BBC’s “sadistic tastes” and even a story from the Daily Express that has a header stating, ‘1984, Wife Dies As She Watches’. This revelation loses its shock intention as you read on. A case of while watching, not as the reason for her death, becomes obvious later in the piece. One wonders what her husband thought of the use of his sadly departed wife, being used for effect in a newspaper.
Mostly, though, the newspapers of the day gave positive reviews and viewers such as David, from Woodham, are an example of viewers who praised the production.
“I congratulate the BBC on the first-class TV play 1984.” He continues praising the play, “making us more aware of our responsibility for the future and for our children.”
What about the cast of this newsworthy moment on television? Fortunately, we have Yvonne Mitchell, Peter Cushing, and producer Rudolph Cartier sharing their thoughts on their involvement in this historical TV production, again via the Daily Express.
Rudolph informs us the courage of the BBC staggered him. “From the moment they first proposed it they stuck to their decision through all kinds of difficulties and troubles, and people saying it would be difficult or tricky to put over.”
His remarks on Orwell’s 1984, in its message he says, “For that is what it is- a serious warning, outspoken propaganda against totalitarianism in all such forms, such as Fascism, Nazism, Communism or McCarthyism.” Explained passionately, and adding “if someone had written a novel in 1910 and called it 1954 and forecast extermination camps, slave labour, the horrors of atomic and hydrogen bombs they would probably have been accused of wild exaggeration, and morbid, crooked thinking.”
Yvonne Mitchell comes at her performance as an actress, concerning herself with acting, her interpreting of a role, but here also, we see her expressing her feelings at the rehearsal stage revealing the effect the play had on her when playing Julie.
“Rehearsing ‘1984’ was terrifying. All the things I dread were brought home starkly to me every day. The Totalitarian State where no one can exist as an individual, where no private thought is allowed where one is watched by a TV screen in every moment of one’s life, where men and women dress uniformly, where spying is encouraged, where love is a crime, is a way of life that makes me shake with fear.
There has been enough portent of this in our lifetime to make one recognise that such things are possible. Pray God they are not probable. Getting back after rehearsal to 1984 was each day a breath of relief. I began to appreciate the things I often take for granted: freedom to dress as one wants - even the choice of lunch on a menu card.
Actors very seldom have any strong feelings about the purpose of a play they appear in. We are concerned only with acting, with interpreting. We are nearly all of us constantly non-political animals. We take no sides. We have no axe to grind. But all of us who took part in this TV play were convinced of its importance, were proud to take part in it.”
Peter also shares a similar take on his thoughts concerning his part as Winston Smith. Stating it as a job of work, but also more than that. He adds in his summing up an interesting comparison of writers in their intentions of interpreting the message in the books.
“I was reminded in rehearsing ‘1984’ of Gulliver’s Travels, which Dean Swift wrote as a vicious tirade against governmental abuses. It has now become a children’s classic.
I do not suggest that ‘1984’ will ever become a book for children - but it must be remembered that George Orwell too was campaigning against the possibility of gross abuse of power.”
On a light note, The Sunday Pictorial gives a story regarding a telegram sent by Peter Cushing to his co-star Yvonne Mitchell of good wishes using ‘Newspeak’, A language brought about by 1984’s totalitarian government to limit the range of words, grammar, and vocabulary. Critical thinking curtailed, suppressing our ability to express ourselves in words.
It read: Double-plus-un-bad-luck-ful-ness.
“How many words is that?” Asked the operator, baffled. “One” replied Peter.
