1984 (1955)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1955
Running Times: 90m/91m
Length:
Format:
Format: black and white
Ratio:
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Directed by: Michael Anderson

CREW

PRODUCTION
Copyright: 1955 by Holiday Film Productions Ltd
Production Companies: Associated British Picture Picture Corporation Ltd presents a Holiday production
Produced by: N. Peter Rathvon
Assistant Producer: Ralph Bettinson
Production Supervisor: John Croydon
Production Manager: G.R. Mitchell

SCRIPT
Screenplay by: William P. Templeton and Ralph Bettinson
Freely adapted from the novel 1984 by George Orwell

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: F. Slark
Continuity: Gladys Goldsmith

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: C. Pennington Richards
Camera Operator: R. Day (full name: Robert Day)

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Bill Lewthwaite

MUSIC
Music Composed by: Malcolm Arnold
Music Director: Louis Levy
(Music) Played by: The London Symphony Orchestra

SONGS AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC
"extract from Symphony No. 5, second movement" (uncredited)
By Ludwig van Beethoven

SOUND
Recording Director: Harold King
Sound Recordist: A. Bradburn
Dubbing Editor: A. Southgate
RCA Sound Recording

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Wardrobe: Barbara Gray
Make Up: L.V. Clark
Hairdressing: H. Montsash

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: B. Langley, G. Blackwell, N. Warwick

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Terence Verity
Assistant Art Directors: P. Glazier, L. Townsend

MISCELLANEOUS
Unit Car Driver: Eddie Frewin (uncredited)

LOCATIONS
Made at: Associated British Studios, Elstree, Herts, England

CASTING
Casting Director: R. Lennard

CAST

Michael Redgrave as O'Connor of the Inner Party
Edmond O'Brien as Winston Smith of the Outer Party
Jan Sterling as Julia of the Outer Party
David Kossoff as the junk shop owner (Charrington)
Mervyn Johns as Jones the traitor
Donald Pleasence as Parsons and Outer Party Member
Carol Wolveridge as Selina Parsons of the Spies

and
Ernest Clark (Outer Party announcer)
Patrick Allen (Inner Party official)
Ronan O'Casey (Rutherford)
Michael Ripper (Outer Party orator)
Ewen Solon (Outer Party orator)
Kenneth Griffiths (prisoner)

UNCREDITED CAST

John Vernon (voice of Big Brother)

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Associated British-Pathe Ltd.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Finland
Rating: K-16

TIMELINE

1956
February
Wednesday 22: UK - trade shows in London (Studio One at 10:30); Glasgow (Regal at 10:45)
Thursday 23: UK - trade shows in Liverpool (The Forum at 10:30); Sheffield (The Hippodrome at 10:30)
Friday 24: UK - trade shows in Leeds (The Ritz at 10:30); Newcastle (Haymarket at 10:30); Cardiff (Olympia at 10:45); Manchester (Oxford Cinema at 10:45)

March
1: UK - World Premiere at the Warner Theatre, London

September
Day Unknown: USA - theatrical release

December
7: Finland - theatrical release

1957
September
9: Sweden - theatrical release

Will Ecstasy Be a Crime ...In the Terrifying World of the Future?

Amazing wonders of tomorrow! Nothing like it ever filmed!

From the Startling George Orwell Novel!

Nel duemila non sorge il sole - Italian title

LINKS

SEE ALSO
1984 (1954)
Nineteen Eighty Four (1965)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
Theatre 625: The World of George Orwell: 1984 (1965)

REFERENCES

PERIODICALS

Daily Film Renter n7070 (23 February 1956) pp.2-3, 4
poster, advert announcing World Premiere

Daily Film Renter n7071 (24 February 1956) p.3
review (by Leslie Wood)

Hollywood Reporter v134 n47 (3 June 1955) p.9
credits

Kinematograph Weekly v468 n2538 (16 February - 5 April 1956) p.18
review (by Josh Billings)

Monthly Film Bulletin v23 n267 (April 1956) p.43
review (by J.W.)

Sight and Sound v25 n4 (Spring 1956) pp.170, 198
note (Doublethink by anonymous, p.170); review (by Derek Hill, p.198)

Sight and Sound v53 n2 (Spring 1984) pp.111-114
illustrated article (News From Oceania by Jill Forbes)

Today's Cinema v86 n7466 (23 February 1956) p.8
review (by M.M.W.)

Variety 14 March 1956 p.22
review (by Myro)

BOOKS

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.337
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

Big Brother, book into film, the future, martial law, television, totalitarianism

Last Updated: 28 February, 2009