#Ian richardson

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Ian Richardson by Chris Fucile, Feb. 2024

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Ian Richardson: The Scandalous Case of the Short-Lived Sherlock

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Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger's Malleus Maleficarum read by Ian Richardson - Caedmon - 1974 (cover illustration by N.B. Ward)

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The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

(Handmade Soft Toy Fox inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective and beautifully portrayed by Ian Richardson in two television movies)

~ Remembering Ian Richardson on his birthday ~

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With everything going on in the world right now, it's hard not to relate to Bill Haydon in these specific few seconds (relating to bloody Bill Haydon! that ought to tell you something about the state of the world)

[fizziedoodle]

B.A.P.S

directed by Robert Townsend

starring Halle Berry, Natalie Desselle, Martin Landau, & Ian RIchardson

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Warren Mitchell, June Brown, Celia Imrie, Fiona Shaw, John Sessions, Ian Richardson, Christopher Lee, Lynsey Baxter, Neve McIntosh and Zoë Wanamaker in "Gormenghast"

Jonathan Rhys Meyers in "Gormenghast"

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Measure for Measure (1970). Ian’s Angelo has been described as the most terrific performance ever seen in this role. Between underlying threat and insidious seduction, his Angelo has the appearance of an angel and the behaviour of a demon. This production is remained famous by the intense and physical interpretation of its cast. It has been reported that Ian’s several exits off stage were accompanied by a thunderous applause. A memorable performance that I would have liked to see.

[randomnessoffiction]

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Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of Witches) Read by Ian Richardson.

Halloween Season: Witch Hunters on Wax

[saleszulu76]

Ian Richardson by Chris Fucile, Feb. 2024

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"THE WOMAN IN WHITE" (1997) Review

"THE WOMAN IN WHITE" (1997) Review

I have very little familiarity with Victorian novelist, Wilkie Collins and his work. One, I have never read any of his novels. And two, I had only become aware of his works and adaptations of his work some two to three years ago. One of those adaptations happened to be the 1997 television movie, "THE WOMAN IN WHITE".

Although a longtime viewer of PBS's "MASTERPIECE THEATER", I had never seen this version of Collins' 1859-60 novel when it first aired on U.S. television, years ago. It took streaming television for me to finally stumble across this movie. Recalling how much I had enjoyed it, I did a recent re-watch. Had my feelings for this production changed? Good question.

"THE WOMAN IN WHITE" was a BBC-TV adaptation of what is regarded as an early example of a mystery novel. Half-sisters Marian and Laura Fairlie live with their hypochondriac uncle, Mr. Fairlie, at his estate called Limmeridge. He hires a young artist named Walter Hartright to serve as their art tutor. Upon his arrival in the neighborhood, Walter unexpectedly meets a young woman dressed in white, who acquires about his plans to stay at Limmeridge. When he finally meets the Fairlie sisters, Walter realizes that Laura bears a strong resemblance to the woman he had earlier encountered. Laura and Walter develop an attraction between them, but Marian nips the potential romance in the bud when she reveals Laura's engagement to a family acquaintance, a landowner named Sir Percy Glyde. When Marian receives a warning about Sir Percy, she and Walter deduces it came from the woman the latter had encountered on his first night - a local named Anne Catherick. While heading into the woods to meet with Walter and track down Anne, Marian spots a servant woman running out of the woods, with Walter close behind. She accuses him of attempted rape. Walter is dismissed by Mr. Fairlie and Laura proceeds with her marriage to Sir Percival.

I have always regarded Collins' 1859-60 novel as a personal favorite. If I must be blunt, I have always preferred it over his other famous novel, "The Moonstone". This adaptation of "The Woman in White" is the shortest I have seen, with a running time of 125 minutes. I thought Davie Pirie of adapting the novel for a television movie. He had more or less retained the main narrative of Collins' novel. Although Marian and Laura remained half-sisters, the two characters shared the same parents, instead of the same mother. And I believe he made one improvement by allowing Marian to have a bigger role in the story's third act, which featured the mystery's resolution and the villain's downfall. More importantly, the shorter running time spared me of the final aspects of Count Fosco's arc, which I believe had unnecessarily dragged Collins' novel.

However, I do have a few complaints about Pirie's changes. I thought he had unnecessarily magnified Sir Percy Glyde's villainy by making him a rapist. He had raped Anne Catherick, when she was a girl. Although I have no problems with Pirie expanding Marian's role in defeating Sir Percy in the third act, I had a big issue with making her defeat her brother-in-law by locking him in a burning church. Pirie had transformed Marian into a murderer. And this was not my idea of expanding her role into Sir Percy's defeat. And unless I had missed that moment, I do not recall the movie revealing Count Fosco's reason for helping Sir Percy achieve his goal. Worse, the movie failed to reveal his fate before the movie's last scene.

Although published between 1859 and 1860, Collins' novel was set a decade earlier, between 1849 and 1850. Yet, "THE WOMAN IN WHITE" - at least this version - seemed to be set during the early or mid 1870s. I have no problem with this. This new setting still adhered to theme of a woman's property and marriage, considering it was set before the Married Women's Property Act 1882. Odile Dicks-Mireaux's costumes had received a BAFTA (British Academy Television) Award nomination and did an excellent job in reflecting not only this period setting, but also the characters' social standing:

I do not have any issues with the performances featured in "THE WOMAN IN WHITE". The television movie featured more than competent supporting performances from the likes of Susan Vidler, John Standing, Adie Allen, Kika Markham, Ann Bell and especially Corin Redgrave and Nicholas Woodeson. This adaptation of Collins' novel featured the second time Ian Richardson portrayed the hypocondriac Mr. Fairlie. He had portrayed the same character in the 1982 miniseries. Which performance did I regard superior? I cannot answer that. I would have to watch the older version. But I cannot deny that Richardson gave a very entertaining and fascinating performance as the unreliable Mr. Fairlie. I found Simon Callow equally fascinating as Sir Percival's mysterious companion, Count Fasco. I also have to give credit to the actor for portraying a non-English character without resorting to exaggerated gestures and an accent.

Andrew Lincoln gave an excellent performance as the emotional artist Walter Hartright. It only seemed a pity that his screen appearance and later, his role, had been limited. If I had my choice for the best on-screen Sir Percival Glyde I have seen, I would choose James Wilby's interpretation. His portrayal of the story's main villain struck me as very skillful and surprisingly subtle. I say surprisingly, considering that his Glyde's villainy had been magnified in compared to the literary and other on-screen versions. Justine Waddell gave a quiet, yet competent performance as Laura Fairlie, the catalyst and target in this mystery. Ironically, the heart and soul of Collins' story was Marian Fairlie (Halcombe in the other versions). The showrunners selected the right woman for the job, namely Tara Fitzgerald. She was superb as the forthright and emotional Marian, whose determination to protect her younger sister, led her into situations she never thought she would find herself in. Fitzgerald not only did an excellent job of portraying Marian's emotional connection to her sister, but also her ruthless determination to save the latter.

Overall, "THE WOMAN IN WHITE" proved to be an excellent adaptation of Wilkie Collins' 1859-60 novel. Due to its running time suited for a movie, screenwriter Davie Pirie made changes that either had no damaging impact and improved Collins' story. But a few of the screenwriter's changes did not serve the narrative, as well. However, one of the BAFTA TV Awards nominations for "THE WOMAN IN WHITE" proved to be Best Drama Serial. Thanks to Pirie's transcript, Tim Fywell's excellent direction and a first-rate cast led by Tara Fitzgerald and Justine Waddell, I believe the miniseries deserved that nomination.

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I think we need to talk more about Ian Richardson as Sherlock Holmes. Sure, the two films he appeared in aren't very good adaptations of their respective stories, but he is absolutely amazing in the role! Like Basil Rathbone, he closely resembles the original illustrations, but his performance also seems to anticipate that of Jeremy Brett, with elements like Holmes's touch repulsion and his recurrent amused air making an appearance.

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Virgin New Adventures Reviews: The Dying Days by Lance Parkin (or, "The Final Cut")

Should you listen to the Aquanettas?

Who is Edward Greyhaven supposed to resemble?

How will the New Adventures bid farewell to the Doctor?

Should Watership Down and Space Jam be watched as a double feature?

These are just some of the questions answered by The Dying Days, or more accurately by my typically obstruse brand of review. Check it out, folks.

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Gormenghast - BBC Two - January 17, 2000 - February 7, 2000 / PBS - June 27 - 28, 2001

Fantasy (4 episodes)

Running Time: 60 minutes

Stars:

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Steerpike

Celia Imrie as Gertrude, Countess of Groan

Ian Richardson as Sepulchrave, Earl of Groan

Neve McIntosh as Lady Fuchsia Groan

Christopher Lee as Flay

Richard Griffiths as Swelter

Andrew N. Robertson as Titus, Earl of Groan (17 years)

Cameron Powrie as Titus, Earl of Groan (12 years)

John Sessions as Dr. Alfred Prunesquallor

Fiona Shaw as Irma Prunesquallor

June Brown as Nannie Slagg

Olga Sosnovska as Keda

Zoë Wanamaker as Lady Clarice Groan

Lynsey Baxter as Lady Cora Groan

Stephen Fry as Professor Bellgrove

Warren Mitchell as Barquentine

Windsor Davies as Rottcodd

Eric Sykes as Mollocks

Spike Milligan as Headmaster De'Ath

Gregor Fisher as The Fly

Mark Williams as Professor Perch

Martin Clunes as Professor Flower

Steve Pemberton as Professor Mule

Phil Cornwell as Professor Shred

James Dreyfus as Professor Fluke

Sean Hughes as Poet