In a touring Shakespearean theater group, a backstage hand - the dresser - is devoted to the brilliant but tyrannical head of the company. He struggles to support the deteriorating star as the company struggles to carry on during the London Blitz. The pathos of his backstage efforts rival the pathos in the story of Lear and the Fool that is being presented on-stage, as the situation comes to a crisis.
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🔍 Search on JustWatch →The film doesn't rush. It trusts the viewer — gives time to inhabit the characters, understand what's really happening. Direction here serves the actors rather than overwhelming them.
This film doesn't entertain — it speaks. If you're ready for that, it'll leave a mark. If not — it'll seem slow.
A good choice for those who value subtle direction and honest performance.
Director: Peter Yates
— MovieFinder Editorial
Best Watched
Viewing atmosphere: Unhurried, on a weekday evening. Put down the phone, let the film work.
Albert Finney
Sir
Tom Courtenay
Norman
Edward Fox
Oxenby
Zena Walker
Her Ladyship
Eileen Atkins
Madge
Michael Gough
Frank Carrington
Cathryn Harrison
Irene
Betty Marsden
Violet Manning
Sheila Reid
Lydia Gibson
Lockwood West
Geoffrey Thornton
Audience Score
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