March 22 - Scandal

The movie for March 22 was a political drama with a scene that happened on that date.

SCANDAL              

In late 1950’s London, playboy Dr. Stephen Ward meets showgirl Christine Keeler.  He takes her under his wing in a platonic relationship and introduces her to all sorts of people and sex parties. Christine becomes friends with a new girl in the show Mandy Rice-Davies and they both move into Ward’s apartment. Ward introduces them to Yevgeni Ivanov, who works at the Soviet Embassy. Christine and Mandy meet Errol Flynn, Jr. An MI5 agent asks Ward to keep an eye on Ivanov, who’s suspected of being a spy. Then Christine literally runs into John Profumo, Minister for War at the cottage Ward rents from Lord Astor. Christine soon begins affairs with both Ivanov and Profumo. When Profumo tries to set her up in a private hideaway, she refuses to move out of Stephen’s flat. A year later Christine leaves one of her boyfriends and he tries to shoot his way into Ward’s flat. Because of this Ward ends his relationship with Christine. A story about the shooting appears in the newspapers. Christine sells her story to the papers and Ivanov is recalled to the USSR. Ward sends Christine off on a holiday. John Profumo makes a statement in Parliament where he denied ever having an affair with Christine Keeler on March 22, 1963[1:16:16 to 1:18:43]. Scotland Yard begins an investigation.  Lord Astor tosses Ward out of the cottage. The police try to pressure Keeler into saying Ward was her pimp, but she denies it.  Profumo admits that he lied to parliament and resigns as Minister for War. Ward is arrested and brought to trial for pandering. Mandy testifies that she gave money to Ward. Christine testifies that Ward gave her money. Ward defends her when his own counsel is badgering her on the stand. Ward kills himself. He is found guilty of pandering.

An interesting film. Hunt gives a very good performance as Ward. Be aware this film is rated R in the USA.  

Our Times: The Age of Elizabeth II by A.N. Wilson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New

York, 2008) at pages 131-133 and the film at 1:26:48 give the date of Profumo’s statement.

Producer - Stephen Woolley                                    Director - Michael Caton-Jones

Screenplay - Michael Thomas                                  Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes

Released - March 3,  1989

Starring – John Hurt as Stephen Ward                         Joanne Whalley as Christine Keeler

                 Bridget Fonda as Mandy Rice-Davies         Ian McKellen as John Profumo

                 Leslie Phillips as Lord Astor                       Britt Ekland as Mariella Novotny

                 Daniel Massey as Mervyn Griffith-Jones    Roland Gift as Johnnie Edgecombe

                 Jean Alexander as Mrs. Keeler                    Alex Norton as Detective Inspector

                 Ronald Fraser as Justice Marshall               Paul Brooke as John, Detective Sgt.

                 Jeroen Krabbé as Yevgeni Ivanov              Keith Allen as Kevin, Reporter

                 Ralph Brown as Paul Mann                        Iain Cuthbertson as Lord Hailsham

                 Johnny Shannon as Peter Rachman

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015