March 22 - Scandal

Today’s movie is a political drama with a scene on March 22.  I hope you will like this film and watch it tonight.

SCANDAL                

In late 1950’s London, playboy Dr. Stephen 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 Sunday Pictorial

Ralph Brown as Paul Mann

Iain Cuthbertson as Lord Hailsham

Johnny Shannon as Peter Rachman

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.