Saturday, July 5, 2014

July 5 - Nancherrow

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on July 5. I hope you will watch this motion picture tonight and enjoy it.

NANCHERROW                 

In February, 1947 Col. Carey-Lewis dies. He leaves his house, Nancherrow to his daughter Loveday Trevelyan, who wants to immediately move into the house, whether her farmer husband Walter wants to or not. Loveday’s friend Judith Wells who’s married to Dr. Jeremy, suffers her third miscarriage. In London Loveday sees a former love,  Gus Cullendar, an avant garde artist and they have a one night stand. The summer ball is held at Nancherrow. Loveday learns her father’s lawyer embezzled all her money, but the death taxes still have to be paid. Loveday divorces her husband and Gus moves in with her at Nancherrow. On July 5, 1948 [1:07:43 to 1:08:46] Dr. Wells makes a speech on the first day of the English National Health Service. Expensive repairs have to be made to Nancherrow, as it has dry rot. Then Jess, the younger sister of Judith Wells turns up pregnant by Simon Travis the young protégé of Miss Catto, the headmistress at Jess’s school. However she and Simon get married. Loveday has to open Nancherrow for public tours to help pay the bills. Judith stars teaching English at Miss Catto’s school, while her husband gets more involved in community affairs.   Loveday and Walter have a big fight over their son Nat’s desire to board at school and go on to Eaton. Will, Jess and Simon’s son gets polio and dies. His parents move to Australia for a fresh start. Diana, Lovday’s mother persuades her cousin, Viscount Berryann to invest in her friend, Nikko Bernhoffer’s motorcar company, but Viscount Berryann advises her that she must stop helping Loveday with the cost of running Nancherrow or she will be broke in two years.  Gus, upset by Loveday’s refusal to even consider selling Nancherrow leaves.  Judith, who had apparently been indifferent to the death of her nephew, reveals that she deeply loved him, when she has a breakdown in front of her class. When her husband’s medical partner makes a pass at her, but is stopped by her husband, the couple reconcile. Loveday finally decides to sell Nancherrow and she persuades Gus to return to her. The last house versus village cricket match is held. Nancherrow is auctioned off, but everyone is surprised when Gus, who unknown to anyone had recently made a lot of money on sales of his paintings buys the house.  To compound the good news Judith and Jeremy have a child and Gus and Loveday get married.

A passable British melodrama. A good character driven story. It keeps you interested. The house Nancherrow almost seems to be a character in the story. 

Never Again by Peter Hennessy (Pantheon Books, New York, 1993) at page 143 gives the date of the start of the National Health Service

Producer - David Cunliffe    

Director - Simon Langton           

Screenplay - John Goldsmith                 

Runtime – 3 hours         

Released - April 4, 1999                                                  

Starring –

Joanna Lumley as Diana Carey-Lewis
Katie Ryder Richardson as Loveday Carey-Lewis
Lara-Joy Körner as Judith (Dunbar) Wells
George Asprey as Jeremy Wells
Susan Hampshire as Miss Catto
Patrick Ryecart as Tommy Mortimer
Philipp Moog as Gus Cullendar
Tristan Gemmill as Walter
Robert Hardy as Viscount Berryann


Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.



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