Mr. Forbush and the Penguins

Mr. Forbush and the Penguins (1971)

A self-absorbed young biologist takes on a six-month research post in Antarctica to study a penguin colony. Alone in Shackleton’s abandoned hut, with only radio contact and letters to his distant girlfriend, he endures the harsh winter and gradually forms a bond with the penguins—discovering resilience, humility, and a new sense of purpose.

Date of release
1971-07-29
TMDB
5.0 / 10 (11)
Runtime
1h 41m
Genres
Adventure
Director
Arne Sucksdorff, Roy Boulting, Alfred Viola

Casting

Interesting facts

Mr. Forbush and the Penguins is a 1971 British comedy drama film, directed by Arne Sucksdorff, Alfred Viola and Roy Boulting. It stars John Hurt, Hayley Mills, Dudley Sutton and Tony Britton. The screenplay was adapted by playwright Anthony Shaffer, based on the 1965 novel Forbush and the Penguins by Graham Billing.

Production

The film was based on a 1965 novel by Graham Billing, who had worked for the New Zealand Antarctic Division. Film rights were bought by PGL, a production company of two Americans living in London, Al Viola and Henry Trettin, who made commercials.

PGL succeeded in raising finance from EMI Films and British Lion Films, in association with the National Film Finance Corporation. Each pledged £200,000 each.

Forbush was part of the initial slate of movies greenlit by Bryan Forbes who had been appointed head of EMI. Forbes announced it in August 1969 as part of fifteen films. Forbes was enthusiastic about backing new talent and Forbush would be the first feature film for director Viola, producer and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer. Viola and Trettin had a strong track record making television commercials while Schaffer was an established playwright.

Swedish filmmaker Arne Sucksdorff was hired to shoot footage in Antarctica using associate producer Gordon L.T. Scott. Forbes later described the film as a "calculated risk" with an "intriguing script" and "formidable logistical problems... Admittedly a far cry from The Sound of Music, but positively different and worth attempting." Finance came from British Lion, EMI and the National Film Finance Corporation.

The original stars were John Hurt and Susan Fleetwood. Fleetwood was under contract to the Royal Shakespeare Company. According to Sidney Gilliat of British Lion, that company only agreed to invest "under the strict understanding that Michael Crawford played the lead and certain revisions were made to the script. In the event, neither undertaking was carried out but British Lion was still left holding part of the baby."

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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