Tuesday, August 31, 2021

PRESS UPDATE : THE GUARDIAN .. AUGUST 31ST 2021 ..

 


Joan Collins’ star-studded home movies to feature in BBC documentary

Biggest names of Hollywood’s golden age appear in footage for British-born actor’s ‘rollercoaster life story’



She is one of the last surviving actors of Hollywood’s ”golden age”. Now Dame Joan Collins has given the BBC unprecedented access to her private home movies for a forthcoming documentary.

Dating back decades, the footage features some of the biggest names of the silver screen, from Sammy Davis Jr to Paul Newman, who can be seen relaxing beyond the gaze of their fans and studio cameras.

Clare Beavan, the documentary’s award-winning director, has been taken aback by the sheer scale of material – about 20 hours of footage within box after box filled with reels.

It is a glimpse through the keyhole into a life of star-studded glamour. Other famous names include actors Roger Moore, Tony Curtis, and the former Beatle Ringo Starr.

Beavan told the Guardian: “They’re like our home movies – except that it has loads of famous people in rather than kids and your neighbours in the background. We’d have our ugly relatives – and she has film stars …

“The home videos are a revelation … Her second husband, Anthony Newley … started the thing off [in the 1960s]. They were covering everything on high-end … film. So you really get a sense of her. I can’t say it’s … completely natural, because you never know with Joan. But you definitely get her off-camera.”

The BBC Arts documentary, to be announced on Wednesday, focuses on the life of Collins as a Hollywood legend. She narrates her own “rollercoaster life story”, all with her inimitable wit, Beavan said. “It’s a post-Covid feel-good film because of Joan Collins’s life, which is one hell of a giddy ride.”

Collins who was born and raised in London, became a global television phenomenon as the scheming seductress Alexis Carrington in the 1980s TV soap opera Dynasty. Her father, a successful agent, had strongly discouraged her from becoming an actor, warning her that she would be “washed up by 23”.

But Collins enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and was soon signed to an exclusive film contract by the J Arthur Rank Organisation.

Beavan said: “Little did [she] know she’d end up working with James Mason, Joan Fontaine or Richard Burton. She tells a good story about Richard Burton, about how he came on to her. She was fighting them off … She had to fight off heads of the studio. It was like #MeToo before #MeToo.”

She added: “She had an equal pay battle, albeit for millions on Dynasty, a fabulous humdinger over John Forsyth being paid more than her, when she was the one that almost singlehandedly got Dynasty … to the number one show in the whole world. And she did Playboy at 50 as a feminist gesture, she says.”

Beavan’s awards include an Emmy for her documentary on the sculptor and architect Bernini and a Grierson for her adaptation of the memoir The Prince, the Showgirl and Me.

Her 90-minute Collins feature is yet to be finished. She is still wading through the home movies, silent footage that includes Collins jumping into a pool, lying on sun loungers and playing with her children, enjoying one fabulous holiday after another, from Greece to Acapulco.

“The weird thing is she was always looks stunningly camera-ready … She doesn’t have the Hollywood lighting, but she somehow looks spectacular.”

Collins told the Guardian: “I’m delighted to have collaborated on this wonderful in-depth documentary feature film on my life.”

Sunday, August 29, 2021

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : PACIFIC PALISADES .. FOX .. USA .. 1997 ..


 FOX Presents

From AARON SPELLING PRODUCTIONS

PACIFIC PALISADES

Starring

NATALIE CIGLIUTI as Rachel Whittaker

KIMBERLEY DAVIES as Laura Sinclair

JERROD EMMICK as Nicholas Hadley

GREG EVIGAN as Robert Russo

FINOLA HUGHES as Kate Russo

BRITTANY POWELL as Beth Hooper

JOCELYN SEAGRAVE as Jessica Mitchell 

MICHELLE STAFFORD as Joanne Hadley

LUCKY VANOUS as Matt Dunning

JOEL WYNER / DYLAN NEAL as Cory Robbins

J TREVOR EDMOND as Michael Kerris

DAPHNE ASHBROOK as Julie Graham

GIANI RUSSO as Frank Nichols

JENNIFER BANKO as Ashley MacInally

DIRK BLOCKER as Chuck Furness

BARBARA NIVEN as Evelyn Cabot

KERRIE KEANE as Mrs Cruise

CHAD EVERETT as Dr Joseph Vernon

CAROL BRUCE as Mrs Fitzpatrick

Special Guest Star

JOAN COLLINS as Christina Hobson   ( 7 Episodes )

Executive producers - Aaron Spelling  E. Duke Vincent Diana Messina Stanley Jim Stanley

Costumes by Nolan Miller





'Pacific Palisades' was launched in 1997 as return to the high drama of the 80's by Aaron Spelling, but with a more down to earth situation concerning a group of professionals living in the Palisades. With a good cast and plenty of drama the series failed to capture viewers like the night time soaps of the 80's had, Spelling had hoped that by adding Joan into the mix as the scheming Christina, whose daughter Laura was an even more troublemaker, that it might provide thst certain spark to keep viewers hooked. The series was originally announced with 'Baywatch' star Ereka Eleniak in the Laura Sinclair role that went to Kimberley Davies..


Joan with Lucky Vanous


Joan was delighted to be back on a prime time series and it was fun role and she could bring a touch of Alexis Colby to her role of the scheming Christina Hobson. Joan was on sparkling form on the series and she worked well with Kimberley Davies as her equally mischievious daughter.. The series only lasted one season before it was cancelled by Fox. 

Joan with Kimberely Davies at series premiere party in LA 

The series was created by husband & wife team Diana & Jim Stanley who also had hit shows 'Savannah' and written for 'Knots Landing'.. They commented at the time..

"Initially, they wanted `Melrose' 10 years older - this was a pilot that was written for NBC," What happened was . . . well, who knows what happens? They passed, although, personally, we think that `Friends' hit, so every show went younger.

"So we looked at the show again, and we rewrote it so that it was a younger show. And it worked, actually, better that way for us."

It worked well enough so that Fox ordered six episodes of the series based solely on the Stanleys' pilot script.

"It's about young professionals in Southern California. We like to say they're young people who have it all, it just isn't paid for yet," Dianne said with a laugh. "They're living a little bit on the edge."

"Los Angeles has this sense of glamour, and they have bought into it," Jim added.




On Aaron Spelling the couple commented...

"Certainly, no one gets more publicity than Aaron Spelling. His shows draw a lot of attention," Dianne said. "They draw a large audience of people who want to tune in and have a good time. Have fun.

"I would say that this is a series without pretensions. It's a lot of fun."


Apart from some episodes on Youtube, the series is forgotten and has not been made available on dvd as yet.. Hopefully it may get a release at some stage..



Saturday, August 28, 2021

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : THE NANNY .. CBS .. USA .. 1996 ..


 CBS 

Presents 

THE NANNY

Starring

FRAN DRESCHER as Fran Fine

CHARLES SHAUGHNESSY as Maxwell Sheffield

DANIEL DAVIS as Niles

LAUREN LANE as C.C Babcock

NICHOLLE TOM as Maggie Sheffield

BENJAMIN SALISBURY as Brighton Sheffield

MADELINE ZINA as Grace Sheffield

RENEE TAYLOR as Sylvia Fine

ANN MORGAN GUILBERT as Yetta Rosenberg

Special Guest Stars

JOAN COLLINS as Joan Sheffield

ROBERT VAUGHN as James Sheffield

''ME & MRS JOAN''

( Series 4 - Episode 6 )

Directed by Dorothy Lyman



After a meeting with Maxwell's estranged father at an art gallery, Fran decides to reunite father and son by inviting him to dinner.. However when he arrives with his new wife who used to be his secretary and who Maxwell thinks is a gold-digger, the scene is set for a battle of wits or in the case of Fran's mother and grandmother, half-wits!  


'The Nanny' was one of biggest comedy hits of the 90's, running from 1993 to 1999 with over 145 episodes and which attracted many interestng guest stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Midler and Eartha Kitt.. The series concerned  loud mouth NY hairdresser Fran Fine who gets fired from her job and goes to work as Nanny to a Broadway producer and his three kids.. 


The series was created by Fran and her husband at the time Peter Mark Jacobson and since the series ended, they worked together again on the hit 2011 series 'Happily Divorced' which ran for two seasons and which  featured Joan in a recurring role.. Fran got the idea for the role while on a trip to London to visit her friend Twiggy Lawson and whilst spending time with the family she had the idea of doing a sitcom with a spin on 'The Sound Of Music'.   Fran commented..

'' Instead of Julie Andrews, I come to the door! ''

The series was a smash hit, although it was one of those shows where you either found Fran Dreschers voice amusing or annoying! Joan liked Fran and was delighted to do the show and to work with Robert Vaughn. Even though Joan had guested on Robert's hit series 'The Man From Uncle' she had no scenes with him only with her old RADA mate David McCallum..


You can buy Season 4 on a stand alone dvd set featuring Joan's episode at the following Link!

BUY THE NANNY SEASON 4 DVD SET HERE!



Friday, August 27, 2021

PRESS UPDATE : THE MAIL .. SATURDAY AUGUST 28TH 2021 ..


 

DAME JOAN COLLINS: My husband with real Dex appeal! Actress relives her sizzling chemistry with Mike Nader, the actor who played Dynasty's Dex Dexter and who died this week, including the time he kissed her so hard he drew blood.






I’ll never forget the day in 1983 when the producer Aaron Spelling called me in my dressing room on the set of Dynasty, the 1980s American drama series that brought back shoulder pads, tiny waists and silhouettes more flattering than an Italian waiter.

I had already completed two seasons as Alexis, ex-wife of the show’s leading man Blake Carrington, an oil tycoon, and Aaron clearly felt it was time my character moved on.

‘We’ve got five actors we’re considering to play your next husband and I want you to meet them,’ he said.

‘Oh!’ I replied. ‘You mean I get to choose?’ ‘Of course you do,’ said Aaron. ‘You’re going to be spending a lot of time with him. You’ll marry him eventually but you’ll have some ups and downs along the way.’

Before I could stop myself I blurted out: ‘I just hope he’s better than Blake...’

Blake and Alexis were constantly at each other’s throats. It’s also fair to say that the actor who played him, John Forsythe, and I were anything but best friends.

And those who might become my next husband? ‘I’ll bring them to see you tomorrow morning,’ said Aaron.

The next morning five youngish actors slunk onto the set accompanied by an assistant director and I was told to have a brief conversation with each of them.

The first one seemed a bit of a dolt, the second was too short and the third, I don’t even remember. The fourth candidate was Jon-Erik Hexum, who later became my co-star on Making Of A Male Model. I rather liked him but not as much as I liked the fifth, who I thought was mind-bogglingly handsome.

‘Hi, I’m Mike Nader,’ he said and gave me a charming lop-sided smile, which drew my attention to a tiny scar above his upper lip. It only served to make him even more attractive.

My memories of that first meeting came flooding back last Monday when I heard the sad news that Michael had died at the age of 76, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer.

The last time I saw Michael, my husband Percy and I were on a New York rooftop celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends. He looked frail and had lost his hair, but he still had that spark and charm that I remembered only too well from our first meeting.

Sizing him up as my future co-star all those years ago, I decided he was tall but not too tall. He had black hair, but not too much of it, and he had a ‘machismo’ that I thought would blend well with Alexis’s feisty temperament.

Aaron called me after lunch: ‘What did you think?’

‘Well, Nader is head and shoulders above the others,’ I told him.

‘Great,’ said Aaron. ‘I was hoping you’d say so.’

Two weeks later I worked with Michael for the first time. Although he was visibly nervous, he managed to control it enough to be fascinating in our first scene together.

From the moment Dex saw Alexis he was in love with her. The door to Alexis’s office was flung open and he entered as I demanded: ‘What are you doing here? Who are you?’

‘I’m Farnsworth Dexter,’ he said, ‘Call me Dex.’

‘I’d still want to know why you’re here,’ I replied.

He approached me provocatively and we played our scene, which I thought went really well as we seemed equally matched.

Then at the end he plonked a kiss on my lips — a move which took me by surprise as it was not in script — before giving me a wink and sauntering off the set.

Aaron called me that night: ‘You think he’s good enough for Alexis to marry?’

‘I think he’s great!’ was my enthusiastic response. ‘I think he’s one of the best-looking men I’ve seen in a long time and he’s a very good actor. I think that our female fans are going to absolutely love him. I just hope you’re giving us some juicy scenes together.’

‘Just you wait,’ said Aaron.



Over the next couple of weeks, Dex relentlessly pursued Alexis and — foolishly — she did not give in.

In either our third or fourth encounter, Dex is being his usual delightful self, giving Alexis a wonderful dinner to make up for the fact that he’s forced her to accept a bad business deal. It looks like he’s about to ‘get lucky’ when suddenly Alexis saunters to the door, opens it and turns to say: ‘Oh no, Mr Dexter. Nobody takes me to the cleaners and to bed on the same day. Goodnight!’

I never understood why it took so long for Alexis to fall head over heels for Dex. He was so charming and attractive it just didn’t seem right that she rejected him constantly.

But such is the magic of soap operas. Once the producers recognise that they have come up with a fascinating plot line that will make viewers tune in, they will milk it for all it’s worth.

This cat-and-mouse game between Dex and Alexis continued for almost the rest of that season until she finally relents and we have an amazing kissing scene.

Michael and I got a bit carried away — and he kissed me so forcefully that he bit my lip and blood was smudged on both our chins.

‘It’s blood!’ I wailed.

‘It’s just lipstick,’ he replied, laughing nervously.

‘Doesn’t taste like any brand I wear,’ I retorted, running to my trailer to fix the damage.

But I really liked Michael. He was amusing and we had an easy off-set relationship.

He also had a good sense of humour. One April Fool’s Day, Michael and I were rehearsing yet another passionate love scene. Dex comes close to Alexis wearing a gorgeous silk dressing gown and suggests, smoothly and sexily: ‘Alexis, aren’t you going to open your surprise present?’ Alexis slides the dressing gown off his shoulder, equally smoothly and sexily, gazing seductively into his eyes all the while — until he is revealed to be wearing a lacy white Wonderbra over his naked chest.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, this sight caused me to flub my next line: ‘Look here, Dex, I’m a very busy man.’ The crew got more than they hoped for.

He was married and I was married but that didn’t stop some of the cast and crew teasing us that our relationship was more than friendship. But while it was purely platonic, on set it sizzled! I loved our scenes in the bath together where I would be covered in soapsuds to hide the bare necessities.

When the director yelled ‘Cut!’, Michael would try to scrape the suds off me. Not the sort of behaviour that goes down well in the #MeToo era but it was all done in good fun.

‘Joan and I are kindred spirits,’ Michael once said. ‘There was chemistry between us when I auditioned, and when we talked, I discovered what it was — we were both driven to succeed.’

He added: ‘If the relationship between Joan and me [hadn’t been] easy, I would have been written out the show a long time ago.’

I once asked him how he got the facial scar, which reminded me of one that Gene Kelly had. He said that it was the result of being hit by a drunk driver when he was six years old.

He also talked about his uncle, who was a famous actor in the 1950s called George Nader.

Joan with Michael & Stephanie Beacham
During his second season on Dynasty, he even admitted to having had a drug problem in his youth. I would never have guessed — he was always on time, knew his lines and was a consummate professional throughout the time I worked with him.

Alexis and Dex were finally married in 1984 and for a couple of seasons we were more or less happy. But we were always sparring with each other as Alexis would never let any man get the better of her — and he wouldn’t let any person of whatever sex get the better of him.

Then a shocking thing happened: Dex had an affair with Alexis’s daughter Amanda, played by Catherine Oxenberg. Amanda had always had her sights set on vengefully taking Dex away from her mother and when she and Dex found themselves trapped in a hut by a blizzard in New Mexico, naturally they had to have sex.

I was quite upset about this as I thought it would destroy our on-set love affair but Aaron was adamant that this subplot would increase the audience.

‘We’ve already got tons of viewers and they love the two of them together!’ I pleaded. But my views carried no weight.

One day, Michael came into my dressing room in a real state. ‘They won’t give me a raise,’ he huffed. ‘Didn’t they just give you one?’

‘Yes, they did, but it was quite small,’ I admitted.

‘Well, I can’t get by on 40 grand a week,’ he grumbled.

I laughed in his face: ‘You’ve got to be joking! No one earns $40,000 a week!’

‘You do,’ he deadpanned. I didn’t have an answer.

The on-and-off relationship between Alexis and Dex continued until the show ended. He had affairs with Leslie Carrington, Alexis’s niece, as well as with Alexis’s cousin and uber enemy Sable Colby, played by Stephanie Beacham.

When Alexis finds out about these indiscretions, she tells Dexter they are finally and truly finished. This leads to a confrontation between Alexis, Sable, Alexis’s son Adam and Dex in the last episode.

Dex, not liking Adam’s insinuations, gets into a shoving match with him and they accidentally push Alexis off a balcony!

And that was presumably the end of Alexis — as well as the entire show. But when the producers realised they had left the fans without a fitting ending, they decided to film the infamous ‘Dynasty Reunion’ two years later.




It stretched even a soap for believability. The audience discovered Dex had somehow fallen off the balcony before Alexis and she landed on top of him, killing him.

The reason Dex couldn’t be part of the Dynasty Reunion, however, was far more prosaic. He had joined the cast of U.S. daytime soap All My Children and they wouldn’t let him go. And so ended the romance that kept viewers glued to their TV sets every week for several years.

Sometime later Michael was arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover New York policeman. Unfortunately, this caused All My Children to end his contract. He went into rehab then appeared on Larry King Live to talk about his failed lawsuit to get himself reinstated. 

Fortunately, his career survived and he went on to do many good things until the end of his life.

Of all my Dynasty husbands, he was far and away the best looking, the best actor and the most charming, and I was extremely happy to have married him. (Sorry, Percy!) ..


CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : HART TO HART - TWO HARTS IN 3/4 TIME .. THE FAMILY CHANNEL .. USA .. 1995 ..


 COLUMBIA PICTURES

Presents

A FAMILY CHANNEL PRODUCTION

HART TO HART - TWO HARTS IN THREE QUARTER TIME!

Starring
ROBERT WAGNER as Jonathan Hart
STEFANIE POWERS as Jennifer Hart
JOAN COLLINS as Lady Camilla Ashley
JEFF KAAKE as Ronnie Scott
DANIELA LUNKEWITZ as Marie
SEBASTIAN KOCH as Kurt
TARA SLOANE as Vivienne
JASON CAVALIER as Paul
ALEXANDER CHAPMAN as Freddy

Director of Photography - Laszlo George C.S.C
 Music by Claude Foisy
  Created by Sidney Sheldon
    Teleplay by Donald Ross / Mart Crowley
      Story by Donald Ross
        Edited by Michael S Mclean / Robert Michael Ellot
          Executive Producers Robert Wagner / Aaron Spelling
            Produced by Stefanie Powers / Steve Mc Glothen
               Directed by Michael Tuchner

(c) 1995 Columbia  94 Mins


Glamorous crime fighting duo, the Hart's are saddened by the death of their trusty butler Max. In his will, Max asks them to fly to Canada, where a surprise awaits them. Whilst there, they meet an old friend, Lady Camilla Ashley, a top authoress, who is living with a much younger man. But can they be trusted? Why is everyone interested in the cuckoo clock that Max has left in his will? Will Jonathan and Jennifer escape the danger that surrounds them... When the clock strikes Two Harts In Three Quarter Time!!


One of the 80's most popular tv shows 'Hart to Hart' ran from 1979 to 1984 and starred two of Hollywoods most glamorous stars.. In 1993 it was decided to revive the format with a series of tv movies, which proved to be ratings winners..
 This 1995 production was filmed on location in Canada and Joan guests as the glamourous but scheming Lady Camilla. Joan has been friends with Robert and Stefanie for many years and was delighted to accept the role when Robert asked her to take part in the production. Joan looks sensational in the film and wears much of her own wardrobe. 


Before shooting began on this movie, original series regular Lionel Stander who had played the Hart's faithful butler Max had died and the script had to be rewritten which killed off the Max character and the movie was presented as a tribute to him. 


'Hart to Hart - Two Harts in 3/4 Time' was available on dvd from Sony On Demand but this stand alone release is now unavailable, however you can buy it as part of a set from Sony Choice Collection which features 3 other 'Hart to Hart' movies..                
You can order at following link!




Originsl dvd cover now deleted

Thursday, August 26, 2021

EVENT UPDATE : MAMMA MIA REOPENING NIGHT! .. THE NOVELLO THEATRE LONDON.. AUGUST 25TH 2021 ..



 
Joan with Judy Craymer & Amanda Pattell

As the West End tries to get back to some normality, the latest show to reopen after the lengthy closure is the hit Abba musical 'Mamma Mia' now playing at The Novello.. The show reopened to a starry audience on Wednesday evening and Joan added even more sparkle to the event...




Sunday, August 22, 2021

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : ANNIE A ROYAL ADVENTURE .. COLUMBIA TRISTAR .. USA .. 1995 ..


 COLUMBIA TRISTAR

Presents

ANNIE A ROYAL ADVENTURE

Starring
JOAN COLLINS as Lady Edwina Hogbottom
GEORGE HEARN as Oliver Warbucks
ASHLEY JOHNSON as Annie
IAN MC DIARMMUID as Dr Eli Hon
EMILY ANN LLOYD as Hannah
CAMILLA BELLE as Molly
CRISPIN BONHAM CARTER as Rupert Hogbottom
PERRY BENSON as Murphy
ANTONY ZAKI as Punjab
CAROL CLEVELAND as Miss Hannigan

Director of Photography - Alan Hume
 Art Director - Colin Thurston
  Music by David Michael Frank
   Teleplay by Trish Soodik
     Edited by James Galloway
       Produced by Wendy Dytmart / Ruth Slawson
               Directed by Ian Toynton

(c)1995 Columbia Tristar  92mins 


Every child's favourite red head is back! Bound for London as Daddy Warbeck's is to be knighted by the king.. However sinister characters are at work, as the scheming Lady Hogbottom, along with her bumbling son Rupert hatch a plan to blow up Buckingham Palace! Lady Edwina is convinced she has royal blood running through her veins and is determined to claim her rightful place! However she does not bargain on a meddlesome red head! With Annie and her friends on their regal tails, the Hogmottoms plans are not all plain sailing. The sun will come out tomorrow.. when the title proclaims .. Annie A Royal Adventure......


This non-musical sequel to the smash hit 80's film 'Annie', was made for American television, but did good business on video and dvd. Joan is in her element here as the snooty yet totally dotty Lady Edwina Hogbottom, who is convinced she should be the Queen of England! The film was set to be called 'Sir Daddy' but was retitled 'Annie A Royal Adventure', which sounded more regal! Joan looking sensational in the film as she gets to wear a variety of over the top fifties costumes, as the film is set at that time. Joan recalled shooting the film which was during one of the hotter Bristish summers.


"We were shooting during the heatwave in July and August so it was extremely uncomfortable wearing those wintry fifties clothes. Lady Edwina is like a cross between Cruella De Ville and the sheriff Alan Rickman plays in 'Robin Hood'. She is very wicked indeed and is plotting to blow up Buckingham Palace.. Edwina Hogbottom is totally over the top and I haven't had so much fun playing a character for years! I have played weaker characters in the past, but generally casting directors and producers tend to see me in more forceful roles.
I slso think the audience would find it very difficult to accept me as a victim. I think strong-willed people are far more interesting than weak-willed ones!''



Filmed on location in Oxfordshire and in and around London, the film is good old fashioned family entertainment. While the original 'Annie' was a musical, this sequel has opted to go the comedy drama route, with the exception of a reprise of the signature tune 'Tomorrow' at the end of the film.  Joan steals the show as the dotty villianess and is always good value... This is one adventure you would be mad to miss!



'Annie A Royal Adventure' was a big success on vhs in the 90's and then on dvd in 2005 and you can still buy it at the following link!

Saturday, August 21, 2021

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER .. SONY PICTURES CLASSICS / WARNER BROS .. USA .. 1993 ..

 


SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Presents

A CASTLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

RICHARD BRIERS as Henry Wakefield
HETTA CHARNLEY as Molly
JOAN COLLINS as Margerite Darcy
NICHOLAS FARRELL as Tom Newman
MARK HADFIELD as Vernon Spatch
GERARD HORAN as Carnforth Greville
CELIE IMRIE as Fadge
MICHAEL MOLONEY as Joe Harper
JENNIFER SAUNDERS as Nancy Crawford
JOHN SESSIONS as Terry Du Bois
JULIA SAWAHLA as Nina Raymond

Director of Photography - Roger Lanser
 Assistant Director - Simon Mosely
  Music by Jimmy Yuill
   Screenplay by Kenneth Brannagh
      Edited by Neil Farrell
          Produced by David Barron
             Directed by Kenneth Brannagh

(c) 1995 SONY  98MINS

Joan sets the scene with Michael Moloney


The show must go on for Joe Harper.. What with girlfriend problems... Not to mention lack of work... he decides to stage his own production of 'Hamlet'.. But it is no easy task, as he searches for a suitable cast and location. It's a race against time to get the production up and running, in time for Christmas.. Everything that can go wrong..does! In an empty church.. With an unlikely cast.. It's curtain up.. In The Bleak Midwinter!!

Joan with Jennifer Saunders



Joan loved the script of this labour of love piece by Kenneth Brannagh, who financed the film himself. Joan was paid very little to appear in the film, but as her role was that of an assertive agent, she gladly accepted. Her father Joe had been an agent to the stars, looking after Roger Moore, Dorothy Squires and Shirley Bassey, she was delighted to portray such a character. Brannagh intended to make a film along the lines of the classic early Ealing comedies.
Kenneth commented...

"I don't want any of the major studios telling me what I can or can't do anymore. When I was making 'Frankenstein'. it was a total nightmare! One person would say one thing, then someone else would contradict it. They wanted total control."

Brannagh decided to make the film in b/w on instinct, as he had enjoyed many back stage movies including '42nd Street' and the old Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney films, they suited that look. He was a fan of the Woody Allen films that were shot in b/w.

Joan with Michael Moloney


Kenneth had met Joan at the premiere of 'Frankenstein', they both got on very well together. While casting 'Midwinter', he recalled their conversation and offered her the role..

"We talked about possibly working together.. I often like to cast people who may seem surprising in certain roles. I wanted someone with a real sense of showbiz. That everything that Joe thinks that he wants, is represented by somebody, in this case Joan Collins. That's very easy because she does represent tremendous glamour and a sense of showbiz. But I was rather terrified about working with her to begin with, but found her to be a sweety."

Joan with Kenneth at the Cannes Premiere

Joan's co-star Michael Moloney also had great admiration for her.
Joan at premiere London Afterparty

"She was terrific. She has extraordinary film technique. Extraordinary durability. I mean, she's very, very hardworking. If you consider she is always in the public eye, she also attracts, as a result, a great deal of negativity, a great deal of opposition, usually from her own community, rather than abroad. She has that sort of immense staying power, which I would question if I have it or not! She is able to be and act that throughout her career, whereas many others would have destroyed themselves. For me that is just admirable, absolutely admirable and it was a pleasure to work with her."



The film was shown at the 1995 Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Osella Award for Kenneth Brannagh as director. It was also nominated for a Golden Lion Award.

VARIETY .....

"A 'lets put on a show' approach is brought to a provincial church production of 'Hamlet', to deleterious effect in 'In The Bleak Midwinter'. Further evidence that Kenneth Brannagh treads into the 20th century on screen at his own peril. This small scale, putatively comic meditation on the anxieties and joy of the theatrical life says nothing fresh about the artistic process and manages to be coy and grating in doing so. Lack of amusement value and largely no name cast, coupled with deceptive title, spells a bleak B.O season indeed!"

Joan looks at script with Kenneth

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE ....

"After making 'A Midwinter's Tale', the story of a desperate actor determined to mount a ragtag production of 'Hamlet'. Kenneth Brannagh himself admitted his debt to the old Rooney/Garland movies about a spunky bunch of kids who put on a show using nothing but talent, drive and good morals. He owes an equal debt to Woody Allen, whose stark white on black title sequence he borrowed from. Joan Collins plays the sneering agent and is perfect in the role. She keeps the creaky plot turning, still the performances by the cast, who seem to be having a good time, talking at screwball comedy speed, chewing the scenery and taking pratfalls. Making you want to run out and put on a show!"

The film was retitled 'A Midwinter's Tale' in the USA and was well received. It is a charming film, with weird and wonderful characters, Joan is as stylish and highly watchable as ever. Perfect viewing for a cold winters evening!



'In The Bleak Midwinter' was available on vhs in the 90's, with the only dvd release been the USA Warner Archive one from 2011 under it's American title 'A Midwinter's Tale'... You can still order copies here!!         ORDER A MIDWINTER'S TALE HERE!!