The Spanish Gardener (film)
The Spanish Gardener | |
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Directed by | Philip Leacock |
Written by | Lesley Storm |
Based on | The Spanish Gardener by A. J. Cronin |
Produced by | Earl St. John |
Starring | Dirk Bogarde Jon Whiteley Michael Hordern Cyril Cusack |
Cinematography | Christopher Challis |
Edited by | Reginald Mills |
Music by | John Veale |
Distributed by | The Rank Organisation |
Release date | 25 December 1956 |
Running time | 97 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
The Spanish Gardener is a 1956 VistaVision and Technicolor film based on the 1950 eponymous novel by A. J. Cronin. The film, which stars Dirk Bogarde and Jon Whiteley, was directed by Philip Leacock.
The adaptation was filmed both at Pinewood Studios near London and in Palamós nearby Mas Juny estate, as well as in S'Agaro, on the Costa Brava, Catalonia. There were also two are adaptations of the story for Brazilian television: Nicholas (1958) and O Jardineiro Espanhol (1967). The film was entered into the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.
The ending of the film differs from that of the book.
Plot[]
British diplomat Harrington Brande (Sir Michael Hordern) takes up a minor provincial consular post in Spain. The appointment is a disappointment to Harrington, who was hoping for a more senior position. His abandonment by his wife may have adversely affected his career, as might his brusque manner. He is accompanied by his eleven-year-old son, Nicholas (Jon Whiteley), whom he home schools, contrary to his friend's advice that the boy would benefit from the social engagement with other boys at a boarding school. Harrington prefers to monopolise his company.
Nicholas sees it as an adventure, and soon becomes friends with the teenage gardener, José (Sir Dirk Bogarde), spending time every day helping him with the plants and relaxing together. The exercise he is getting is much better for him than his father's mollycoddling of the perfectly healthy boy. However, the middle-aged Harrington is jealous of his son's enthusiasm for and friendship with the much younger man. He rebukes his son for taking him to watch Jose play pelota and refuses Jose's gift of fish that he had caught. Similarly, he refuses to let Nicholas join a youth group organized by a junior colleague. He later bans Nicholas and Jose from speaking on pain of Jose's dismissal. He also sets Jose to clear a large rockery as punishment.
While Harrington is away on a business trip, the drunken Garcia, the butler/ chauffeur, threatens Nicholas with a knife and tries to break into his bedroom and the terrified boy takes refuge overnight with Jose with whom he has again been spending time. His father discovers this and is furious. Garcia then frames José to cover up his own behaviour.
Jose is arrested and is taken in handcuffs on a train with two armed soldiers guarding him. Brande is on the same train and suddenly realises his fault, but at the same time, Jose jumps from the train. It is initially unclear if he survived the jump.
Brande goes home and discovers his son has run away. He goes to Jose's family but they have little sympathy, but the old father thinks he knows where they have gone.
On a stormy night Nicholas finds Jose in a cave then Brande finds both. Normality is restored and Jose returns to the garden saying "there is much to do".
Cast[]
- Dirk Bogarde as Jose
- Jon Whiteley as Nicholas Brande
- Michael Hordern as Harrington Brande
- Cyril Cusack as Garcia
- Maureen Swanson as Maria
- Lyndon Brook as Robert Burton
- Josephine Griffin as Carol Burton
- Bernard Lee as Leighton Bailey
- Rosalie Crutchley as Magdalena
- Ina De La Haye as Jose's Mother
- Geoffrey Keen as Dr. Harvey
- Harold Scott as Pedro
- Jack Stewart as a police escort
- Richard Molinas as a police escort
- Susan Lyall Grant as the maid
- John Adderley as the taxi driver
- David Lander as the policeman
Reception[]
The film was one of the most popular at the British box office in 1957.[1]
References[]
- ^ Thumim, Janet. "The popular cash and culture in the postwar British cinema industry". Screen. Vol. 32, no. 3. p. 259.
External links[]
- The Spanish Gardener at Turner Classic Movies
- Variety review
- Nicholas
Brazilian telenovela (1958)
- O Jardineiro Espanhol
Brazilian telenovela (1967)
- Webpage about O Jardineiro Espanhol (in Portuguese)
- The Spanish Gardener at IMDb
- English-language films
- 1956 films
- Films shot at Pinewood Studios
- British films
- Films based on British novels
- Films set in the 20th century
- Films set in Spain
- 1956 drama films
- Films shot in England
- Films based on works by A. J. Cronin
- Films directed by Philip Leacock
- British drama films
- 1950s drama film stubs
- 1950s British film stubs