The Wild And The Willing
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''The Wild and the Willing'' (also known as ''Young and Willing'') is a 1962 British romantic
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
, directed by
Ralph Thomas Ralph Philip Thomas (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director who directed the Doctor (film series), ''Doctor'' film series. Thomas cast the actor James Robertson Justice in many of his films. He often worked with the pr ...
and starring
Virginia Maskell Virginia Elizabeth Maskell (27 February 1936 – 25 January 1968), was an English actress. Biography Virginia Maskell was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, daughter of William Eric Brands Maskell, of Little Down, Duncton, Sussex. After the ou ...
, Paul Rogers,
Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...
and Samantha Eggar. It is the film debuts of
Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...
,
John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 28 January 2017) was an English actor. Regarded as one of the finest actors of his time and known for the "most distinctive voice in Cinema of the United Kingdom, Britain", he was described by David Ly ...
, and Samantha Eggar. It was written by Nicholas Phipps and
Mordecai Richler Mordecai Richler (January 27, 1931 – July 3, 2001) was a Canadian writer. His best known works are ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (novel), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) and ''Barney's Version (novel), Barney's Versi ...
based on the 1960 play ''The Tinker'' by Laurence Doble and Robert Sloman. It depicts a group of students at university.


Plot

A group of young men at university enjoy students' life – dancing, drinking, meeting girls. Harry, a somewhat rebellious young man, is going out with Josie. His roommate, Phil, is a quiet outsider. Harry feels very protective towards Phil for some reason. Phil loves Sarah, but she has jilted him for a new boyfriend, who is in her opinion more suitable. As the plot develops, Harry gets involved with Professor Chown's unhappy wife, Virginia. The professor acts very aloofly towards her but doesn't want a divorce because he is expecting to be knighted. Harry wants Virginia to come away with him but she is too worried about her future and turns him down. Because of frustration Harry decides to pull a "Rag Week" (annual student frolics) stunt. His idea is to climb the campus tower at night and raise a flag atop it. He needs help to pull this off but all the other young men opt out for various reasons. Phil offers to join Harry. He feels that Harry has done a lot to get him involved in campus life, rather than just living on the fringes. At first, Harry, worried about the consequences as Phil is not a good climber, refuses to take Phil along with him, but eventually, against his better judgment, he is persuaded to do so. Gilby, a smart striver, is jealous of Harry; he used to see Virginia until she rejected him. He notices the activities around the tower and reports Harry and Phil to the university authorities. The teachers are more annoyed than worried and call the fire brigade. The spectacle draws a crowd. Although Phil is a bad climber and slips several times, the two young men manage to reach the top and hoist their flag. But on the way down Phil loses his footing and, although Harry tries desperately to hold on to him, Phil slips from his grasp and falls to his death. Harry is expelled ("sent down" from the university. At a final visit to Professor Chown and his wife, the Professor admits that Harry's paper was brilliant and that due to his stunt, he has forfeited a scholarship and an academic career. Josie meets Harry at the bus station and realises that she doesn't mean much to him. Yet she asks him to take her along, but he refuses. He doesn't want to go on hurting people. The film ends with Reggie, an African friend, singing a ballad about Harry and Josie.


Cast


Production

It was filmed on location in Lincoln, with
Lincoln Castle Lincoln Castle is a major medieval castle constructed in Lincoln, England, during the late 11th century by William the Conqueror on the site of a pre-existing Roman fortress. The castle is unusual in that it has two mottes. It is one of only ...
doubling as the university. Filming started 24 April 1961. It was the first feature film for Samantha Eggar, John Hurt and Ian McShane. Betty Box says Hurt was the first cast; they used him to audition other actors.Betty Box, ''Lifting the Lid'', 2000 p 225-226 McShane was only months from graduating from the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...
when asked to audition. "It's very appealing, movie money, so I did it and that was that", said McShane later. Betty Box said the film "didn't break records or win awards but it did reasonably good business and put the youngsters on the first rung of the ladder to stardom."


Critical reception

''
The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...
'' wrote: "One doesn't doubt the film's good intentions: the seeking out of a promising location, with Lincoln standing in for redbrick provincialism; the use of an eager and largely untried team of young actors (among whom John Hurt and Samantha Eggar show the most promise); the resolute excursions into the 'X' certificate dialogue, pub scenes and bedroom scenes which have helped to equate this kind of realism with box-office. But the film, from Virginia Maskell's frustrated don's wife, swigging whisky out of the bottle and seducing her husband's students in the kitchen, to the extravagantly self-conscious heartiness of the roistering in pubs, looks either slightly off-key or hilariously so. Harry may have seemed a plausible character in the original play; here he becomes a walking compendium of jaded Angry Young Man attitudes, while the film leans so far backwards in its determination to integrate Reggie, the coloured student, into the group that it achieves a kind of desperate self-consciousness about him. ...Ralph Thomas directs in a manner more restless than brisk; but the restlessness is hardly that of urgent youth." In the ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'', David McGillivray wrote, "an unsuccessful play, ''The Tinker'' – written when Angry Young Men were in vogue – is the source of this exposé of British student life. Once shocking, it has aged as badly as others of its ilk, but now has considerable curiosity value, not least because of early appearances by Ian McShane, Samantha Eggar, John Hurt and others. McShane shines as the
scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...
boy who vents his wrath on privileged society".
BFI Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and tele ...
referred to the film as "Ralph Thomas's tepid student drama."
Sky Movies Sky Cinema is a British subscription film service owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). In the United Kingdom, Sky Cinema channels currently broadcast on the Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable platforms, and in addition Sky Cinema on ...
concluded the film "still manages to generate moments of high excitement – none more so than a climatic climb up the sheer side of a crumbling steeple – a few minutes that are guaranteed to have you on the edge of your chair." The film was released in the United States in 1964 as ''Young and Willing''. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' called the film "sophomoric". Ian McShane's performance was described by Tara Brady in the ''
Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' as "the archetypal angry young man."


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wild And The Willing, The 1962 films 1962 romantic drama films Films directed by Ralph Thomas 1960s English-language films Films shot at Pinewood Studios Films shot in Lincolnshire British romantic drama films Films produced by Betty Box 1960s British films English-language romantic drama films