''Wuthering Heights'' is a 1978 British film adaptation of

Emily Brontë Emily Jane Brontë (, commonly ; 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English writer best known for her 1847 novel, ''Wuthering Heights''. She also co-authored a book of poetry with her sisters Charlotte Brontë, Charlotte and Anne Bront� ...

's 1847 novel ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...

'', starring

Ken Hutchison Aitken Hutchison (24 November 1948 – 9 August 2021) was a Scottish actor. Life and career Hutchison played roles in many episodes of ''Play for Today'' from 1970 to 1980, such as in " Just a Boys' Game". Hutchison played Norman Scutt in the ...

Kay Adshead Kay Adshead (born 10 May 1954) is a poet, playwright, theatremaker, actress and producer. Early life and education Adshead was born in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, moving to Stretford where she was educated at Stretford Girls’ Grammar. She wa ...

Pat Heywood Patricia Heywood (1 August 1931 – 26 June 2024) was a Scottish character actress who appeared in stage productions, films and television. She was married to Oliver Neville, the former principal of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Life and ...

, and

John Duttine John Arthur Duttine (born 15 March 1949) is an English actor noted for his roles on stage, films and television. He is well known for his role as Sgt George Miller in '' Heartbeat'' and Bill Masen in the TV series '' The Day of the Triffids''. ...

, originally broadcast on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

as a 5-part miniseries, beginning 24 September 1978. Location filming took place on the

Yorkshire Moors The North York Moors is an upland area in north-eastern Yorkshire, England. It contains one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. The area was designated as a National Park in 1952, through the National Parks and A ...

. This BBC version is regarded as being the one most faithful to the original novel because it does not end with Cathy's death but continues into the next generation, with Heathcliff seeking revenge against those he felt had wronged him.

Plot summary

Cast

as Heathcliff ** Dale Tarry as Heathcliff (as child) *

as Cathy Earnshaw ** Maria Swailes as Cathy (as child) *

Brian Wilde Brian George Wilde (13 June 1927 – 20 March 2008) was an English actor best known for his roles in television comedy, most notably Mr Barrowclough in ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'' and Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst in ''Last of the Summer ...

as Joseph *

as Ellen Dean *

Hindley Hindley may refer to: Places * Hindley, Greater Manchester, England ** Hindley (ward), an electoral ward of the Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council * Hindley, Northumberland, England Other uses * Hindley (surname) * Hindley Manufacturing, Ameri ...

** Mitchell Varnam as Hindley (as child) * Maggie Wilkinson as Frances *

Dennis Burgess Dennis Burgess (18 February 1926 – 3 November 1980) was a British television actor born in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales. He married Glenys Maria Hare at Neath, in 1958. Burgess came from Port Talbot, attended Port Talbot Secondary School and work ...

as Mr Linton * Wendy Williams as Mrs Linton * Richard Kay as Lockwood * John Collin as Mr Earnshaw * Patricia Healey as Mrs Earnshaw * Judith Byfield as Servant Girl *

John Golightly John Golightly (born 18 May 1936) is a British actor from Resolven, Wales, who has appeared in numerous television productions over a 45-year period. His father was a transport foreman. After grammar school he trained as an actor at RADA and a ...

as Dr Kenneth *

David Robb David Robb (born 23 August 1947) is a Scottish actor. Early life Robb was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of David Robb and Elsie Tilley. He grew up in Edinburgh and was educated there at the Royal High School, where he played Henry II i ...

Edgar Edgar is a commonly used masculine English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Edgar'' (composed of ''wikt:en:ead, ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''Gar (spear), gar'' "spear"). Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the Late Midd ...

** Grant Bardsley as Edgar (as child) * Paul Dawkins as Reverend Graham *

Caroline Langrishe Caroline Langrishe (born 10 January 1958) is an English actress. Early life Born in London, Langrishe is the elder daughter of Patrick Nicholas Langrishe (1932–2022), of The Manor House, Sellindge, Kent, a Lieutenant in the 11th Hussars, late ...

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpo ...

** Julia Stark as Isabella (as child) * Norman Rutherford as Mr Green *

Barbara Keogh Barbara Keogh (21 April 1929 – 25 October 2005) was a British actress. Keogh is most noted for her work on television, particularly her role as Lilly Mattock on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Early life and career Keogh was born on 21 ...

as Zillah *

Cathryn Harrison Cathryn Mary Lee Harrison (25 May 1959 – October 2018) was an English actress. Early life Harrison was the daughter of the actor and singer Noel Harrison and Sara Lee Eberts, and the granddaughter of actor Sir Rex Harrison. Career Harr ...

Catherine Linton ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the L ...

* David Wilkinson as Hareton ** Elliot Moss and Simon Massey as Hareton (as child) * Andrew Burleigh as Linton * Kate David as Mary * Barry Hart as Robert * Charles Turner as Sexton * Richard Usher as Small Boy

Critical reception

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...

wrote, "Irish playwright

Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was an Irish dramatist, television writer, and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays, three volumes of essay, two autobiograph ...

handles the adaptation, deftly juggling the many characters and subplots without the slightest sense of strain"; and the

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, d ...

described the adaptation as "embracing the hysteria and savagery of its source novel." However, in a contemporary review

Clive James Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.e latest but not the best of the Beeb's long line of classic serials", and "the blithering pits".

References

External links

* * 1978 British television series debuts 1978 British television series endings 1970s British drama television series 1970s British television miniseries BBC Film films Films based on Wuthering Heights British English-language television shows {{1970s-UK-film-stub