The Servant (1963)

Budget (GBP)	135,000
Distribution Company	Elstree Distributors Ltd (Distributor \| Est. Unknown)
Release Date	3 September 1963
Black and White	Yes
Regional Release	Yes
Release Notes	Italy 3 September 1963 (Venice Film Festival); USA 16 September 1963 (New York Film Festival); UK 9 January 1964 (London); USA 16 March 1964; France 10 April 1964; Italy July 1964 (Festival dei Due Mondi); West Germany 14 August 1964; Sweden 14 September 1964; Denmark 21 September 1964; Austria October 1964; Italy 4 December 1964; Finland 26 March 1965; Spain 31 October 1967 (Madrid); Spain 13 November 1967 (Barcelona); Mexico 7 December 1967; Turkey June 1969; Portugal 25 September 1970; Belgium 30 May 1975 (Gent); Netherlands 28 June 1984 (re-release); France 7 August 2002 (re-release); Greece 12 October 2006 (Panorama of European Cinema); France 20 April 2011 (re-release); Japan 24 November 2012 (Osaka European Film Festival); USA 29 May 2014 (Seattle International Film Festival); France 20 August 2014 (re-release) (restored version);
Description	An adaptation by Harold Pinter of a 1948 novella by Robin Maugham, The Servant is the story of a wealthy young man, Tony, taking a servant, Barrett, into his employ to look after his new house in London. The two men form a close relationship, which contributes to the eventual reversal of their power relationship.
Language	English

Linked Productions

No linked Production have been added to this production record yet.

Linked People

Joseph Losey (1909 - 1984)

Creative | Director

Harold Pinter (1930 - 2008)

Creative | Screenplay

Robin Maugham (1916 - 1981)

Creative | Author (original novel)

Joseph Losey (1909 - 1984)

Production | Producer

Norman Priggen (1924 - 1999)

Production | Producer

John Dankworth (1927 - 2010)

Orchestrator | Music

Douglas Slocombe (1913 - 2016)

Technical | Director of photography

Reginald Mills (1912 - 1990)

Technical | Film editor

Richard Macdonald (1919 - 1993)

Creative | Production Designer

Ted Clements (1926 - 1992)

Creative | Art Director

Beatrice Dawson (1908 - 1976)

Creative | Costume Designer

Joyce James

Creative | Hairdresser

Bob Lawrence

Creative | Makeup Artist

Teresa Bolland (1917 - 1989)

Production | Production Manager

Roy Stevens

Creative | Assistant Director

Buster Ambler

Technical | Sound Recordist

John Cox

Technical | Sound Supervisor

Gerry Hambling

Technical | Sound Editor

Frank Howard

Technical | Camera grip

Chic Waterson

Technical | Camera operator

Brian Harris

Technical | Clapper loader

Robin Vidgeon

Technical | Focus puller

John Dankworth (1927 - 2010)

Orchestrator | Conductor

David Lindup

Orchestrator | Orchestrator

Pamela Davies

Production | Continuity

Geoff Freeman

Production | Unit Publicist

Paul Mayersberg

Production | Production Assistant

Linked Organisations

Elstree Distributors Ltd (Distributor | Est. Unknown)

Characters

Tony (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: James Fox (1939)

Wasn't Present

Barrett (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Dirk Bogarde (1921 - 1999)

Wasn't Present

Susan (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Wendy Craig (1934)

Wasn't Present

Vera (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Sarah Miles (1941)

Wasn't Present

Society Man (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Harold Pinter (1930 - 2008)

Wasn't Present

Lord Mountset (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Richard Vernon (1925 - 1997)

Wasn't Present

Bishop (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Patrick Magee (1922 - 1982)

Wasn't Present

Cashier In Coffee Bar (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Chris Williams

Wasn't Present

Curate (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Alun Owen (1925 - 1994)

Wasn't Present

Girl In Pub (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Alison Seebohm (1939 - 2015)

Wasn't Present

Girl In Bedroom (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Philippa Hare

Wasn't Present

Girl In Phone Box (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Dorothy Bromiley (1930)

Wasn't Present

Head Waiter (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Derek Tansley (1917 - 2010)

Wasn't Present

Man In Pub (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Brian Phelan (1934)

Wasn't Present

Older Woman (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Doris Knox (1916 - 1998)

Wasn't Present

Society Woman (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Ann Firbank (1933)

Wasn't Present

Woman In Bedroom (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Hazel Terry (1918 - 1974)

Wasn't Present

Younger Woman (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Jill Melford (1931 - 2018)

Wasn't Present

Lady Mountset (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Understudy: Catherine Lacey (1904 - 1979)

Wasn't Present

Jazz Band Leader (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Uncredited.

Understudy: John Dankworth (1927 - 2010)

Wasn't Present

Girl (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Uncredited.

Understudy: Harriet Devine

Wasn't Present

Guitarist (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Uncredited.

Understudy: Davy Graham (1940 - 2008)

Wasn't Present

Girl (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Uncredited.

Understudy: Colette Martin

Wasn't Present

Restaurant Diner 2 (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Uncredited.

Understudy: Guy Standeven (1928 - 1998)

Wasn't Present

Girl (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Uncredited.

Understudy: Joanna Wake (1940)

Wasn't Present

Sidewalk Painter (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Male)

Understudy: Bruce Wells

Wasn't Present

Restaurant Dinner 1 (The Servant) (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Uncredited.

Understudy: Aileen Lewis (1914 - 2014)

Wasn't Present

Linked Awards

British Screenwriters Guild Award

1964

Las Jornadas Internacionales de Cine, Spain

Unknown

Nastro d'argento (Silver Ribbon Award, Italy)

1966

Won: Best Foreign Film

New York Film Critics' Circle Award

1964

Won: Best Writing

BAFTA

1963

Won: Best British Actor: Dirk Bogarde

BAFTA

1963

Won: Best Black and White Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe

Linked Places

30 Royal Avenue, Chelsea

The filming location for the house in The Servant (1963). Director Joseph Losey lived on the other side of Royal Avenue to this location.

120 King's Road, Chelsea

Barrett is seen crossing the road in front of Thomas Crapper's shop in The Servant (1963).

Resources

In search of the locations for Joseph Losey’s classic The Servant (URL)

Type: Article

External Link: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/servant-locations-joseph-losey-dirk-bogarde

Online article by Adam Scovell

50th Anniversary DVD release (URL)

Type: DVD

External Link: http://www.studiocanal.co.uk/Film/Details/89e6e81f-d991-420d-b2dc-a19b00a19cce

Studiocanal released a special edition of The Servant, including many interviews and archive material, to mark the film’s fiftieth anniversary in 2003.