Connecting Rooms

Connecting Rooms is a 1970 British drama film written and directed by Franklin Gollings. The screenplay is based on the play The Cellist by Marion Hart.[1] The film stars Bette Davis, Michael Redgrave, and Leo Genn.[2]

Connecting Rooms
Original British quad poster
Directed byFranklin Gollings
Produced byFranklin Gollings
Harry Field
Written byFranklin Gollings
StarringBette Davis
Michael Redgrave
Alexis Kanner
Kay Walsh
Olga Georges-Picot
Music byJohn Shakespeare
CinematographyJohn Wilcox
Edited byJack Slade
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • May 1970 (1970-05) (US)
  • May 1972 (1972-05) (UK)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The plot explores the relationships shared by the residents of a seedy boarding house owned by dour Mrs. Brent. Among them are busker Wanda Fleming, who is flattered by the attention paid her by rebellious pop songwriter wannabe Mickey Hollister, and former schoolmaster James Wallraven, who has been accused of pedophilia and reduced to working as a janitor in an art gallery.

Cast

Production

The Paramount Pictures release was filmed on location in Bayswater. It was made in 1969, was given a limited release in the United States in 1970, and opened in the UK in 1972.

Scenes in which Wanda Fleming played the cello featured close-ups of the hands of British classical cellist Amaryllis Fleming.[3]

In a scene set in the West End theatre district, a theatre marquee lists Margot Channing as one of the cast of the play it is housing. Channing was the name of the character Bette Davis portrayed in All About Eve.

Critical reception

In his review in Film Threat, Phil Hall describes the film as "a compelling and often heartbreaking drama" and adds "Redgrave, who was never the most subtle screen actor...manages to reign in his hammy tendencies and find the angst and isolation in the disgraced teacher's existence." Regarding Davis, Hall writes: "When her secret is revealed, Davis' character says absolutely nothing. Instead, her body freezes slightly while her eyes (yes, those Bette Davis eyes) give a look which is initially shameful, but then suddenly appear to present endless relief. In her silence and her ocular expression, Davis achieves a state of grace which is astonishing to behold."

Time Out London wrote "Riddled with act and scene pauses...it's a fairly classic condensation of several fetishistic concerns endemic to British cinema." [4]

TV Guide calls it a "dull, sappy melodrama." [5]

References
  1. "Connecting Rooms (1969)". BFI.
  2. "Connecting Rooms (1971) - Franklin Gollings - Cast and Crew - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  3. Fleming obituary in the New York Times
  4. Time Out London review Archived 14 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Connecting Rooms". TVGuide.com.
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