The Virgin Soldiers (film)
The Virgin Soldiers is a 1969 British war comedy-drama film directed by John Dexter and starring Lynn Redgrave, Hywel Bennett, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Patrick and Rachel Kempson. It is set in 1950, during the Malayan Emergency, and is based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Leslie Thomas.
| The Virgin Soldiers | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) British quad poster by John Stockle | |
| Directed by | John Dexter |
| Produced by | Leslie Gilliat Nat Sherrin |
| Written by | John Hopkins John McGrath Ian La Frenais |
| Based on | The Virgin Soldiers by Leslie Thomas |
| Starring | Lynn Redgrave Hywel Bennett Nigel Davenport Nigel Patrick Rachel Kempson |
| Music by | Peter Greenwell |
| Cinematography | Kenneth Higgins |
| Edited by | Thelma Connell |
Production company | High Road Productions Open Road Films |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The film's popularity spawned a 1977 sequel, Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers.[1]
Premise
Private Brigg is a soldier sent to Singapore during the Malayan Emergency along with a squad of naïve new recruits. There he falls for Phillipa Raskin, the daughter of the regimental sergeant major.
Cast
- Lynn Redgrave as Phillipa Raskin
- Hywel Bennett as Pte Brigg
- Nigel Davenport as Sgt Driscoll
- Nigel Patrick as R.S.M. Raskin
- Rachel Kempson as Mrs. Raskin
- Jack Shepherd as Sgt Wellbeloved
- Michael Gwynn as Col Bromley-Pickering
- Tsai Chin as Juicy Lucy
- Christopher Timothy as Cpl Brook
- Don Hawkins as Tasker
- Geoffrey Hughes as Lantry
- Roy Holder as Fenwick
- Riggs O'Hara as Sinclair
- Gregory Phillips as Foster
- Peter Kelly as Sandy Jacobs
- Mark Nicholl as Cutler
- Alan Shatsman as Longley
- Jonty Miller as Forsyth
- Jolyon Jackley as Cpl Gravy Browning
- Robert Bridges as Sgt Fred Organ
- James Cosmo as Waller
- Graham Crowden as Medical Officer
- Dudley Jones as Doctor
- Matthew Guinness as Major Cusper
- Naranjan Singh as Sikh
- F Yew as 'Hallelujah'
- Brenda Bruce as Nursing Sister (uncredited)
- Warren Clarke as Soldier (uncredited)
- Barbara Keogh as WRAC (uncredited)
- James Marcus as Soldier (uncredited)
- Jeremy Roughton as Soldier (uncredited)
A young and uncredited David Bowie appears briefly as a soldier escorted out from behind a bar.
Reception
The Virgin Soldiers was the 17th-most-popular film at the U.K. box office in 1969.[2]
References
- "Leslie Thomas - obituary", Telegraph, 7 May 2014 accessed 7 May 2014
- "The World's Top Twenty Films." Sunday Times [London, England] 27 Sept. 1970: 27. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. accessed 5 Apr. 2014
External links
- The Virgin Soldiers at IMDb
- The Virgin Soldiers at TCMDB
- The Virgin Soldiers film review at New York Times
- The Virgin Soldiers film review at Variety
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