The Madness of King George (1994)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Nicholas Hytner

Writers:

Alan Bennett (play)
Alan Bennett (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 December 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History

Tagline:

His Majesty was all powerful and all knowing. But he wasn't quite all there.

Plot:

A meditation on power and the metaphor of the body of state, based on the real episode of dementia experienced...

Plot Keywords:

King George III | Porphyria | England | King | Marital Problem

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 14 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Nigel Hawthorne	...	George III
Helen Mirren	...	Queen Charlotte
Ian Holm	...	Dr. Willis
Rupert Graves	...	Greville
Amanda Donohoe	...	Lady Pembroke
Rupert Everett	...	Prince of Wales
Julian Rhind-Tutt	...	Duke of York
Julian Wadham	...	Pitt
Jim Carter	...	Fox
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Warren
Charlotte Curley	...	Amelia
Anthony Calf	...	Fitzroy
Matthew Lloyd Davies	...	Papandick
Adrian Scarborough	...	Fortnum
Paul Corrigan	...	Braun
John Wood	...	Thurlow
Nick Sampson	...	Sergeant At Arms
Jeremy Child	...	Black Rod
Nicholas Selby	...	Speaker
Barry Stanton	...	Sheridan
Struan Rodger	...	Dundas
Janine Duvitski	...	Margaret Nicholson
Caroline Harker	...	Mrs. Fitzherbert
Iain Mitchell	...	Farmer
Roger Hammond	...	Baker
Celestine Randall	...	Lady Adam
Cyril Shaps	...	Pepys
Michael Grandage	...	Amputee
James Peck	...	Willis' Attendant
Clive Brunt	...	Willis' Attendant
Fergus Webster	...	Willis' Attendant
Barry Gillespie	...	Willis' Attendant
Joe Maddison	...	Willis' Attendant
Selina Cadell	...	Mrs. Cordwell
Dermot Keaney	...	Footman
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Clergyman
Robert Swann	...	1st MP (as Robert Swan)
Alan Bennett	...	2nd MP
Collin Johnson	...	MP
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	MP
David Leon	...	Footman
Martin Julier	...	Footman
Dan Hammond	...	Footman
Nicholas Irons	...	Footman (as Nick Irons)
Peter Bride-Kirk	...	Royal Child
Eve Camden	...	Royal Child
Thomas Copeland	...	Royal Child
Joanna Hall	...	Royal Child
Cassandra Halliburton	...	Royal Child
Russell Martin	...	Royal Child
Natalie Palys	...	Royal Child

Directed by
Nicholas Hytner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alan Bennett		play "The Madness of George III"
Alan Bennett		screenplay

Produced by
Mark Cooper	....	line producer
Stephen Evans	....	producer
David Parfitt	....	producer

Cinematography by
Andrew Dunn

Film Editing by
Tariq Anwar

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Martin Childs		(supervising art director)
John Fenner

Set Decoration by
Carolyn Scott

Costume Design by
Sue Honeybourne
Mark Thompson

Makeup Department
Helen Barrett	....	makeup artist
Françoise Cresson	....	makeup artist
Helen Johnson	....	makeup artist
Di Roberts	....	makeup artist
Deborah Taylor	....	senior makeup assistant
Lisa Westcott	....	hair designer
Lisa Westcott	....	makeup designer

Production Management
John Bard Manulis	....	executive in charge of production: Samuel Goldwyn Films (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tariq Anwar	....	second unit director
Paul Higgins	....	third assistant director
Finn McGrath	....	second assistant director
Jez Murrell	....	third assistant director
Stuart Renfrew	....	third assistant director
Mary Soan	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jason Babcock	....	plasterer
Nathan Batterbee	....	stagehand
Ronald Bede	....	chargehand stagehand
John Behan	....	carpenter
Malcolm Bensted	....	stand-by propman
Thomas Alexis Bhanji	....	construction runner (as Tom Bhanji)
Roy Biggs	....	stagehand
Leith Boler	....	props buyer
Dennis Bosher	....	draughtsman
Dave Buckingham	....	carpenter
Bob Cann	....	carpenter (as Robert Cann)
Eamon Cann	....	carpenter
Alan Cheevers	....	plasterer
Jane Clark	....	storyboard artist
John Clements	....	art stand-by
Darren Conway	....	plasterer laborer
Bill Dady	....	stagehand
Tony D'Amato	....	carpenter
Trevor Dyer	....	carpenter
Paul Garner	....	storyboard artist
Anthony Goddard	....	painter (as Tony Goddard)
Lee Goddard	....	painter
Jane Henwood	....	art department assistant
Matthew Higgins	....	painter
Kevin Huse	....	stagehand
Mark Impey	....	stand-by stagehand
Bryce Johnston	....	carpenter (as Bruce Johnston)
David Jones	....	stagehand
Maurice Jones	....	property master
Richard Jones	....	carpenter
Reginald Keywood	....	carpenter
Reginald Keywood	....	chargehand carpenter (as Regininald Wood)
Sabrina Lamonica	....	art department assistant
Bernard Leadbitter	....	carpenter
Mark Lee	....	plasterer
Bill Lowe	....	stand-by painter
Peter Mackey	....	plasterer
Roy Martin	....	painter
Binky Morrice	....	art stand-by
Philip Morris	....	stagehand
Jim Parker	....	stand-by propman
David Pitt	....	carpenter
Ken Powell	....	supervising plasterer
Doug Purdy	....	props storeman
Mark Raggett	....	stand-by art director
Robert Ramsey	....	plasterer
Simon Reeves	....	carpenter
Eric Regan	....	supervising painter
Syd Regan	....	painter (as Sidney Regan)
Anthony Rhone	....	painter (as Tony Rhone)
Bob Rose	....	plasterer (as Robert Rose)
Richard Shackleton	....	supervising carpenter
John Siddall	....	draughtsman
Vic Simpson	....	construction coordinator
Danny Skundric	....	dressing propsman
John Starkey	....	painter laborer
Anita St. John	....	art stand-by
Andrew Tombs	....	plasterer
Des Wallace	....	carpenter
Stephen T. Walsh	....	plasterer laborer (as Steven Walsh)
Steve Watts	....	plasterer (as Stephen Watts)
Jamie Wilkinson	....	propman
John Woods	....	plasterer
Steve Wotton	....	carpenter
Edwin Young	....	stand-by carpenter

Sound Department
Christopher Ackland	....	supervising sound editor
Roy Baker	....	foley artist
John Casali	....	sound recordist
Clive Copland	....	sound maintenance engineer
David Crozier	....	sound mixer
David Crozier	....	sound
Graham Farrow	....	assistant foley editor
Stan Fiferman	....	foley editor
Pat Gilbert	....	assistant dialogue editor
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Margoschis	....	sound atmosphere
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jean Sheffield	....	foley artist
Jim Shields	....	dialogue editor
Elaine 'Chucks' Thomas	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Alastair Vardy	....	special effects technician
Stuart Conran	....	special effects makeup (uncredited)
Dave Crownshaw	....	snow effects supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Peter Govey	....	opticals
Kent Houston	....	visual effects
Nigel Stone	....	visual effects: VistaVision
Jonathan Taylor	....	visual effects: VistaVision
Dean Yurke	....	digital artist

Stunts
Wayne Michaels	....	stunt coordinator
Gareth Milne	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Keith Batterbee	....	rigger
Jim Beeby	....	gaffer
Steve Brooke Smith	....	focus puller: second unit (as Stephen Brook-Smith)
Trevor Coop	....	camera operator: second unit
David Cozens	....	clapper loader: second unit
Mike Frift	....	camera operator: second unit
Pat Garrett	....	grip: second unit
Robert Gurney	....	rigger
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
Philip Hill	....	camera trainee
Sid Hinson	....	rigger
Mike House	....	key grip
Ian Jackson	....	camera operator: second unit
Nigel Kirton	....	Steadicam operator
Brad Larner	....	focus puller
Simon Mills	....	focus puller: second unit
Jimmy Mullins	....	grip: second unit
Nick Penn	....	second assistant camera
Ronnie Rampton	....	best boy
William Richards	....	stand-by rigger (as Bill Richards)
Bill Sansom	....	chargehand rigger
Mel Sansom	....	rigger
Colin Strachan	....	grip: second unit
Brian Taylor	....	grip: second unit
David Toft	....	video operator
Robert Toft	....	video operator: second unit
John Turner	....	electrician
Patricia Van Over	....	first assistant camera (as Pattie Vanover)
George White Jr.	....	electrician (as George White)
Paul Wood	....	electrician
Danny Young	....	electrician
Alan Grayley	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sasha Robertson	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kate Allen	....	costume maker
William Baboo	....	costume maker
Irene Bohan	....	assistant costume designer
Anthony Brookman	....	wardrobe master
Naomi Critcher	....	production wardrobe
Ronald M. Davis	....	costume maker (as Ron Davis)
Judith Edgley	....	wardrobe
Amanda Hall	....	costume maker
Victoria Harwood	....	costume assistant
Sue Honeybourne	....	costume supervisor
Naomi Isaacs	....	costume maker
Sacha Keir	....	costume maker
Anna Kot	....	wardrobe mistress (as Anna Koy)
Jane Law	....	costume maker
Peter Lewis	....	costume maker
Sue Long	....	costume maker
Debbie Marchant	....	costume maker
Sabine McCrudden	....	costume maker
Stephen Miles	....	costume assistant
Steve Pokol	....	costume assistant
Meinir Roberts	....	costume maker
Alan Selzer	....	costume maker
Frank Simon	....	costume assistant
Brigid Strowbridge	....	costume maker

Editorial Department
Christopher Lloyd	....	first assistant editor
John Stanborough	....	color grader
Adrian Trent	....	second assistant editor
Sylvia Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
George Fenton	....	music adaptor: from the works of G F Handel
George Fenton	....	orchestrator
Keith Grant	....	music recordist
Isobel Griffiths	....	music contractor
Nicholas Kraemer	....	conductor: baroque music
Adrian Thomas	....	music post-production
Adrian Thomas	....	musician: synthesizer
Eliza Thompson	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Dominic Barlow	....	driver
Tony Bird	....	transportation manager
John Clarke	....	driver: bus dining
Stephen Cranny	....	driver
Mike Cuddy	....	driver: props car
Peter Gristwood	....	driver: props stand-by car
David Kipling	....	driver: wardrobe car
Joanna Lipper	....	driver
Richard Maurice	....	driver: crowd car
Cliff Raddley	....	driver: camera car
Simon Saunders	....	unit driver
Charlie Simpson	....	driver: road train
Brian Skeels	....	driver: make-up car
Terry Tapping	....	unit driver
John Vaughan	....	driver: bus dining
John Vaughan	....	driver: bus dining
Mark White	....	driver: construction car

Other crew
Jenny Adely	....	milliner
Dominic Barlow	....	runner
Steve Barrett	....	milliner
Bill Barringer	....	location finder
Liz Barron	....	financial consultant
Miles Barton	....	researcher
Thomas Alexis Bhanji	....	runner
Jean Bourne	....	script supervisor
Claire Chapman	....	production assistant
Cleone Clarke	....	floor runner
Paola Colpani	....	accountant
Stephen Cranny	....	runner
Frances Delmar-Morgan	....	production runner
Andrew Fox	....	military advisor
Joe Friedman	....	location scout
Lucy Gaiger	....	milliner
Francesca Gentili	....	production assistant
Jonathan Glendening	....	assistant to director
Dave Goodey	....	horse coordinator
Peter Govey	....	title designer: main title
Line Hilton	....	nurse
Vivien Jordan	....	production coordinator
Debbie Kaye	....	horse coordinator (as Debby Kaye)
Julie Linnane	....	accounting assistant
Joanna Lipper	....	runner
Lorraine McKee	....	milliner
Michael Mendelsohn	....	production financing
Rachel Neale	....	location manager
Ron Nichols	....	machinist
Howard Rayner	....	milliner
Lorraine Richards	....	milliner
Fran Robertson	....	location manager (as Francesca Robertson)
Patric Scott	....	unit publicist
Brian Shemmings	....	health advisor
Brian Shemmings	....	safety advisor
Ron Stenner	....	medical advisor
Amanda Stevens	....	assistant location manager
Harry Teacher	....	assistant: Mr. Adam
Peter Thompson	....	press representative

Production Companies

• Channel Four Films (present)
• Close Call Films
• Mad George Films
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (present)

Distributors

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (1995) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sociedad Kino Visión (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
• EDKO Film (Hong Kong)
• Hallmark Home Entertainment
• MGM Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (Australia) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Snow Business International
• Vendetta FX

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Set Meals  catering

Also Known As:

The Madness of George III (Australia)
The Madness of King George III (Australia)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

There had been some question as to whether Nigel Hawthorne should be cast in the movie, since he was 65 at the time of filming and King George III was only fifty at the time of his first bout of insanity.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A globe shows post-1846 United States boundaries, including the Louisiana Purchase and Oregon Territory.

Quotes:

Thurlow: The Prince of Wales cannot marry without the King's consent and he CANNOT marry a Catholic. You performed an illegal ceremony.
Clergyman: [indignantly] And they only give me ten pound for it.
Thurlow: Here's another ten pounds. Keep this to yourself.
[He gives the clergyman money and starts tearing the page from the register]
Clergyman: Here, you can't do that, it's against the law.
Thurlow: I *am* the law.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ken Adam: Designing Bond (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Zadok the Priest

Satisfyingly sharp and funny

THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III (called MADNESS OF KING GEORGE in the States because of reported studio concern, probably not apocryphal, that most Americans would wonder why they missed MADNESS I and II) begins with an act of lese majesty, a look behind the scenes as the family and ministers of George III prepare for the ceremony to open Parliament in 1788. We see the confusion of an equerry who has no idea of what his duties are, a royal attendant hurriedly spit on and cuff-polish a jewel on the kingly crown, the boredom of the king's eldest sons who would rather be just about anywhere else than waiting for their father in the chilly anteroom. ("Colder in here than a greyhound's nostril," mutters the Lord Chancellor.) It's a theme that will carry through the entire film. Kingship and royalty are shams, it seems - magic acts that require faith on the part of the audience. A peek behind the curtain of noblesse oblige and it's all likely to fall to pieces.

The story remains fairly true to the facts. Late in 1788, George III is taken by a mysterious illness (lately surmised to be porphyria) that strongly resembles the then-popular conception of madness. Chaos ensues, mainly in the desperate efforts of the Government (headed by William Pitt - Julian Wadham) to hush the whole matter up lest the forces of the Whig Opposition (led by Charles James Fox - Jim Carter) use the power vacuum to place the king's eldest son, the Prince of Wales, at the head of a regency sympathetic to their political cause. But Alan Bennett, who originally wrote the script for the theatre, is wise enough to treat the potentially tragic story as essentially comic even while raising the question of the basic insanity behind all pretensions to royalty. ("Some of my lunatics fancy themselves kings," notes the "mad doctor" who undertakes the case. "But he IS the king. Where shall his fancy take refuge?")

The power of the film radiates from neither history nor comedy but from performances, and Nigel Hawthorne, who sharpened his characterization of George III over months of playing it on stage, dominates a roster of top-notch actors. Whether brow-beating his older children with admonitions of "Do not be fat, Sir! Fight it! Fight it!" or, freed from his self-imposed strictures of kingship by illness, slipping the reins and pawing under the stays of Lady Pembroke (Amanda Donahoe), Hawthorne is both maddeningly and appealingly autocratic. Perhaps his Farmer George, England's prime example of husbandry both in his knowledge of horticulture and in his brood of 15 children, is more sympathetic than the historical personage, but in the end that matters little. It's a superbly nuanced performance.

And he's given able support by Helen Mirren as his faithful Queen Charlotte, who's devoted her life to supporting the man who rescued her from the obscurity of a small Germanic kingdom and married her despite her rather spectacular lack of good looks. Mirren's accent is variable; her etching of Charlotte's desperate groping at every straw in order to see her husband cured is not.

The rest of the cast is impeccable as well. Ian Holm is all steely religious conviction turned to medical practice as Dr. Willis, who undertakes to treat the king. Rupert Everett, despite the double handicap of an obviously false stomach and the silliest wig in the film, does a creditable turn as the Prince of Wales, though the script treats Prinny unfairly, mainly for the comic potential of doing so. Ministers of state and Parliamentarians Wadham, Carter and John Wood handle their lines with a panache and wit that would do credit to any authentic 18th-century gentleman. Some of the best lines go to Wood, who as usual gives his unsurpassable style and timing, as when he growls out in church, "I'm praying, goddammit!"

The costumes are both faithful and sumptuous, the cinematography is luminous and the sets, borrowed at low cost from various castles and colleges, are lovingly handled. Of special note is the music of Handel, adapted so cleverly by George Fenton that one would swear the old boy in the knee breeches wrote the score himself for every scene.