The Rita Tushingham Home Page

Credits & Photos 1961 - 1963

A Taste Of Honey (1961) [Film: UK] "Jo"
• View the Internet Movie Database entry for this item
• View this BBC video clip, with Rita as your guide to the year 1961
• View another video clip, in which Rita reminisces about her first film role in A Taste Of Honey
• A ground-breaking movie of its time, based on Shelagh Delaney's play, with soulful-eyed Rita Tushingham in her screen debut as the unwanted teenage daughter of Dora Bryan, a hilariously vulgar Salford lass who is being courted by a flash & pimpish Robert Stephens.  Our Rita is saved from her living hell by two social exiles – black sailor Jimmy, who makes her pregnant, and homosexual Geoff, who makes her happy – until the poverty trap snaps shut around her.  Set in dank bedsits amid grimy smokestacks and polluted canals, this movie – a romance of sorts, and a comedy – survives as a priceless barometer of England and English attitudes in 1961.
• Filming began on Rita's 19th birthday, 14 March 1961.
• At the 1962 Cannes Film Festival, Rita won the Best Actress award for A Taste Of Honey, shared with Katharine Hepburn for Long Day's Journey Into Night.  Rita and Dora Bryan were initially such unknowns at Cannes that they had difficulty in gaining admittance to their own party!  On another occasion, Rita accidentally walked into a pillar in her hotel and knocked herself out.  Somehow, Rita never received her award certificate at Cannes.  This was rectified in 1999, when she was presented with a replacement certificate during the taping of her This Is Your Life episode.
• A Taste Of Honey (1961), on DVD, with Dora Bryan, Robert Stephens, Rita Tushingham, Murray Melvin, Paul Danquah, music by John Addison, cinematography by Walter Lassally, written by Shelagh Delaney, Tony Richardson, directed by Tony Richardson.
• The 2002 DVD release from the British Film Institute (BFI) contains a feature commentary track by Rita Tushingham and Dora Bryan, with additional interspersed comments by Murray Melvin that were recorded separately.
  • DVD Region 2, PAL format (Europe) -
    • Released by British Film Institute - Amazon UK, more online sellers
    • Released by Optimum Home Entertainment - Amazon UK

Rita Tushingham Jo plays netball at school.  The school has since been demolished, but was located on Jarvis Street between Charlesworth Street and Barmouth Street.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.

Rita Tushingham Jo walks home from school to the basement flat that she shares with her mother.

photo courtesy of Darren Barclay The same area in 2007.

Rita Tushingham Jo enters the building where her basement flat is located.

photo courtesy of Darren Barclay The same building in 2007, on Larkhill Road at Cunliffe Street.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Darren Barclay for this location info.

Dora Bryan, Rita Tushingham Still owing two months' rent, Helen and Jo vacate their basement flat by crawling through the window while their landlady is watching television, then make their way down a hill.

photo courtesy of Darren Barclay The same area in 2007.

Rita Tushingham Jo takes the long way home from school, past the Manchester Ship Canal.

Rita Tushingham, Paul Danquah "Looks bad.  Needs a bandage." Friendly sailor Jimmy examines Jo's skinned knee.

Rita and Paul Danquah take direction from Tony Richardson.

Rita Tushingham "So this is where you do your cookin', is it?" Jo plays with Jimmy's chef's hat in the ship's kitchen.

Rita Tushingham, Paul Danquah Jimmy renders first aid.

Paul Danquah, Rita Tushingham Jimmy and Jo share a mutual attraction.

Rita Tushingham, Paul Danquah "Were you expecting to marry a man whose father beat the tom-tom?" Jimmy walks Jo home after school.

photo courtesy of Geoff Knight The same area in 2006.  The steps run from Cambrian Street at the top, down to Holt Town road at the bottom.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.

photo courtesy of Geoff Knight The steps in 2006 are obviously not as clean as they were in 1961!

photo courtesy of Geoff Knight Looking up the steps.

Rita Tushingham When Jo reaches the top of the steps, she waves goodbye to Jimmy.

photo courtesy of Geoff Knight The same area in 2006, but with the photographer's cousin standing in for Rita.

photo courtesy of Geoff Knight After waving goodbye to Jimmy, Jo runs and skips down this sidewalk, seen here in 2006.  The street is Cambrian Street, running northwest from Holt Town road, just north of Ashton New Road, in Manchester, England.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.

Dora Bryan, Tony Richardson Dora was very bashful about her scene in the bathtub, and wore an elastoplast bandage across her breasts just out of sight of the camera.

Rita Tushingham, Paul Danquah "Can I keep it?" Jo asks to keep Jimmy's toy car.

Robert Stephens, Rita, and Dora Bryan joke with director Tony Richardson while preparing for the scene in which they depart for Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Dora grabs some cotton candy.

Robert Stephens, Rita Tushingham "You leave ME alone, and leave my mother alone too!" The day at Blackpool does not go well.  Jo gets into an argument with her mother's boyfriend, and throws a box of chocolates in his face.

Rita Tushingham Returning from Blackpool alone, Jo spends the night with Jimmy.  The next morning, Jo waves goodbye to Jimmy, who must return to his ship.

Paul Danquah The early dawn light silhouettes Jimmy on the Barton Road swing bridge.  Click for Google map.

Rita Tushingham Jo remains at the ship canal to watch the departure of Jimmy's ship, the Manchester Shipper.

Rita Tushingham Jo watches Jimmy's ship depart, wondering if she will ever see him again.

Rita Tushingham, Murray Melvin New customer Geoffrey buys a pair of Italian casual shoes from Jo.

photo courtesy of Manchester Local Image Collection The stock in Jo's shoe shop is labeled "W Timpson" – a well-known chain of shoe shops in England at the time.  A trolley bus seen in the film indicates that the shop was located on one of Manchester's few trolley routes in 1961.  Additional geographical features such as alleys and the names of neighboring shops reveal that the filming location was the "W Timpson" shop at 312/314 Ashton New Road (south side of street), Manchester, England.  The shop can be seen at the far left in the above photo, taken in 1960.  The area has since been redeveloped, and if you were standing in the doorway of the shoe shop, you would see the City Of Manchester Stadium (home of Manchester City Football Club) across the street, on the north side of Ashton New Road.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.  Photo © Manchester City Council.

Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham While viewing the annual Whit Week Walks, Geoffrey and Jo see each other on the steps of the city art gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester.  This scene was filmed as a pick-up shot during an actual Whit Week Walk.  Rita wore no jacket that day, so the jacket she is wearing in this scene was borrowed from cameraman Desmond Davis, who was wearing the traditional cameraman's blue blazer.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.

Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham New flatmate Geoffrey talks to Jo under a brick arch.  She tells him that she is pregnant with Jimmy's baby.

photo courtesy of Darren Barclay Brick-arch scene was filmed under one of the 27 arches of the Stockport railway viaduct.  The arch in the scene is to the left of this photo, where a rising hill makes the arches smaller.  Completed in 1842 as part of the railway system linking Manchester with London, the viaduct contains over 11 million bricks and is the largest brick structure in western Europe.

Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham "It kicked me, Geoff!  It kicked me!" Jo feels Jimmy's baby kick in her womb for the first time.

The crew films the scene in which Jo's baby kicks her for the first time.  The canal basin and locks are bordered by three streets – Holland Street and Vickers Street with Varley Street crossing both.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.

photo courtesy of Geoff Knight The canal basin and locks in 2006.  The basin was slightly reduced in size when new houses were built in the area.  The mill in the background with the tall chimney is Victoria Mill, which still stands and has been converted into apartments.

photo courtesy of Geoff Knight The canal basin and locks from a slightly different angle.

Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham Geoff presents a newborn-baby doll to Jo, to help her learn about her impending motherhood.

Rita Tushingham Jo does not look forward to becoming a mother.

photo courtesy of Darren Barclay Scene with newborn doll was filmed at St. Mary's church in Stockport, greater Manchester, England.  Click for Google map.

Rita Tushingham, Dora Bryan Jo resents her mother's offer of help.

Tony Richardson sets up a shot.  Rita looks repelled by the cigarette she is holding.

Dora Bryan

Robert Stephens Due to the many flubbed takes of this scene, actor Robert Stephens had to choke down many chocolate eclairs.  Too many!

The crew sets up a shot at the doorway to Jo's loft.  Note Murray Melvin standing in the doorway, holding a bassinet.

Rita Tushingham, Tony Richardson

Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham, Tony Richardson

Rita with young Elaine Yates of Salford, greater Manchester, who plays one of the street urchins in the film.  Perhaps Elaine hopes to someday fill Rita's shoes?

Rita Tushingham, Murray Melvin

photo courtesy of Terry Parker Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham

Dora Bryan, Rita Tushingham

Rita Tushingham, Murray Melvin

Rita Tushingham, Tony Richardson

Rita and John Osborne at the UK premiere of A Taste Of Honey at the Odeon Leicester Square Theatre in London on Thursday, 14 September 1961.  Rita wears a red dress provided by fashion designer Mary Quant, founder of Bazaar.

Tony Richardson, Rita Tushingham, John Osborne

Tony Richardson, Rita Tushingham, John Osborne

The Kitchen (1961) [Stage: UK] "Hettie (third waitress)"
• Immediately following the filming of A Taste Of Honey, but before its September 1961 UK release, Rita spent the early summer touring in this play by Arnold Wesker.
• Lynn Redgrave was a student Assistant Stage Manager on this production.
• The Kitchen (1961), with Tommy Eytle, Martin Boddey, Jessie Robins, Jane Merrow, Ida Goldapple, Marcos Marcou, Harry Landis, Andre Bolton, Rita Tushingham, Alison Bayley, Gladys Dawson, Jeanne Watts, Shirley Cameron, Sandra Caron, Dimitri Andreas, Tarn Bassett, Charlotte Selwyn, Wolf Parr, Mary Peach, Reginald Green, James Bolam, Andreas Markos, Brian Phelan, Andreas Lysandrou, Robert Stephens, Ken Parry, Arnold Yarrow, Charles Workman, Andreas Malendrinos, Patrick O'Connell, written by Arnold Wesker, directed by John Dexter.
  • 19 Jun 1961 - 25 Jun 1961, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry CV1 1GS
  • 27 Jun 1961 - end_date?, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS

The Knack (1961) [Stage: UK] "Nancy Jones"
• The performance at the Cambridge Arts Theatre was the first time that this play, written by Ann Jellicoe, was presented on stage.
• In Bath, England, most of the audience got up and walked out when Rita's character yelled out, "Rape!".
• The Knack (1961), with Terry Palmer, David Sumner, Ronald Falk, Rita Tushingham, written by Ann Jellicoe, directed by Keith Johnstone.
  • 09 Oct 1961 - 14 Oct 1961, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Earlham Street, London WC2 9HU
  • 16 Oct 1961 - 21 Oct 1961, Theatre Royal, Sawclose, Bath B11 1ET
  • 23 Oct 1961 - 28 Oct 1961, New Theatre, Park Place, Cardiff CF1 3LD
  • ?? 1961 - end_date?, Bristol

Rita Tushingham

New Names Making News (01 Jan 1962) [Radio: UK] "herself"
• Rita Tushingham's parents indulged their daughter's determination to go on the stage, but insisted that she learn shorthand and typing.  Now that she has succeeded in her chosen profession, "they are quite pleased, but don't say much."  She was working in a Liverpool theatre when she got the chance to make a test for the leading role in A Taste Of Honey.  She was overjoyed when she got the part, and she praises the great skill of the film's director, Tony Richardson.  She much prefers "a slice of life" plays to drawing-room comedies – "it's more thrilling for the audience and the actors."
• Young British actress Rita Tushingham is interviewed by Wilfred De'Ath on BBC radio, recorded on 25 Oct 1961.
• New Names Making News (01 Jan 1962), with Rita Tushingham, Wilfred De'Ath.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1962) [Stage: UK] "Hermia"
• Director Tony Richardson explained his approach to choosing the cast.  "I do sincerely believe that one must give opportunities to people in whose talent one has faith.  For instance, Rita Tushingham, who is playing Hermia in this production, has never attempted a Shakespeare part before, and I do not know how successful she is going to be in this first instance.  But I believe in her talent, and I believe that it is very important for her that she should have this experience.  Even though one may be able to cast better outside, one must build up people one knows have it in them to do great things.  It is a sort of insurance policy, or long term investment."
• Rita says that her performance as Hermia was "murdered" by the critics.
• The stage debut of Lynn Redgrave, who played the role of Helena.  Rita says, "I took to Lynny immediately.  She seemed to be a very warm, if shy, person.  We had a fantastic time appearing in A Midsummer Night's Dream, partly because Tony Richardson made everything such fun.  Lynn's older sister Vanessa Redgrave would often be at rehearsals, because she was married to Tony.  Of course, I knew her father was the great Sir Michael Redgrave, and that her mother was Rachel Kempson, but I wasn't fazed by any of that because no one stands on ceremony with anyone in our business.  We hit it off straight away."
• While doing this play, Rita met Terry Bicknell, eight years older, who was working as a TV cameraman.  They would marry later in 1962.  When they met, Terry was sharing a flat with actors Tom Courtenay, Nicol Williamson, and John Thaw.  Terry says, "One of the chaps brought Rita home one evening.  That was too bad for him!"
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (1962), with Robert Lang, Morris Perry, Corin Redgrave, Kenneth McReddie, Peter Froggatt, Ronnie Barker, Stuart Harris, Colin Blakely, Nicol Williamson, David Warner, James Bolam, Yolande Bavan, Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave, Colin Jeavons, Samantha Eggar, Alfred Lynch, Gillian Hoyle, Lesley Scoble, Teresa Scoble, Carol Dilworth, Pauline Foreman, written by William Shakespeare, directed by Tony Richardson.
  • 24 Jan 1962 - 17 Mar 1962, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS

Rita Tushingham, Corin Redgrave Hermia and Lysander.

Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham Lynn and Rita rehearse their roles as Helena and Hermia.

Rita Tushingham Rita stands in front of the Royal Court Theatre on the day before the premiere performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Corin Redgrave, Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave Dress rehearsal on 23 Jan 1962.

Rita and her dog in January 1962.

Twelfth Night (1962) [Stage: UK] "Maria"
• Twelfth Night (1962), with Morris Perry, Lorn Cosette, Stuart Harris, Albert Finney, Nicol Williamson, Rita Tushingham, Samantha Eggar, Julian Glover, Dan Meaden, Corin Redgrave, Charles Kay, Robert Lang, David Warner, Lynn Redgrave, written by William Shakespeare, directed by George Devine.
  • 18 Feb 1962 - end_date?, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS

The Variety Club Awards For 1961 (13 Mar 1962) [TV: UK] "herself"
• View a photo array of this show from the British Pathe digital news archive
• View a YouTube clip featuring highlights from this show
• The Variety Club Of Great Britain Annual Show Business Awards For 1961 from the Savoy Hotel, London.
• Show Business Personality of 1961 – Cliff Richard
  Most Promising Newcomer of 1961 – Helen Shapiro, Rita Tushingham
• The Variety Club Awards For 1961 (13 Mar 1962), with Cliff Richard, Helen Shapiro, Rita Tushingham.

Helen Shapiro, Cliff Richard, Rita Tushingham Rita and singer Helen Shapiro ("You Don't Know", "Walkin' Back to Happiness") share the award for the Most Promising Newcomer.

The Knack (1962) [Stage: UK] "Nancy Jones"
• Having already toured in this play in 1961, Rita reprised her role as Nancy Jones in this 1962 production at the Royal Court Theatre.
• The Knack (1962), with James Bolam, Philip Locke, Julian Glover, Rita Tushingham, written by Ann Jellicoe, directed by Ann Jellicoe, Keith Johnstone.
  • 27 Mar 1962 - 14 Apr 1962, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS

Rita Tushingham

Rita Tushingham, Philip Locke, Julian Glover, James Bolam

Rita Tushingham

Julian Glover, Rita Tushingham, James Bolam, Philip Locke

The Leather Boys (1962) [Film: UK] "Dot"
• View the Internet Movie Database entry for this item
• Slice-of-life 60s drama about two teenagers who marry for sex but find that legal lovemaking is less exciting than snatched illicit moments.  Soon their marriage is in trouble, and husband Reg seeks refuge at his grandmother's home.  When he meets the brash, leather-jacketed Pete, his wife Dot finds herself excluded from his new life.
• This film has become a cult favorite among motorcyclists in the UK and the States, turning the Ace Cafe into a movie landmark.  In the film, the Ace was the gathering place for the biker crowd, and in the Autumn of 2001, the Ace Cafe, on London's old North Circular road, was reopened.
• Rita says that they were filming during the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, and were concerned that World War III might begin at any moment.
• The Leather Boys (1962), on DVD, with Rita Tushingham, Colin Campbell, Dudley Sutton, Gladys Henson, Avice Landone, Lockwood West, music by Bill McGuffie, cinematography by Gerald Gibbs, written by Gillian Freeman, directed by Sidney Furie.
  • DVD Region 1, NTSC format (USA, Canada) -
    • Released by Kino - Amazon USA
    • Released by Televista - Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, more online sellers

Rita Tushingham, Colin Campbell Newlyweds Dot and Reg.

Dot has bought herself a blond wig and wants to party.

photo courtesy of Terry Parker Dot and Reg have a fight in the Ace Cafe.

Dudley Sutton, Colin Campbell After several fights with Dot, Reg moves into his grandmother's spare room.  Fellow cyclist Pete becomes Reg's roommate.

Reg catches Dot with another man.

Rita Tushingham Rita takes a break for tea on an obviously cold morning.  Standing nearby is an extra, dressed as a vicar, who appears in the background in two scenes.

Rita Tushingham Rita is caught unawares in this behind-the-scenes photo.

Owner Mark Wilsmore and The Wolfman Johnny-B greet Rita at the reopening of the Ace Cafe, Saturday, 08 September 2001.  Click for Google map.

On the roof of the Ace with Faster Pastor Paul Sinclair, Mark Wilsmore, our Rita, and Father Scott Anderson of the 59 Club.

photo courtesy of Greg Ogarrio To rechristen the Ace, Rita and Colin Campbell signed the caff's wall of fame.

Twilight photo from the Ace's parking lot.

Winter 1962
• Rita married her boyfriend Terry Bicknell in the Kensington Registry office on 01 December 1962, just after she finished filming The Leather Boys, but before filming commenced on A Place To Go.
• After marrying, Rita and Terry lived in a flat on Hogarth Road in the London suburb of Earls Court, near the Earls Court underground station.
• Terry's job as a TV cameraman for ATV studios near Elstree had him working on such shows as The Sullavan Brothers (1964-65), The Plane Makers (1963-65), and Emergency-Ward 10 (1957-67).

Rita, John, Enid Tushingham Rita poses with her parents on the day before her marriage.

Rita Tushingham, Terence William Bicknell Rita and her new husband.

A Place To Go (1963) [Film: UK] "Catherine Donovan"
• View the Internet Movie Database entry for this item
• Life in Bethnal Green is changing for the Flints.  Son Ricky is dissatisfied with his lot and eager to get away.  Mixed up in a planned robbery, his life becomes even more complicated when he gets involved with quirky Catherine.
• Largely filmed in the east London suburbs of Hackney and Bethnal Green, and based upon Michael Fisher's book Bethnal Green.
• Michael Sarne was a big pop star at the time and was followed by screaming young girls, "which he pretended not to enjoy", jokes Rita.
• Rita says, "I did enjoy working with Basil Dearden.  He had a reputation of being tough and instilled fear into some of the crew.  He was just a perfectionist."
• A Place To Go (1963), on DVD, with Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne, Bernard Lee, Doris Hare, David Andrews, Barbara Ferris, William Marlowe, John Slater, Roy Kinnear, Norman Shelley, Jerry Verno, music by Charles Blackwell, cinematography by Reginald Wyer, written by Michael Fisher, Michael Relph, Clive Exton, directed by Basil Dearden.
  • DVD Region 2, PAL format (Europe) - Amazon UK, more online sellers

Rita Tushingham Popular publicity photo of Rita as Catherine, from the pub scene in which Ricky sings "Out And About".

Rita Tushingham Another photo from the pub scene.  The surprised Catherine's favorite drink appears to be Truman Light Ale.

Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne Ricky brings Cat to a disused shelter so that they can be alone.  Catherine is afraid that rats might be living in the decaying structure.

Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne The disused shelter gives Cat and Ricky a place to go to be alone and make love.

Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne Cat and Ricky make the most of their time together.

photo courtesy of Terry Parker Ricky visits Catherine at the public wash-house where she works.  She declines to go out with him, as she has already made a date with Charlie Batey.

Michael Sarne, Rita Tushingham Ricky gives Catherine a playful dunking.

Michael Sarne, Rita Tushingham In return, Catherine splashes Ricky with a bucket of water.

William Marlowe, Michael Sarne Charlie Batey pulls a knife on Ricky in a pub fight.

Rita Tushingham Catherine also gets involved in the pub fight.

Publicity photo of our Rita and Michael Sarne.

Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne Cover photo of Michael Fisher's book.

Rita Tushingham, Terry Bicknell Husband Terry Bicknell pours the champagne on Rita's 21st birthday, 14 March 1963, during the filming of one of the final scenes of A Place To Go, on Wiltshire Row, N1, along the south side of Regents Canal in Hackney, London.  The pub seen behind Terry is The Southgate Arms, 1 Southgate Road, at the junction with Shepperton Road.  As of 2007, the foreground house by Rita's hair is gone, revealing a second pub, The Rosemary Branch, whose white roof is just visible above Rita's hair.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Christopher Matheson for this location info.

Girl With Green Eyes (1963) [Film: UK] "Kathleen Brady"
• View the Internet Movie Database entry for this item
• View a TCM article for this item
• In 1960s Dublin, Ireland, shy County Clare lass Kate Brady and her exuberant flatmate Baba Brennan explore the temptations of city life.  Kate becomes involved with Eugene, an older and world-weary writer, who initially is hesitant to involve himself in this May-September romance.  Their differences in age, values, and upbringing are stumbling blocks against which they struggle to overcome.
• Based upon The Lonely Girl, the second novella of author Edna O'Brien's 'Country Girls trilogy'.  The working title for Girl With Green Eyes was Once Upon A Summer.  Shot on location in Dublin and County Wicklow.
• Despite the film's title, Rita's eyes are actually blue-grey.
• This was Lynn Redgrave's second film.  She had a small part in Tom Jones earlier in 1963.
• Newspapers of the day reported that Rita had lost weight due to an ulcer, but Rita says, "I never had an ulcer – thank goodness – just the press making up a story.  It sounds more interesting than just being a little overtired."
• Peter O'Toole has a story to tell about Peter Finch which occurred while Peter was making Girl With Green Eyes.
       "When Finchie was on location in Dublin, we were refused a drink at the bar one night, because they said it was too late.  Because it was too late to be served a drink, we decided the only way to get one was to buy the bar; so we wrote out a cheque for it on the spot.  But the barman found Finchie and I so inept as bartenders that he was only too happy to give up his role as a customer, and serve us drinks.  The following morning we realised what we'd done, went to the pub, and the barman very sweetly hadn't cashed the cheque."
       "We became great friends from then on, but alas the barman died, and his wife invited Finchie and I to the funeral.  Try to visualize this: Finchie and I kneeling at a graveside outside Dublin, the coffin being lowered gently down into its final resting place, both of us sobbing copiously and noisily."
       "In the middle of this paroxysm of grief, Finchie turned away, unable any longer to look at the box containing our departed friend.  I caught his look of total amazement and followed his gaze.  We were at the wrong funeral – our man was being buried a hundred yards away!  The grief was there, but the object of our emotion had gone disastrously astray.  I can't tell you why, but that little memory will always symbolize Finchie for me."
• Girl With Green Eyes (1963), on DVD, with Peter Finch, Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave, Maire Kean, Arthur O'Sullivan, Julian Glover, T.P. McKenna, Liselotte Goettinger, Pat Laffan, music by John Addison, cinematography by Manny Wynn, written by Edna O'Brien, Ernest Gebler, directed by Desmond Davis.
  • DVD Region 1, NTSC format (USA, Canada) - Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, more online sellers

Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham Their boyfriends having just pulled up in a car and honked the horn, Baba and Kate run out the door to go on a double date.  Filmed on the steps of a Georgian house in Dublin, possibly Merrion Square.

Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham With clothes, hair, and makeup perfectly done, Baba and Kate greet their boyfriends.

Pat Laffan, Mike Murphy The boyfriends are suitably impressed.

photo courtesy of Terry Parker Kate has forgotten to bring her dancing shoes to the ballroom, and so must sit on the sidelines while everyone else dances to The Fly Twist.

Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave Kate and Baba cross the river Liffey on O'Connell Bridge, as they explore Dublin, Ireland.  O'Connell Street is reputed to be the widest main street in any European capital.  Note the woman with handbag looking down at a bundle of clothes – it's someone begging.

Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham Baba and Kate ride in Bertie's van.

Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham Baba and Kate invite Eugene to join them for tea.  Nowadays, Baba would have to extinguish her cigarette, since the Smoking In The Workplace law was introduced in Ireland in March 2004.

Rita Tushingham, Peter Finch Kate and Eugene take a walk along Merchants Quay, on the south bank of the river Liffey, which runs west-east through the center of Dublin.  In the background, on the opposite bank (Inns Quay), is a late-night cafe called The Last Post, which was frequented by showbands before setting out on their long journeys home.  Our thanks to Francis Kennedy and Jimmy Reilly for this location info.  Jimmy was the drummer in the Irish showband The Swingtime Aces, who played The Fly Twist in the ballroom scene in Girl With Green Eyes.

Rita Tushingham Kate phones Eugene from her workplace.

Rita Tushingham Kate is dressed for church.

Rita Tushingham, Peter Finch Kate spends the weekend at Eugene's farm.

Peter Finch, Rita Tushingham A little romance.

Kate visits Eugene's farm again.  Note the tracks in the background for the camera dolly.

Rita Tushingham Eugene's bedroom becomes Kate's second home.

Rita Tushingham, Arthur O'Sullivan To keep her away from Eugene, Kate's father brings her back to their farm, on an obviously windy day.

Rita Tushingham Not wanting to be found in Eugene's house by her father's search party, Kate hides under a sofa.

Peter Finch, Rita Tushingham Eugene and Kate after the departure of her father's search party.

photo courtesy of Terry Parker Eugene buys Kate an engagement ring.

Of all of Peter Finch's leading ladies, he thought the most truly childlike was Rita Tushingham.  While they were filming in Dublin, they used to go together to the zoo when they had time off.  Both were fascinated by the balletic grace of the hippo, and they'd spend hours watching the monkeys.

Publicity photo of Rita in 1963.

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