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The Naked Civil Servant poster

The Naked Civil Servant

"Never keep up with the Jonses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper."

1975 1h 17m EN
👍
6.7
SOLID
★6.7TMDB · 46
DramaComedyTV Movie
Synopsis
Spoiler shield

Story of the life of Quentin Crisp, an Englishman who was brave enough to live his life according to his own style even in the hostile days of WW2.

“Never keep up with the Jonses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Credits

Behind the camera

Director
Jack Gold
Writers
Quentin Crisp, Philip Mackie
Languages
English
Countries
United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8
RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 77-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01
2 / 8
ERA

Did you know

51 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Quentin Crisp Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA

Did you know

Directed by Jack Gold, shot by Mike Fash. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Carl Davis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mike Taylor shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST

Did you know

John Hurt and Quentin Crisp and John Rhys-Davies carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Never keep up with the Jonses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jack Gold directs. Mike Fash behind the camera. Carl Davis scores. Mike Taylor cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

  • 1Tight 77-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
  • 251 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
  • 3Part of the "Quentin Crisp Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
  • 4Directed by Jack Gold, shot by Mike Fash. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
  • 5Original score by Carl Davis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
  • 6Editor Mike Taylor shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
  • 7John Hurt and Quentin Crisp and John Rhys-Davies carry the top of the cast.
  • 8Marketing tagline: "Never keep up with the Jonses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper.".
  • 9IMDB entry: tt0073438 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
  • 10Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
  • 11Classified under 9 themes, including "london, england", "homophobia", "world war ii", "biography".

The technical file

Cinematography
Mike Fash
Original score
Carl Davis
Editing
Mike Taylor
Production design
Allan Cameron
Costume design
Martin Baugh
Makeup / hair
Joan Hills
Runtime
77 min · 1h 17m
Status
Released
Original language
EN
IMDB
The Naked Civil Servant (1975)

Part of

Quentin Crisp Collection

The life and death of Quentin Crisp (1908 - 1999).

Also by

Jack Gold

Production companies

Who made it

  • Thames Television

    Thames Television

    GB

Key crew

  • Executive ProducerVerity Lambert
  • ProducerBarry Hanson
  • Production DesignAllan Cameron
  • Costume DesignMartin Baugh
  • EditorMike Taylor
  • Assistant DirectorAllan James
  • GafferNino La Femina
  • Makeup ArtistJoan Hills

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

  • london, england
  • homophobia
  • world war ii
  • biography
  • based on memoir or autobiography
  • lgbt
  • 1940s
  • 1930s
  • gay theme

Release history · US

When it landed

  • Theatrical1976-11-01

Also known as

International titles

  • L'homme que je suisFR
  • Wie man sein Leben lebtDE

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