The Dresser

"What happens backstage is always true drama. And often pure comedy."

1983 1h 58m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 84

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a touring Shakespearean theater group, a backstage hand - the dresser - is devoted to the brilliant but tyrannical head of the company. He struggles to support the deteriorating star as the company struggles to carry on during the London Blitz. The pathos of his backstage efforts rival the pathos in the story of Lear and the Fool that is being presented on-stage, as the situation comes to a crisis.

“What happens backstage is always true drama. And often pure comedy.”

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Cast

Albert Finney
Sir
Tom Courtenay
Norman
Edward Fox
Oxenby
Zena Walker
Her Ladyship
Eileen Atkins
Madge
Michael Gough
Frank Carrington
Cathryn Harrison
Irene
Betty Marsden
Violet Manning

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Yates
Writers: Ronald Harwood
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

ERA

Did you know

43 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Yates, shot by Kelvin Pike. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay and Edward Fox carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What happens backstage is always true drama. And often pure comedy.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0085461 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 84 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Yates directs. Kelvin Pike behind the camera. James Horner scores. Ray Lovejoy cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

143 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Peter Yates, shot by Kelvin Pike. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Ray Lovejoy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay and Edward Fox carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "What happens backstage is always true drama. And often pure comedy.".
7IMDB entry: tt0085461 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 84 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kelvin Pike
Original score: James Horner
Editing: Ray Lovejoy
Production design: Stephen B. Grimes
Makeup / hair: Alan Brownie
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Dresser (1983)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Peter Yates

Community reviews

What people are saying

SplintDixon2021-01-23
Just watched the Dresser tonight. This movie was nominated for best picture of 1983, best director, best actor (Albert Finney & Tom Courtenay) and best Screenplay from another medium. Courtenay won a Golden Globe for best actor. So, on to the movie. I don't need to give the synopsis because you can find it easily. Did I like it? At first it was pretty dull and the main character is really an over the top diva. His dresser works feverishly to please him. When we later find out something isn't quite right with Sir (played brilliantly by Sir Albert Finney) chaos takes over but Norman (the dresser played by Tom Courtenay) does his very best to keep things together. Most of the movies is this one long night and for someone who knows little about theater, the movie gives you a great behind the scenes look at a mid 20th century theater production. Assuming it's pretty real. Lots of cool stuff to take in here and this is when the movie really started to grab me. I started to root for the "show to go on". The final act is a little hard to swallow but it certainly keeps you thinking up until the end and also makes you really understand the relationship between the Sir and Norman. While I do feel this movie was a little over the top, it was by design, I believe. It was written with Shakespeare as the backdrop and it was also written by a dresser from the 1950's. My guess, is it was fairly accurate with some added topping to give it a little extra. Was it a best picture nominee for 1983? You be the judge but I can certainly find more than 4 movies that are better.

Production companies