Vivien Merchant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Vivien Merchant (born Ada Thompson 22 July 1929 – 3 October 1982) was a British actress. She performed in many stage productions and several films, including Alfie (1966) and Frenzy (1972). Her performance in Alfie earned her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress, and the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was the first wife of the playwright Harold Pinter, whom she met when working as a repertory actress and married in 1956. Their son, Daniel, was born in 1958. Having performed the role of Rose in a production of his first play, The Room (1957) at the Hampstead Theatre in 1960, she also appeared in many of Pinter's subsequent works, including as Ruth in The Homecoming (1964) on stage (1965) and screen (The Homecoming, 1973). The last of his plays in which she performed was Old Times (1971) as Anna. Their marriage began disintegrating in the mid-1960s. From 1962 to 1969, Harold Pinter had a clandestine affair with Joan Bakewell, which informs Pinter's play Betrayal and his film adaptation, also called Betrayal. In 1975 Pinter began a serious affair with the historian Lady Antonia Fraser, the wife of Sir Hugh Fraser, which he confessed to his wife that March. At first, Merchant took it very well, saying positive things about Fraser, according to her friend artist Guy Vaesen (as cited by Billington); but, Vaesen recalled, after "a female friend of Vivien's trotted ...
Accident
(1967)
Stephen is a professor at Oxford University who is caught in a rut and feels trapped by his life in both academia and marriage. One of his students, William, is engaged to the beautiful Anna, and Stephen becomes enamored of the younger woman. These three people ... (more)
Stephen is a professor at Oxford University who is caught in a rut and feels trapped by his life in both academia and marriage. One of his students, William, is engaged to the beautiful Anna, and Stephen becomes enamored of the younger woman. These three people ... (more)
Alfie (1966)
A young man leads a promiscuous lifestyle until several life reversals make him rethink his purposes and goals in life. (more)
A young man leads a promiscuous lifestyle until several life reversals make him rethink his purposes and goals in life. (more)
Frenzy (1972)
After a serial killer strangles several women with a necktie, London police identify a suspect—but he claims vehemently to be the wrong man. (more)
After a serial killer strangles several women with a necktie, London police identify a suspect—but he claims vehemently to be the wrong man. (more)
Tea Party (1965)
Mysteries abound. What is going on between the wife and her brother? Are they indeed brother and sister? Sisson has his doubts about that … . Why does Sisson feel that there must be something wrong with his eyes, although he knows that he can see clearly and his ... (more)
Mysteries abound. What is going on between the wife and her brother? Are they indeed brother and sister? Sisson has his doubts about that … . Why does Sisson feel that there must be something wrong with his eyes, although he knows that he can see clearly and his ... (more)
Under Milk Wood (1972)
The delightful if peculiar story of a day in the life of a small, Welsh fishing village called "Llareggub" in which we meet a host of curious characters (and ghosts) through the 'eyes' of Blind Captain Cat. (more)
The delightful if peculiar story of a day in the life of a small, Welsh fishing village called "Llareggub" in which we meet a host of curious characters (and ghosts) through the 'eyes' of Blind Captain Cat. (more)
Opus (1967)
The Maids
(1975)
A film version of Genet's play. Two maids, Solange and Claire, hate their employers and, while they are out, take turns at dressing up as Madame and insulting her. (more)
A film version of Genet's play. Two maids, Solange and Claire, hate their employers and, while they are out, take turns at dressing up as Madame and insulting her. (more)
The Homecoming
(1973)
In a dreary North London flat, the site of perpetual psychological warfare, a philosophy professor visits his family after a nine-year absence and introduces the four men - father, uncle and two brothers - to his wife. (more)
In a dreary North London flat, the site of perpetual psychological warfare, a philosophy professor visits his family after a nine-year absence and introduces the four men - father, uncle and two brothers - to his wife. (more)
Alfred the Great (1969)
While Old England is being ransacked by roving Danes in the 9th century, Alfred is planning to join the priesthood. But observing the rape of his land, he puts away his religious vows to take up arms against the invaders, leading the English Christians to fight for ... (more)
While Old England is being ransacked by roving Danes in the 9th century, Alfred is planning to join the priesthood. But observing the rape of his land, he puts away his religious vows to take up arms against the invaders, leading the English Christians to fight for ... (more)
The Lover (1963)
A sophisticated suburban couple try to enliven their marriage with erotic role-playing, but find their new games even more repressive than before. (more)
A sophisticated suburban couple try to enliven their marriage with erotic role-playing, but find their new games even more repressive than before. (more)
A Night Out (1960)
Against the wishes of his domineering mother, Albert Stokes attends a work party. But the evening is not the escape he was hoping for. (more)
Against the wishes of his domineering mother, Albert Stokes attends a work party. But the evening is not the escape he was hoping for. (more)
A War of Children (1972)
A Protestant and a Catholic family's friendship is threatened by the sectarian violence in Belfast. When the daughter of the Catholic family falls in love a British soldier the situation worsens ... (more)
A Protestant and a Catholic family's friendship is threatened by the sectarian violence in Belfast. When the daughter of the Catholic family falls in love a British soldier the situation worsens ... (more)
The Offence (1973)
A burned-out British police detective finally snaps while interrogating a suspected child molester. (more)
A burned-out British police detective finally snaps while interrogating a suspected child molester. (more)
The Man in the Iron Mask (1977)
The story of Louis XIV of France and his attempts to keep his identical twin brother Philippe imprisoned away from sight and knowledge of the public, and Philippe's rescue by the aging Musketeers, led by D'Artagnan. (more)
The story of Louis XIV of France and his attempts to keep his identical twin brother Philippe imprisoned away from sight and knowledge of the public, and Philippe's rescue by the aging Musketeers, led by D'Artagnan. (more)
Night School (1960)
The plot focuses on a man returning home from prison to find his room being rented out to a tenant. (more)
The plot focuses on a man returning home from prison to find his room being rented out to a tenant. (more)
A Month in the Country (1966)
An adaptation Turgenev's play of the same name. (more)
An adaptation Turgenev's play of the same name. (more)