Mr Forbes and the Pen-Pushers

Moody, Paul

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-94803-4_4

Paul Moody²

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Abstract

The MGM-EMI collaboration is explored in this chapter through two of its most notable films, Ken Russell’s The Boy Friend and Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between, showing how these two maverick directors worked within the confines of what was by then Britain’s largest film company. But while The Go-Between justified Forbes’ approach by securing the Palme D’Or, this chapter argues that EMI’s Mr Forbush and the Penguins was a much more apt metaphor for Forbes’ experiences at EMI, culminating in his resignation and Delfont handing over control to Nat Cohen.

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Notes

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2.
Forbes, B. (1992). A Divided Life, London: William Heinemann, p. 102.
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Walker, A. (1986), p. 81.
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Walker, A. (1986), p. 81.
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Forbes, B. (1992), p. 100.
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‘Production notes’ (undated, c. 1970). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
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Klein, J. (1985). Making Pictures: The Pinter Screenplays. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, p. 185.
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Gray, W. R. (2007). ‘The time in our minds: The presence of the past in The Go-Between.’ The Journal of Popular Culture, 40(4), p. 646.
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Gray, W. R. (2007), p. 646.
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Gray, W. R. (2007), p. 647.
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Gray, W. R. (2007), p. 649.
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Jones, E. (1994). ‘Re-Viewing the Losey-Pinter Go-Between’, in Dixon, Wheeler Winston (ed.) Re-Viewing British Cinema, 1900–1992. Albany: State University of New York, p. 211.
14.
Harper, S. and Smith, J. (2012), ‘Boundaries and taboos’, in Harper, S. and Smith, J. (eds.) British Film Culture in the 1970s: The Boundaries of Pleasure. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 141.
15.
Letter from Joseph Losey to Paul Dehn (4 February 1965). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
16.
Ciment, M. (1985), Conversations with Losey, London: Methuen, p. 240.
17.
Letter from Joseph Losey to Mia Farrow (6 June 1968). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
18.
Undated Letter from Losey to Michael Billington (16 June 1970). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
19.
Ciment, Michel (1985), p. 240.
20.
Letter from Joseph Losey to Julie Christie (30 May 1970). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
21.
Undated letter from an audience member to Joseph Losey. Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
22.
Letter from Peter Handford to Joseph Losey (4 November 1970). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
23.
Letter from Bryan Forbes to Joseph Losey (25 June 1970). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
24.
Letter from Joseph Losey to Bryan Forbes (30 June 1970). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
25.
Letter from Joseph Losey to Bryan Forbes (28 September 1970). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
26.
Letter from Bryan Forbes to Joseph Losey (30 September 1970). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
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Telegram from Joseph Losey to Bernard Delfont (5 November 1971). Bryan Forbes Collection. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
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35.
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36.
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38.
Letter from Joseph Losey to Bryan Forbes (11 October 1971). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
39.
Letter from Bryan Forbes to Joseph Losey (14 October 1971). Joseph Losey Special Collection. London: BFI.
40.
Letter from Bryan Forbes to Joseph Losey (14 October 1971).
41.
Billing, G. (1965). Forbush and the Penguins. London: Coronet Books, p. 18.
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Mr Forbush and the Penguins Schedule Report (9 October 1969). London: Film Finances, p. 2.
43.
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44.
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45.
Forbush Schedule Report, p. 2.
46.
Forbush Schedule Report, p. 3.
47.
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48.
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49.
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50.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 222.
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Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
53.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
54.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
55.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
56.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
57.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
58.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
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60.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
61.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
62.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
63.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
64.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
65.
Letter from John Croydon to R.E.F. Garrett (14 October 1969).
66.
Mr Forbush and the Penguins Statement of Production Cost (5 November 1969). London: Film Finances.
67.
Mr Forbush and the Penguins Statement of Production Cost (5 November 1969).
68.
Letter from John Hargreaves to Douglas Gosling (24 November 1969). London: Film Finances.
69.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 221.
70.
Letter from Film Finances to EMI Films (31 December 1972). London: Film Finances.
71.
MacDonald, W.H. (22 February 1972). ‘Film Valuations.’ Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
72.
Pit (12 January 1972), ‘Mr Forbush and the Penguins’, Variety, p. 14.
73.
Pit (12 January 1972), p. 14.
74.
Pit (12 January 1972), p. 14.
75.
Combs, R. (11 January 1972). ‘Mr Forbush and the Penguins.’ Monthly Film Bulletin 39(456), p. 11.
76.
Walker, J. (1985). The Once and Future Film, London: Methuen, p. 29.
77.
Forbes, B. (1992), pp. 223–224.
78.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 227.
79.
Telegram from Bernard Delfont to Bryan Forbes (20 April 1971). Bryan Forbes Collection. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
80.
Telegram from Bernard Delfont to Bryan Forbes (9 April 1971). Bryan Forbes Collection. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
81.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 375.
82.
Park, J. (1990), p. 127.
83.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 224.
84.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 222.
85.
Minutes of the EMI Film Programme Investment Committee (28 June 1972). Bryan Forbes Collection. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
86.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 223.
87.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 222.
88.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 224.
89.
Memo from Bryan Forbes to the EMI board (27 September 1972). Bryan Forbes Collection. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
90.
EMI Board Minutes (22 November 1972). Bryan Forbes Collection. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
91.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 107.
92.
Delfont, B. (1990), p. 185.
93.
Letter from Geoff Jones to Bryan Forbes (19 May 1971). Bryan Forbes Collection. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
94.
Letter from John Hargreaves to Bryan Forbes (19 May 1971). Bryan Forbes Collection. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library.
95.
Letter from John Hargreaves to Bryan Forbes (19 May 1971).
96.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 100.
97.
Forbes, B. (1992), p. 103.
98.
These films were: No. 2—On the Buses (Harry Booth, 1971); No. 5—Percy (Ralph Thomas, 1971); No. 6—The Railway Children (Lionel Jefferies, 1970); No. 7—Tales of Beatrix Potter (Reginald Mills, 1971); No. 9—Up Pompeii (Bob Kellett, 1971); Cinema TV Today (8 January 1972), 9962, pp. 16–17.

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Brunel University London, London, UK
Paul Moody

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Moody, P. (2018). Mr Forbes and the Pen-Pushers. In: EMI Films and the Limits of British Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94803-4_4

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94803-4_4
Published: 20 October 2018
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-94802-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-94803-4
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