Unman, Wittering and Zigo (film)

Unman, Wittering and Zigo is a 1971 British thriller film directed by John Mackenzie and starring David Hemmings, Douglas Wilmer and Carolyn Seymour.[1] It is adapted by Simon Raven from Giles Cooper's 1958 radio drama Unman, Wittering and Zigo.[2]

Unman, Wittering and Zigo
Original theatrical poster
Directed byJohn Mackenzie
Written bySimon Raven
Based onplay by Giles Cooper
Produced byGareth Wigan
StarringDavid Hemmings
Douglas Wilmer
Carolyn Seymour
Hamilton Dyce
CinematographyGeoffrey Unsworth
Edited byFergus McDonell
Music byMichael J. Lewis
Production
companies
Hemmings
Mediaarts
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • 23 September 1971 (1971-09-23) (UK)
  • June 13, 1971 (1971-06-13) (NYC)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The movie's title was parodied in Little Britain, and by Rowan Atkinson in a very well-received sketch for one of the early Secret Policeman's Ball concerts for Amnesty International. [3]

Plot

A new teacher arrives at a school and begins to suspect his predecessor was murdered by the pupils, though his suspicions are written off as paranoia. He sets out to prevent the same fate from befalling him.

Cast

The closing credits also list Zigo (who never appears in the film) as "absent".

Production

Development

The radio play was adapted for BBC TV in 1965.[5]

Film rights were bought by Mediarts, a new company established in London and Hollywood in 1969 by Gareth Wigan, Richard Gregson and Alan Livingston.[6] Unman was to be the first of four pictures from the company, the others being the directorial debut of Frederic Raphael, a screenplay by Dory Previn On My Way to Where and a script by Odie Hawkins.[7] (However this was the company's only film.) Paramount agreed to distribute.[8]

"This is a more powerful film, a more direct film than any I've done recently," said Hemmings at the time. "It has a slight gothic flavour, a kind of raw edge to it."[9]

David Hemmings made the film without telling Hemdale, the company who had exclusive call on his services. This led to a lawsuit.[10]

Filming

Filming began in August 1970.[11]

The film was set in Cornwall. Some outdoor scenes were filmed at St David's College Llandudno, Wales, and nearby St. Tudno's churchyard, Great Orme, but others and interior scenes were mostly filmed in the buildings of Reading Blue Coat School, Sonning, Berkshire, using some of its pupils as extras during the summer holidays.[12]

Hemmings' then wife Gayle Hunnicut gave birth to their child during filming.

Critical reception

The film screened at the 1971 San Sebastian Film Festival.

The BFI's Screenonline called it "a finely wrought psychological suspense drama."[13] Mackenzie later said he was "proud" of the film.[14]

Variety said "The viewer may be both intrigued and puzzled, for while film is a compelling piece of dramatics about innocent-looking terrorists, it asks a great deal of credence."[15] The Los Angeles Times called it "a beautifully polished piece of business."[16]

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide rates the film three stars, calling it a "nifty little sleeper...creepy, chilling mystery, loaded with twists..."[17]

References
  1. "Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1972)". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018.
  2. UNMAN, WITTERING AND ZIGO Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 38, Iss. 444, (Jan 1, 1971): 206.
  3. Horan, Tom (29 January 2010). "Dicks, Cox and Purves: how I feel your pain" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  4. "Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1972)". Archived from the original on 29 December 2018.
  5. "Theatre 625: Unman, Wittering, and Zigo". 27 June 1965. p. 19 – via BBC Genome.
  6. "Forming Mediarts Pictures". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 31 December 1969. p. 11.
  7. Mediarts Tells Plans for 4 Films Los Angeles Times 20 Aug 1970: e15.
  8. Paramount to Release 10 Features Los Angeles Times 22 Feb 1971: h15.
  9. "'Questioning mind' spurs David Hemmings". The Philadelphia Inquirer Section 5. 1 August 1971. p. 1.
  10. 'Management split at Hemdale' Lindsay, Vincent. The Guardian 8 Aug 1970: 10.
  11. Victoria Racimo Gets a Top 'Red Sky' Role Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 10 Aug 1970: e15.
  12. "Reel Streets". www.reelstreets.com. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  13. "BFI Screenonline: Mackenzie, John (1932-2011) Biography". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  14. Farquhar, Simon (16 June 2011). "John Mackenzie". The Independent. p. 58.
  15. "Unman Wittering and Zigo". Variety. 31 December 1970.
  16. "Unman, Zigo". The Los Angeles Times Part 4. 25 August 1971. p. 14.
  17. Maltin, Leonard; Sader, Luke; Clark, Mike (2008). Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide. p. 1476. ISBN 9780452289789. unman, wittering & zigo 1971.
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