The Secret Life of Arnold Bax
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax is a 1992 British TV movie directed by Ken Russell, who also stars in the title role as composer Arnold Bax. It was one of eight musical drama documentaries directed by Russell for The South Bank Show on London Weekend Television between 1983 and 2002.[1] The film focuses on the composer's complicated relationship with pianist Harriet Cohen (played by Glenda Jackson) while at the same time seeking inspiration for his music from the dancer Annie. As with all of Russell's films on composers the drama serves as a showcase for the music.[2] Set in 1948, when the film Oliver Twist (with music by Bax) had just been released, the film mostly uses earlier compositions such as The Garden of Fand, Tintagel and the Symphony No 2 as its soundtrack. Lewis Foreman was musical adviser.[3]
Ken Russell fell in love with Hetty Baynes during filming, and she became his wife from 1992 until 1999. Glenda Jackson appeared in her last acting role before becoming a Member of Parliament.[4]
Cast
- Ken Russell as Arnold Bax
- Glenda Jackson as Harriet Cohen
- Hetty Baynes as Annie
- Melissa Docker as Sybil Chadwick
- Kenneth Colley as John Ireland
References
- ^ 'Ken Russell and the South Bank Show', BFI Screenonline
- ^ Service, Tom. 'Ken Russell celebrated his – and my – eccentric musical obsessions', in The Guardian, 29 November 2011
- ^ Foreman, Lewis. Bax: A Composer and His Times (1983, revised and expanded third edition 2006)
- ^ "Ken Russell TV Secret Lives". Iain Fisher.
External links
- The Secret Life of Arnold Bax at Letterbox DVD
- The Secret Life of Arnold Bax at IMDb
- The Secret Life of Arnold Bax on YouTube
- v
- t
- e
Works directed by Ken Russell
- French Dressing (1964)
- Billion Dollar Brain (1967)
- Women in Love (1969)
- The Music Lovers (1971)
- The Devils (1971)
- The Boy Friend (1971)
- Savage Messiah (1972)
- Mahler (1974)
- Tommy (1975)
- Lisztomania (1975)
- Valentino (1977)
- Altered States (1980)
- Crimes of Passion (1984)
- Gothic (1986)
- Salome's Last Dance (1988)
- The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
- The Rainbow (1989)
- Women & Men: Stories of Seduction (1990)
- Whore (1991)
- Mindbender (1995)
- The Fall of the Louse of Usher (2002)
- Trapped Ashes (2006)
- John Betjeman: A Poet in London (1959)
- Gordon Jacob (1959)
- A House in Bayswater (1959)
- Pop Goes the Easel (1962)
- Elgar (1962)
- Watch the Birdie (1963)
- Bartok (1964)
- The Dotty World of James Lloyd (1964)
- The Debussy Film (1965)
- Always on Sunday (1965)
- Don't Shoot the Composer (1966)
- Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1966)
- Dante's Inferno (1967)
- Song of Summer (1968)
- Dance of the Seven Veils (1970)
- William and Dorothy (1976)
- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1978)
- The Planets (1983)
- Vaughan Williams: A Symphonic Portrait (1984)
- Ken Russell's ABC of British Music (1988)
- The Strange Affliction of Anton Bruckner (1990)
- The Mystery of Dr Martinu (1992)
- Alice in Russialand (1994)
- Elgar: Fantasy on a Composer on a Bicycle (2002)
- Peep Show (1956)
- Amelia and the Angel (1958)
- Segment "Nessun Dorma" in Aria (1987)
- The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch (1993)
- The Lion's Mouth (2000)
- A Kitten for Hitler (2007)
- Prisoner of Honor (1991)
- The Secret Life of Arnold Bax (1992)
- Lady Chatterley (mini-series, 1993)
- Ken Russell's Treasure Island (1995)
- Dogboys (1998)
 | This article related to a British film of the 1990s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- v
- t
- e
