Tom Jones (1963)

This romping bawdy adaptation of Henry Fielding’s picaresque novel of the 18th Century was an enormous hit and won Oscars in 1963 for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Scoring

Albert Finney stars in the title role as the young man who travels to London to seek his fortune.

Finney’s brilliant co-stars include Hugh Griffith as the roistering Squire Western, Susannah York as his daughter – and Tom’s true love – Sophie, and Edith Evans as Sophie’s prudish aunt, who rebukes an importunate highwayman with the words, “Stand and deliver? I am no travelling midwife!”

The sluttish Molly Seagrim (Diane Cilento), “that troll Mrs Waters” (Joyce Redman) and “the notorious Lady Bellaston” (Joan Greenwood) are just three of the women Tom becomes involved with.

The plot is rudimentary, but it doesn’t matter because there’s so much fun to be had from the film’s mechanics.

John Osborne’s witty script is brilliantly aided by the score by John Addison and Richardson’s direction which makes ample use of several venerable film techniques – a split second freeze, a wipe across the screen, and even actors addressing the audience directly.

Tom Jones
Albert Finney
Sophie Western
Susannah York
Squire Western
Hugh Griffith
Molly Seagrim
Diane Cilento
Miss Western
Edith Evans
‘Mrs Waters’/Jenny Jones
Joyce Redman
Lady Bellaston
Joan Greenwood
Narrator
Micheál Macliammóir
Squire Allworthy
George Devine
Bridget Allworthy
Rachel Kempson
Mrs Wilkins
Angela Baddeley
Partridge
Jack MacGowran
Black George
Wilfred Lawson
Square
John Moffatt
Thwackum
Peter Bull
Blifil
David Warner
Mrs Seagrim
Freda Jackson
Lawyer Dowling
Redmond Phillips
Parson Supple
James Cairncross
Honor
Patsy Rowlands
Lieutenant Northerton
Julian Glover
Mrs Fitzpatrick
Rosalind Knight
Susan at Upton Inn
Lynn Redgrave
Mr Fitzpatrick
George A. Cooper
MacLachlan
Jack Stewart
Mrs Miller
Rosalind Atkinson
Lord Fellamar
David Tomlinson

Director
Tony Richardson