I think I read somewhere that this is Morrissey's favourite movie. Has anyone else heard this? Does anyone know where to get a copy? I work at a video store which is quite good at ordering movies, but I couldn't find this one. Also, amazon lists it as having limited availability.
shareHi. Well, it's Morrissey's favourite play (and he likes the movie too). The playwright Shelagh Delaney appeared on two covers of The Smiths and she's one of Mozzer's obsessions. The BFI published it on video and DVD and you can order it here: http://www.bfi.org.uk/videocat/index.php/page/item_view/code/327?PHPSESSID=e43221565410ceb6b57e748bca634424
shareMark Simpson's fantastic book about Morrissey (called "Saint Morrissey", you can get it at Amazon.com) has a lengthy discussion of Morrissey's obsession with this movie. He lifted dozens of lines from it, and used them (slightly altered) as Smiths/Morrissey lyrics. I just bought the movie on ebay this morning and plan to spend the week staring at my mailbox...
shareThis film and the original play does indeed figure high amongst Morrissey's favourite reference points, but it is actually John Boulting's 1949 film of Graham Greene's 'Brighton Rock', starring a young Richard Attenborough as Pinkie Brown, which is his favourite film, I'm told. Although not belonging to the mighty Moz's beloved kitchen-sink '60s New Wave cinema, it is a distinctly 'British' film all set around the seaside towns Morrissey derides/praises in 'Every Day Is Like Sunday'. John Boulting also went on to direct 'The Family Way' in 1966, stills from which appear on the sleeves of 'I Started Something I Couldn't Finish' and 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before'.
It's my favourite film, however, and I never tire of seeing it.
It's one of this favourite movies for sure, but I'm not which one is his favourite. In the Meat Is Murder tourbook he named "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" as his favourite.
shareJust look at the memorable quotes
"I dreamt about you last night- fell out of bed twice" (Reel Around The Fountain)
"The dream is gone... the baby is real"
"I'm not happy and I'm not glad " (Both from "This Night Has Opened My Eyes")
He took lyrics directly from the movie, I'm sure he loved it
Moz did love this Movie and the Play, also Brighton Rock by Graeme Green is another favourite film. Another favourite book from which he has directly quoted in songs is By Grand Central Station I Sat Down And Wept, by Elizabeth Smart.
See http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~moz/nicked.htm for more sources of Morrissey's song writing.
Dundee United F.C.share
PROUD TO BE AN ARAB!
I'd highly recommend that you read this play if you consider yourself a Smiths or Morrissey fan. The play oozes the typical feeling of a lot of early Smiths material. The play is very funny and well written.
Just for interest's sake other works that have influenced Morrissey are the aforementioned 'By Grand Central Station I Sat And Wept' as well as much of Oscar Wilde's work (most notably 'The Picture of Dorian Grey' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest'.
Yeah,i recommend that you read ''Lion in love''and play ''A taste of honey'' which is brilliant.
Ana from Belgrade
well, actually the lyric in Smiths' "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" is a bit different: "I'm not happy and I'm not sad". But the whole song is directly inspired by A Taste Of Honey.
shareAnd you can see Shelagh Delaney's influence in a lot of other songs,too, for instance, Hand In Glove: "I'll probably never see you again"
shareShelagh Delaney is the subject of the song "Sheila Take A Bow," tho Moz respells her name slightly.
shareIf any U.K.-based posters would like a copy of the film, just send me a blank DVD and a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Contact me via private messaging or at [email protected]. Cheers.
The lion and the calf shall lie down together, but the calf won't get much sleep.share
Morrissey is obsessed with the 60's in Britain In a way it's living in the past A Britain that doesn't exist anymore He likes the actor Stanley Baker and also the movie "The Leather Boys".
shareThe lyrics from the Morrissey song Alma Matters:
It's my life to ruin
My own way
are derived straight from A Taste of Honey.
Morrissey also loosely quotes a line from "Rebel Without A Cause" in the Smiths song "Stretch Out and Wait". The line from the film is "Do you think when the end of the world comes it'll be at night?" asked by Plato and answered by Jim "No, in the morning". I'm curious as to whether Morrissey saw these films in the Cinema or on British television. I remember when I visited England in the early 1980s that they used to show classic films during the day on one or more of the three (four?) channels that were on the air then. Here in USA, most independent channels used to run classic movies (but rarely British) in the evening and at night. I think young people today are missing out on classic films as there are numerous choices for them on televison virtually 24 hours a day.
share