Information
- BFI identifier383853
- Date1992 (Copyright)
1992-04-19 (Television) - Production countryUnited Kingdom, USA
- Production company
- SynopsisLondon in the 1950s. A group of old people start to receive distressing anonymous phone calls, the caller giving only one message: "Remember you must die". (Synopsis) Television film adapted from the novel by Muriel Spark, about a group of upper-class, elderly characters plagued by a mysterious telephone caller. (Synopsis)
- Work historyShown as part of 'Screen Two' series. Some festival screenings.
- Genre
- Subject
- Credits
- CastMaggie Smith (Mrs Mabel Pettigrew)
Michael Hordern (Godfrey Colston)
Renée Asherson (Charmian Colston)
view full cast
Title
Memento Mori (Original)
Category
FictionThis work is available to view in the Mediatheque at BFI Southbank.
- Collections
- Film / Video
- Scripts / DocumentsScript - Original story: Based on the novel by Muriel Spark - SCR-12277
Memento Mori - Papers relating to the different phases of production of the BBC TV film Memento Mori [shown as part of the Screen Two strand]. Including, scripts and story development; pre-production; production; post-production; publicity; exhibition; distribution; general correspondence 1990 - 1991 [Black comedy set in 1950s London. Based on the 1959 novel by Muriel Spark. A group of elderly ladies are being harassed by anonymous phone calls telling them 'remember you must die'. Who is making the calls and why? The victims reflect on their past lives whilst trying to identify the culprit.] Clayton, when asked about comedy commented 'that's a very specific talent which I don't think I have'. Never the less what was to be his final film was a darkly comic tale for the BBC [television being a medium he had always resisted due to the tight schedule it demanded]. Clayton's name attracted a roll call of talented actors including Maggie Smith [as the scheming Mrs Pettigrew in a very different role from Judith Hearne] and veterans Michael Hordern, Thora Hird, Cyril Cusack, Renee Asherson and Maurice Denham. - JCL-14
Scripts and story development - Papers relating to the development of the script including: various drafts; script notes; reaction to the screenplay by Muriel Spark; script annotated with suggested changes by Spark An early draft script was completed by Peter Prince in March 1990. This was extensively worked on by Clayton, Jeanie Sims and Alan Kelley. When submitted to Muriel Spark, she was less than enthusiastic. But despite Spark's comments the script remained largely unchanged. As an adaptation, it retains much of Spark's original dialogue, the narrative structure has been tightened, adjusting the order of events to give greater logic and momentum the plot. - JCL-14-1
First draft screenplay by Peter Prince - First draft screenplay by Peter Prince based on the novel by Muriel Spark; heavily annotated up to page 8, but without any for the rest of the script, March 1990 - JCL-14-1-1
Screenplay. Version I - - Screenplay marked as 'Version I', probably the first draft re-worked by Kelly, Sims and Clayton, no date; - Attached post it note from ?Jeanie Sims. 'Jack Dear. I personally think this is now rather good. Hope you agree', no date - JCL-14-1-4
view all - ArticlesTelevision Today n5794 30 Apr 1992 - ReviewSight and Sound v2 n2 June 1992 - Credits, Review, SynopsisVariety 6 Apr 1992 - Credits, ReviewTelevision Today n5772 28 Nov 1991 - Location ReportScreen International n829 18 Oct 1991 - Credits, Prod. Detailsview all
- Digital documentsBFI Southbank Programme Notes January 2015
available to view in BFI Reuben Library
- Screen Two
Series Work - 777248
United Kingdom - TV - Fiction
- +Memento Mori
Work - 383853 - 1992 (Copyright)
United Kingdom - TV - Fiction
- +Memento Mori
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