Paul Loosley’s George & Oscar on Film (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd Oct)

2^nd October @ 3.00 pm George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara

The play sets up the brilliant conundrum; if arms manufacture creates so many jobs and a better life for the working classes, is making and selling weapons morally bad? Barbara, the daughter of Andrew Undershaft (who is precisely such an arms dealer), is a Major in the Salvation Army; those fierce fighters for Christian beneficence and charity. Naturally she has obvious difficulty with her father’s ethics; made worse when she learns that her father is one of the Salvation Army’s biggest financial benefactors. Quite ironically, given the subject of weapons of mass destruction, this 1941 film was made during the WWII Blitz Bombing of London. Starring: Wendy Hiller and Rex Harrison.

9^th October @ 3.00pm Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan

Again social scandal runs rife in Oscar’s beloved high-society. Lady Windermere is convinced her husband is enamoured of Mrs Erlynne, an older lady of dubious reputation. In her attempts to prove her husband’s infidelity, Lady Windermere embroils herself in an awkward affair. And only the sacrifice of Mrs Erlynne, and the finding of a misplaced fan, can extricate her from the whole mess. This 1949 film was directed by an East European; Otto Preminger, with a screenplay by an American; Dorothy Parker. So, despite a very British cast, they have a very novel take on Oscar’s very English wit. Staring Madeleine Carroll & George Sanders

16^th October @ 3.00pm George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan

To Shaw, being a fiercely devout Christian and a confirmed pacifist, the trial and execution of Joan of Arc as a heretic was a passionately felt subject. The play, described by some as Shaw’s only tragedy, was written in 1923 very shortly after Joan was finally declared a saint. In it, Shaw came to the very egalitarian conclusion that there was no blame at all to be attached; even to those who burnt Joan at the stake. Quite rightly Graham Greene, who wrote this 1957 screenplay, retains possibly Shaw’s most moving line; “O God that made this beautiful earth, when will it be ready to receive Thy saints? How long, O Lord, how long?” Starring Jean Seberg and Richard Widmark.

23^rd October @ 3.00pm Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest

Sub titled ‘A Trivial Comedy for Serious People’ the play is reputedly filled with gay code words and references, and was sadly (and possibly in consequence) Oscar’s last play. It is a satire on how, in Wilde’s world, marriage, responsibility, wealth and birthright matter more than honesty, love, affection and honour. And that everyone is always pretending to be someone they are not. And of course it is all outrageously funny. This 1952 film is fairly faithful to the story with a bevy of superb English actors, giving superb performances. And Lady Bracknell’s outraged delivery of the line “A handbag?” has become a legend in British cinema. Starring Michael Redgrave and Edith Evans.