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A Subject of Scandal and Concern

1960 · 65 min

A talky, stage-bound courtroom drama that feels like watching a principled man argue for his conscience against a rigid establishment.

Directed by
Tony Richardson
Genres
Drama
Overview
A dramatized account of a Victorian cause célèbre, written by John Osborne and concerning the true story of the last person in England to be tried for blasphemy. Richard Burton plays John George Holyoake, a social reformer who goes on trial for speaking in public about his atheist views. Rachel Roberts plays his wife, and the programme is introduced by Face to Face inquisitor John Freeman.

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Directed by
Tony Richardson
Genres
Drama
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • earneststrength 3 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • satiricalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • faith
  • justice
  • freedom
  • power
  • morality
Places
  • big city
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • true story
  • single location
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence none
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror0
Humour2
Realism8
Romance1
Tension5
Darkness5
Complexity6
Emotional weight6

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Cast

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Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
Tony Richardson
Written by
John Osborne
Starring
Richard Burton, George Devine, Rachel Roberts, John Freeman
Runtime
65 min
Country
United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages
English

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