The National Health (film)
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by Peter Nichols
Ned Sherrin
| The National Health | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jack Gold |
| Written by | Peter Nichols |
| Based on | The National Health by Peter Nichols |
| Produced by | Terry Glinwood Ned Sherrin |
| Starring | Lynn Redgrave Colin Blakely Eleanor Bron Donald Sinden Jim Dale |
| Cinematography | John Coquillon |
| Edited by | Ralph Sheldon |
| Music by | Carl Davis |
| Color process | Eastmancolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The National Health is a 1973 British black comedy film directed by Jack Gold and starring Lynn Redgrave, Colin Blakely and Eleanor Bron.[1][2] It is based on the 1969 play The National Health by Peter Nichols, in which the staff struggle to cope in a NHS hospital.
The film satirically interweaves the story of a depressing and poorly-equipped National Health Service hospital with a fantasy hospital which exists in a soap-opera world where all the equipment is new and patients are miraculously cured – although the only "patients" seen are doctors or nurses who are themselves part of the soap opera plots. In the real hospital, the patients die while the out-of-touch administrators focus on impressing foreign visitors.
Cast
- Lynn Redgrave as Nurse Sweet / Nurse Betty Martin
- Colin Blakely as Edward Loach
- Eleanor Bron as Sister McFee / Sister Mary MacArthur
- Donald Sinden as Mr. Carr / Senior Surgeon Boyd
- Jim Dale as Mr. Barnet / Dr. Neil Boyd
- Sheila Scott Wilkinson as Nurse Powell / Staff Nurse Cleo Norton
- Neville Aurelius as Leyland / Monk
- Gillian Barge as Dr. Bird
- George Browne as The Chaplain
- Patience Collier as the lady visitor
- Jumoke Debayo as Nurse Lake
- Robert Gillespie as Tyler
- John Hamill as Kenny
- Don Hawkins as Les
- James Hazeldine as student doctor
- Bob Hoskins as Desmond Foster
- David Hutcheson as Mr Mackie
- Mervyn Johns as Doctor Rees
- Bert Palmer as Mr Flagg
- Maureen Pryor as the matron
- Richie Stewart as mortuary attendant
- Clive Swift as Mervyn Ash
- Graham Weston as Michael
Production
Producer Ned Sherrin said that he wanted Michael Blakemore, who had directed the play on stage, to direct the film but Columbia would not approve him.[3] The film was an attempt by Virgin Films to move into more prestigious projects.[4]
Filming took place in June 1972.[5] The hospital scenes were shot at Red Barracks, Woolwich, which stood in as the fictional Princess Maria of Battenberg Hospital.[6]