Tom Jones (1963) United Artists Director: Tony Richardson Producer: Tony Richardson Cast: Albert Finney, Susannah York, Hugh Griffith, Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood, Diane Cilento, George Devine, David Tomlinson. Awards ceremony: -36th Academy Awards: April 13, 1964. Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California. Other films nominated for Best Picture this year: -America America. -Cleopatra. -How The West Was Won. -Lilies Of The Field. Plot summary: Set in England in the mid-18th century, some guy comes home one day and finds an abandoned baby boy in his bed and decides to adopt him as his own son. He names him Tom Jones. Years later Tom (ALBERT FINNEY) grows up to be a right little ladies man, shagging every wench in the vicinity - all except the one woman, Sophie (the beautiful but flat-chested SUSANNAH YORK) who really likes him. There's a bit more boring plot in-between (including a fight in a churchyard, the hunting of a poor deer, a funeral and Tom bringing shame on to his family and being exiled from the home) but after Tom inadvertently injures a man during a sword fight he is condemned to die by hanging. Tom is rescued in the nick of time when evidence comes to light proving his innocence. Standout scene: The food foreplay scene. Facts: -The 36th Academy Awards. -Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, it won 4: Best Picture, Director, Writing (adapted screenplay), Original Music Score. Personal opinion: Finally after 128 minutes of my life being utterly wasted, I was able to stand up and leave the room in a really bad mood. I was totally fed up after 10 minutes - the time it usually takes for me to assess whether or not the rest of it is going to keep me glued to the screen. After 20 minutes I was ready to go to sleep. By the time the 1-hour mark had passed I wanted to kick the TV off the shelf. The directing is terrible, too zoomed-in at times with the camera movements being shaky and felt like it was being hand-held by a child. Susannah York's breasts (what she has of them at least) were stuffed so tight into that dress, packed inside a struggling cleavage that severely lacks oxygen. The whole continuity of the story is so random and lacking in structure and purpose. I was also really annoyed with the casual use of the word 'rape' being thrown around repeatedly for comical effect too. Well.... on the plus side at least it wasn't a musical. A disgraceful inclusion in the prestigious Best Pictures list. The Academy owe us all an apology - and an explanation - for their unfathomable decision to make this nonsense the Best Picture of 1963? They ought to be ashamed of themselves. Disgraceful. Did it deserve the Oscar? ❌NO. Come on, seriously? 1963 was the year of The Great Escape, From Russia With Love, The Birds and It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Who remembers Tom Jones? 2½/10

Review date: 11 March 2025