The Singing Detective 1986 Cast
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The best-known work of celebrated TV dramatist Dennis Potter, The Singing Detective is actually the second of a trilogy of series by Potter using the device of lip-synching to well-known.
- The Singing Detective cast list, including photos of the actors when available. This list includes all of the The Singing Detective main actors and actresses, so if they are an integral part of the show you'll find them below.
- Find movie and film cast and crew information for The Singing Detective (1986) - Jon Amiel on AllMovie.
(Redirected from The Singing Detective (movie))
| The Singing Detective | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Keith Gordon |
| Produced by |
|
| Screenplay by | Dennis Potter |
| Based on | The Singing Detective by Dennis Potter |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Basil Poledouris |
| Cinematography | Tom Richmond |
| Edited by | Jeff Wishengrad |
| Distributed by | Paramount Classics |
| |
| 109 minutes[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8 million[2] |
| Box office | $337,174[3] |
The Singing Detective is a 2003 American musicalcrimecomedy film directed by Keith Gordon and loosely based on the BBC serial of the same name, a work by British writer Dennis Potter. It stars Robert Downey Jr. and features a supporting cast that includes Katie Holmes, Adrien Brody, Robin Wright Penn, Mel Gibson and Carla Gugino as well as a number of songs from the 1950s.
Plot[edit]
Suffering from the skin disease psoriasis and crippling psoriatic arthritis, detective novelist Dan Dark is in such pain in a hospital that he begins to delve into fantasy, resulting in several storylines told simultaneously:
- A film noir based on Dark's novel, The Singing Detective, in which a nightclub singer/private eye, hired by Mark Binney, takes on a strange case involving prostitutes and two mysterious men. Nothing is ever solved from this, only a vague plot. Notably, all of the people in the film noir are played by people who are real people in Dark's life; for example, Dark's nurse plays a singer.
- The present reality, in which Dark is tormented by incredible pain. Dark interacts with the various people around him, as the doctors and nurses attempt to help, but are dismissed by Dark's anger and bitterness towards everyone. His sense of reality then collapses into hallucinations as the people randomly sing choreographed musical numbers, such as 'How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?' In the end, his reality is blended with the film noir and he is abducted by the two mysterious men, only to be shot by the titular 'singing detective'.
- Dark's traumatic childhood in the past, which explains Dark's repulsion toward sexuality (Dark had watched his mother have sex with other men, including his father's business partner), and his own fiery temper.
Cast[edit]
- Robert Downey Jr. as Dan Dark
- David Dorfman as young Dan Dark
- Robin Wright Penn as Nicola / Nina / Blonde
- Jeremy Northam as Mark Binney
- Katie Holmes as Nurse Mills
- Mel Gibson as Dr. Gibbon
- Adrien Brody as First Hood
- Jon Polito as Second Hood
- Carla Gugino as Betty Dark / Hooker
- Saul Rubinek as Skin Specialist
- Alfre Woodard as Chief of Staff
- Amy Aquino as Nurse Nozhki
- Eddie Jones as Moonglow Bartender
- Clyde Kusatsu as Visiting Japanese Doctor
Production[edit]
Potter's screenplay had been circulating in Hollywood for many years as Potter was enthusiastic about a film version. Robert Altman was at one time attached to direct with Dustin Hoffman in the lead, but financing proved difficult and the production was shelved. It was eventually discovered by an executive at Mel Gibson's production company Icon Productions, who loved it and got Gibson on board to produce. The screenplay had also been imagined as a horror film directed by genre veteran David Cronenberg and starring Al Pacino as the title character.[4]
Reception[edit]
The film scored a 39% 'Rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus being 'Delightful performance from Robert Downey Jr. can't save The Singing Detective's transition from TV to the big screen'.[5] While some critics, such as Roger Ebert, liked the film, others, like Joe Baltake at the Sacramento Bee, considered it an 'interesting failure'.[6]
Soundtrack[edit]
The soundtrack to The Singing Detective was released on October 14, 2003. It consisted of songs from the 1950s rather than the 1940s as in the original television series.
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 'In My Dreams' | Gene Vincent | 3:02 |
| 2. | 'Just Walking in the Rain' | Johnnie Ray | 2:48 |
| 3. | 'Mr. Sandman' | The Chordettes | 2:24 |
| 4. | 'It's All in the Game' | Tommy Edwards | 2:37 |
| 5. | 'Poison Ivy' | The Coasters | 2:42 |
| 6. | 'Important Words' | Gene Vincent | 2:22 |
| 7. | 'Harlem Nocturne' | The Viscounts | 2:22 |
| 8. | 'At the Hop' | Danny & the Juniors | 2:29 |
| 9. | 'Woman Love' | Gene Vincent | 2:33 |
| 10. | 'When' | The Kalin Twins | 2:26 |
| 11. | 'Flip Flop and Fly' | Big Joe Turner | 2:47 |
| 12. | 'Three Steps to Heaven' | Eddie Cochran | 2:22 |
| 13. | 'It's Only Make Believe' | Conway Twitty | 2:14 |
| 14. | 'In My Dreams' | Robert Downey, Jr. | 4:12 |
| Total length: | 37:20[7] | ||
References[edit]
- ^'THE SINGING DETECTIVE (15)'. British Board of Film Classification. October 2, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^'The Singing Detective (2003) - Box office / business'. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^'The Singing Detective (2003)'. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^'The Singing Detective'. November 14, 2003 – via IMDb.
- ^'The Singing Detective'.
- ^'The Singing Detective'.
- ^The Singing Detective Soundtrack AllMusic. Retrieved February 27, 2014
External links[edit]
- The Singing Detective on IMDb
- The Singing Detective at Box Office Mojo
- The Singing Detective at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Singing Detective at Metacritic
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Singing_Detective_(film)&oldid=913360975'
For the sake of the songpaul2001sw-114 March 2004
About to watch the 'The Singing Detective' in its entirity for the first time in 18 years, one is filled with anticipation but also anxiety. Supposing it's dated, or that its once revolutionary nature has been so widely copied (one thinks here of its multi-layered structure, or the scene where Michael Gambon tries to avoid having an erection) that it will be impossible to remember quite how fresh it seemed on first viewing. Worst of all, perhaps it's simply not as good as remembered? When the piece started slowly, I feared that disappointment indeed awaited. But soon I fell again into its magical rhythmns, and, mesmerised, have just (with the aid of DVD) consumed the final five hours in a single weekend. Mesmerised but not surprised - the power of the piece is such that almost every scene, almost every line of dialogue seemed familiar. The last film I saw I had in fact seen previously, and much less than 18 years before, but I had forgotten it entirely and would not have even realised except for a one memorable detail. By contrast, in Dennis Potter's masterpiece, when a single scene failed to trigger recognition, it seemed horribly wrong, as every other incident was written on my brain.
For those who don't know, 'The Singing Detective' is an offbeat musical about a writer in hospital, that weaves effortlessly his present experiences, his past fictions, his paranoid imaginings and, above all else, the memories of a childhood that to this day still dominates his life. Wildly imaginative, but grounded in Potter's own autobiography, it constitutes an enormously rich and vivid telling of a fundamentally very simple story. Potter celebrates life, but refuses to assign it any false dignity. The extent to which he strips away the cant that helps make life bearable is truly disturbing, and perhaps explains the reason the religious right wanted it banned. The cover of my DVD says 'moderate nudity; mild language; no violence' and by modern standards this is correct. Which only damns the moderns; but Potter knew truly how to shock.
Put simply, everything is right about this series. The dialogue is caustic and hilarious; the direction spot on; the acting brilliant. The song and dance routines are coreographed precisely, economically, but to devastating effect. In fact, the construction of the whole work has the feel of jazz to it, the same themes repeated with minor variation, building to a whole that exceeds the mere parts. And the faces in this drama are the most wonderfully expressive faces you will ever see. I was going to call their expressiveness stylised, in that no-one's real face ever really gives away so much. But these, of course, are the faces of the memory, a lifetime's trauma captured in a single tearful eye.
The cast clearly rose to the material. Gambon gives a virtuoso acting masterclass, supreme in both his roles (he plays both the writer and his creation); and though the writer undergoes a major personal journey during the course of this story, Gambon is as good at the end as at the start. While Joanne Whalley, Bill Paterson (with his beard and accent, he makes me think of Robin Cook!) and (in a virtually silent role) Jim Carter have never done anything better. Often overlooked, meanwhile, is the stunning performance from (the subsequently obscure) Lyndon Davies from as Gambon's younger self.
Potter spent his entire career trying new ways of writing screenplays. It didn't always come off and after this work, little he produced was of merit. But 'The Singing Detective' hits no false notes. If there's been a better series made for television, I haven't seen it.
For those who don't know, 'The Singing Detective' is an offbeat musical about a writer in hospital, that weaves effortlessly his present experiences, his past fictions, his paranoid imaginings and, above all else, the memories of a childhood that to this day still dominates his life. Wildly imaginative, but grounded in Potter's own autobiography, it constitutes an enormously rich and vivid telling of a fundamentally very simple story. Potter celebrates life, but refuses to assign it any false dignity. The extent to which he strips away the cant that helps make life bearable is truly disturbing, and perhaps explains the reason the religious right wanted it banned. The cover of my DVD says 'moderate nudity; mild language; no violence' and by modern standards this is correct. Which only damns the moderns; but Potter knew truly how to shock.
Put simply, everything is right about this series. The dialogue is caustic and hilarious; the direction spot on; the acting brilliant. The song and dance routines are coreographed precisely, economically, but to devastating effect. In fact, the construction of the whole work has the feel of jazz to it, the same themes repeated with minor variation, building to a whole that exceeds the mere parts. And the faces in this drama are the most wonderfully expressive faces you will ever see. I was going to call their expressiveness stylised, in that no-one's real face ever really gives away so much. But these, of course, are the faces of the memory, a lifetime's trauma captured in a single tearful eye.
The cast clearly rose to the material. Gambon gives a virtuoso acting masterclass, supreme in both his roles (he plays both the writer and his creation); and though the writer undergoes a major personal journey during the course of this story, Gambon is as good at the end as at the start. While Joanne Whalley, Bill Paterson (with his beard and accent, he makes me think of Robin Cook!) and (in a virtually silent role) Jim Carter have never done anything better. Often overlooked, meanwhile, is the stunning performance from (the subsequently obscure) Lyndon Davies from as Gambon's younger self.
Potter spent his entire career trying new ways of writing screenplays. It didn't always come off and after this work, little he produced was of merit. But 'The Singing Detective' hits no false notes. If there's been a better series made for television, I haven't seen it.
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As Good As TV GetsPermalink
shark-4320 February 2002
I absolutely adore this piece of work. Jon Amiel's sensitive, clever direction, Dennis Potter's biting, brilliant script and the towering lead performance by the great Michael Gambon makes this a treat to watch. It's for those viewers who like to be treated as if they have a brain in their head and they don't need everything spelled out for them and telegraphed what is about to happen. With patience, this story unfolds with amazing power and in the long run, stunning optimism. There are three stories going on, really: an ill writer with a horrible skin condition is hospitalized and he rants and yells at all of those who come by him; fellow patients, nurses and doctors. But as he lays in bed, he begins to hallucinate from his high fever and he begins to re-write an old crime noir novel he once wrote called, The Singing Detective. He also is completely overwhelmed with memories from his childhood and growing up amongst a poor, ignorant coal-mining family in the woods of England. Aside from the amazing Gambon, this film is loaded with great performances: from Janet Suzman to Bill Patterson to Alison Steadman (as his unhappy Mother). I own a copy of this magnificent mini-series and I watch it over and over. A masterpiece. Mr. Potter, rest in peace, sir.
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Like a giant jigsawPermalink
This is Dennis Potter's 'Sergeant Pepper' - the work of his life. One of those times when the recurring themes and characters from an artist's collected works come together at the right moment, with the right direction and the right actors.
The story is simple - embittered, sarcastic, over-the-hill author is admitted to hospital with a highly disfiguring skin condition. Whilst lying virtually helpless in his bed, he begins to rewrite one of his pulp novels (The Singing Detective) and to reminisce on his childhood in the Forest of Dean and London. But the memories and fiction start to overlap, with some hallucinations thrown in for good measure!
In the hands of lesser mortals, this could have been a disaster (I fear for the 2003 remake. Robert Downey Jr?!). But the direction of Amiel and the acting of the entire cast are outstanding. Michael Gambon is stunning as the (initially) sour and downright nasty Marlowe. That we sympathise with him given all of his shortcomings is testament to this.
The subtext is of a man exorcising his demons and coming to terms with his guilt: guilt about the death of his mother, guilt about his treatment of the women in his life, guilt about his victimisation of a schoolmate.
One of those films that is like a giant jigsaw - at first what appear to be a random collection of unrelated images which are rearranged, flipped over and pieced together. Ultimately we are presented with solutions to everything - almost.
After all, not everything has a solution...
The story is simple - embittered, sarcastic, over-the-hill author is admitted to hospital with a highly disfiguring skin condition. Whilst lying virtually helpless in his bed, he begins to rewrite one of his pulp novels (The Singing Detective) and to reminisce on his childhood in the Forest of Dean and London. But the memories and fiction start to overlap, with some hallucinations thrown in for good measure!
In the hands of lesser mortals, this could have been a disaster (I fear for the 2003 remake. Robert Downey Jr?!). But the direction of Amiel and the acting of the entire cast are outstanding. Michael Gambon is stunning as the (initially) sour and downright nasty Marlowe. That we sympathise with him given all of his shortcomings is testament to this.
The subtext is of a man exorcising his demons and coming to terms with his guilt: guilt about the death of his mother, guilt about his treatment of the women in his life, guilt about his victimisation of a schoolmate.
One of those films that is like a giant jigsaw - at first what appear to be a random collection of unrelated images which are rearranged, flipped over and pieced together. Ultimately we are presented with solutions to everything - almost.
After all, not everything has a solution...
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Brilliant psychological dramaPermalink
adam_1218 June 2001
'The Singing Detective' very well may be the best thing done on television. Gambon is outstanding as the lead role, Marlow; he takes command of the performance so that you the viewer see Gambon as Phillip. The story is so rich and detailed with psychological questions that Marlow reflects on from his hospital bed; as you see him find resolutions to his questions, his skin condition becomes better. In the flashbacks, as he has more problems, it becomes worse. This is just one of many predicaments that Marlow faces throughout his time in his life. The story asks psychological questions about childhood, humans as sexual beings, the existence of God, and the healing (and destroying) powers of the mind. 'The Singing Detective' is a quite cerebral and a brilliant show. SEEK THIS SERIES OUT and treasure it!
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masterpiecePermalink
jimi997 March 2003
There's no question that the greatest films of the past 25 years have been TV miniseries, from 'I Claudius' to 'The Decalogue' to 'Nicholas Nickleby' to 'The Singing Detective.' The ability to stretch out over 6 to 10 hours is certainly a key to doing justice to a theme or great work of literature.
'The Singing Detective' is a bold, multileveled BBC series that is made all the more powerful considering that it is based on the author Dennis Potter's losing battle with a skin disease combined with his incredibly rich fantasies, painful memories, and writer's imagination, all rolled into one complex narrative. Over the 6-hour span, his life and personality, as portrayed by the brilliant Michael Gambon as the writer/novel protagonist Philip Marlow (without the 'e'), is revealed inventively and poignantly. We sympathize with his wasting disease, admire his clever mind, and see all his hang-ups and 'sins' gradually bared to his audience. It is an amazing swan song for a brutally self-honest writer.
Jon Amiel's direction is impeccable, and the whole production is uncompromising regarding sex, nudity, language and emotional pain. The famous musical numbers featuring not only Philip and his father in the past, but projected onto the patients and staff of the hospital ward where the 'real' present action takes place, are so integral to the story that they are a perfect reflection of Philip's tenuous grip on reality.
The forthcoming Keith Gordon feature film, no matter how inventive and bizarre it is, must fail artistically and be suspected of dishonoring the essence of the story, Dennis Potter's autobiography. It will probably succeed financially with the casting of Downey and Gibson, but please find the BBC series at your local library and enjoy this masterpiece.
'The Singing Detective' is a bold, multileveled BBC series that is made all the more powerful considering that it is based on the author Dennis Potter's losing battle with a skin disease combined with his incredibly rich fantasies, painful memories, and writer's imagination, all rolled into one complex narrative. Over the 6-hour span, his life and personality, as portrayed by the brilliant Michael Gambon as the writer/novel protagonist Philip Marlow (without the 'e'), is revealed inventively and poignantly. We sympathize with his wasting disease, admire his clever mind, and see all his hang-ups and 'sins' gradually bared to his audience. It is an amazing swan song for a brutally self-honest writer.
Jon Amiel's direction is impeccable, and the whole production is uncompromising regarding sex, nudity, language and emotional pain. The famous musical numbers featuring not only Philip and his father in the past, but projected onto the patients and staff of the hospital ward where the 'real' present action takes place, are so integral to the story that they are a perfect reflection of Philip's tenuous grip on reality.
The forthcoming Keith Gordon feature film, no matter how inventive and bizarre it is, must fail artistically and be suspected of dishonoring the essence of the story, Dennis Potter's autobiography. It will probably succeed financially with the casting of Downey and Gibson, but please find the BBC series at your local library and enjoy this masterpiece.
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One of the Greatest Things Ever Seen on TelevisionPermalink
RobertF878 January 2005
The BBC television production of 'The Singing Detective' caused a huge stir when it was first broadcast back in 1986, and now it is commonly acknowledged as a classic.
Hospitalised by a severe case of psoriasis, crime novelist Philip E Marlow, escapes the grim realities of ward life into a rich inner world where he imagines himself as the 'singing detective', hero of his own novels. From these fantasies he drifts to memories of his grim childhood during World War Two, and paranoid fantasies about his estranged wife.
The script, by celebrated writer Dennis Potter, is truly remarkable. The acting is good, especially from Michael Gambon (as Philip Marlow) who is perfect in a very difficult role.
The series lasts nearly seven hours and yet never fails to entertain. The series has a rich vain of dark humour and features some hilariously surreal song-and-dance sequences.
This is a true masterpiece and, very possibly, the best TV series ever made. Don't miss any opportunity to catch it.
Hospitalised by a severe case of psoriasis, crime novelist Philip E Marlow, escapes the grim realities of ward life into a rich inner world where he imagines himself as the 'singing detective', hero of his own novels. From these fantasies he drifts to memories of his grim childhood during World War Two, and paranoid fantasies about his estranged wife.
The script, by celebrated writer Dennis Potter, is truly remarkable. The acting is good, especially from Michael Gambon (as Philip Marlow) who is perfect in a very difficult role.
The series lasts nearly seven hours and yet never fails to entertain. The series has a rich vain of dark humour and features some hilariously surreal song-and-dance sequences.
This is a true masterpiece and, very possibly, the best TV series ever made. Don't miss any opportunity to catch it.
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As good as it getsPermalink
There's no point in reiterating the praise for this miniseries. Many have called it the best television production ever, and as far as I can tell, they're absolutely correct. This is (NBC notwithstanding) the true definition of 'must-see TV'.
I just want to comment on something that struck me when I watched this recently on DVD. There's no way that an actor like Michael Gambon could ever get cast as the leading man in an American production (for TV or movies). He's just not physically attractive enough in the conventional sense; for example, he has the beginnings of a double-chin (more of a sloping-down from his chin to his collar), and I can't imagine any American producer being willing to give such an 'not hot' actor so much screen time in the lead role.
Yet, it hardly needs be said, he is 100% perfect in this role, and it's hard to imagine anyone else doing as good a job. He can convey more feeling (rage, helplessness, love, hatred) in one close-up of his eyes than some actors do in their entire careers. His presence in this film is, in a sense, a reminder of how lucky we all are that it ever got made at all, by a BBC that was willing to give producer Kenith Trodd almost complete autonomy, as long as he stayed within budget. With the possible exception of HBO, you just don't see that sort of artistic freedom too often over on this side of the pond.
Anyway, as others said, it's a masterpiece, brilliantly written and brilliantly acted. Truly one of the most incredible uses of the television medium ever.
I just want to comment on something that struck me when I watched this recently on DVD. There's no way that an actor like Michael Gambon could ever get cast as the leading man in an American production (for TV or movies). He's just not physically attractive enough in the conventional sense; for example, he has the beginnings of a double-chin (more of a sloping-down from his chin to his collar), and I can't imagine any American producer being willing to give such an 'not hot' actor so much screen time in the lead role.
Yet, it hardly needs be said, he is 100% perfect in this role, and it's hard to imagine anyone else doing as good a job. He can convey more feeling (rage, helplessness, love, hatred) in one close-up of his eyes than some actors do in their entire careers. His presence in this film is, in a sense, a reminder of how lucky we all are that it ever got made at all, by a BBC that was willing to give producer Kenith Trodd almost complete autonomy, as long as he stayed within budget. With the possible exception of HBO, you just don't see that sort of artistic freedom too often over on this side of the pond.
Anyway, as others said, it's a masterpiece, brilliantly written and brilliantly acted. Truly one of the most incredible uses of the television medium ever.
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THE Singing DetectivePermalink
Although my comments could belong under the 2003 film version, I choose rather to make the comparison here because the film, more than anything else, gives reinforcement to the view that there are reasons this original miniseries is 6 hours long.
In the original, there really isn't a wasted minute of it's 6-hour running time. The complexity of this man's situation requires that the story reveals several different conflicts in his life simultaneously, and how they relate and resolve through psychiatry, The Singing Detective writing, his relationships (past and present), and the music that had become so important in his life. For the film version, because most of this can't be explored in such a short amount of time, most of these elements aren't included. As a result, the film is light and detached... and forgettable.
Apart from that. as another reviewer here pointed out, the acting and casting is MUCH MUCH better in this original despite the lack of famous handsome Hollywood faces (the 2003 film features Mel Gibson sporting a bald head piece to look like a 'nerdy' psychiatrist!).
I'm not an easy critic, but this version is in my top five of all time (movies, not TV- it feels more like a movie that TV to me). 10 of 10
In the original, there really isn't a wasted minute of it's 6-hour running time. The complexity of this man's situation requires that the story reveals several different conflicts in his life simultaneously, and how they relate and resolve through psychiatry, The Singing Detective writing, his relationships (past and present), and the music that had become so important in his life. For the film version, because most of this can't be explored in such a short amount of time, most of these elements aren't included. As a result, the film is light and detached... and forgettable.
Apart from that. as another reviewer here pointed out, the acting and casting is MUCH MUCH better in this original despite the lack of famous handsome Hollywood faces (the 2003 film features Mel Gibson sporting a bald head piece to look like a 'nerdy' psychiatrist!).
I'm not an easy critic, but this version is in my top five of all time (movies, not TV- it feels more like a movie that TV to me). 10 of 10
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Greatest television ever madePermalink
jgaspar5 December 2002
Dennis Potter was the master of the teleplay and this is the pinnacle of his art. Clever and intelligent dialogue, a brilliant use of non-linear narrative, and a faultless cast all contribute to making this a modern masterpiece.
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Watch The Singing Detective
Masterpiece of unique proportionsalvinos29 May 2001
This is a masterpiece of unique proportions. Dennis Potter appears everywhere in the plot through his characters. Amazing soundtrack, a match to the surreal plot! Don't look for answers, just take the trip that Potter suggests and don't miss a single detail. Switch off the light, stop eating popcorn and pay attention to each and every scene. It will reward you.
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Dennis Potter's masterpiecePermalink
stuhh200115 June 2002
The picture opens with a rather 'Casablanca' like WW2 waterfront dive, where everyone looks like they're auditioning to become Nazi spies, or British Intelligence. So far okay. Then we see a man clad only in a diaperlike wrap around, ninety per cent nude. He is covered from head to toe with horrible sores. I knew something different was about to happen, because even in standard TV disease movies they don't shock the viewers with scenes this repulsive. The man turns out to be a mystery writer, afflicted with a fiedish type of psoriasis, and the opening spy scene is a chapter from a book he is writing. This is autobiographical, as Dennis Potter suffered, and died from this disease. There are so many plots and subplots going on that I'm not sure I could map it out. It's about Potter's childhood, the every day day nitty gritty of writing, a husband/wife can't live with, can't live without'em (Gambon/Suzman) infidelity(Malahide/ Suzman) and something I will not forgive Potter for, the hackneyed scene that never happens in therapy, where the psychiatrist says, 'That's it! You've been suppressing it for years.' And the paralyzed patient gets up and walks. Balderdash. Never has happened, never will. Okay. Except for the standard shrink nonsense, I'm compelled to call this the greatest production of this kind I have ever seen. To me, it's only rivals are Ken Finkleman's 'Newsroom', and 'More Tears'. The entire production is woven with Potter's trademark. At certain intervals the characters break out and lip sync to the hit records of the forties. I'm not ashamed to say I found myself sobbing over the pop tunes of my childhood.(Crying for my lost youth?) The performances? Can you have bad performnces with Michael Gabon, Janet Suzman, Patrick Malahide, Jim Carter, Joanne Whalley, Allison Steadman, and Bill Paterson? No. They are the elite of the British stage. When not doing a movie, they're acting every night in the theatre. Miss this masterpiece at your own peril.
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A Great Series, Now Out on DVDPermalink
I discovered this at my local library and it is truly one of the all time great TV shows. A complex plot that rewards viewers' patience. Great performances, particularly by Gambon. Thus far the movie hasn't been released nationwide so I can't speak for the quality, but even if it proves to be terrible, at least it appears to have paved the way for the DVD version, which I pretty much expected when I learned of the film. This series deserves to be better known world-wide than it is, and hopefully the DVD set (which includes a director/producer Commentary track for every episode, specials on Dennis Potter, etc.) will make the series better known to people.
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Brilliant and imaginative, with outstanding performances, this is TV at its best.Permalink
jude23487 January 2004
Anyone who thinks television is only for the brain-dead should see this drama. Written by Dennis Potter,the most exciting writer to ever work for television, it is a multi-layered story of a writer hospitalised with a disabling skin disease, who retells the story of his most famous book (which is coincidentally being read by another patient), relives incidents from his childhood, imagines contemporary events and the people around him bursting into song. It is hard to describe, but it is sharp, funny, superbly intelligent and challenging - among the best six hours ever made for television.
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The Singing Detective 1986 Cast For Days
Boundaries, Skin, AkroydWarning: SpoilersSpoilers herein.
I have been without a TeeVee for thirty years. It is a standing challenge to my friends to show me something that is produced for TeeVee that does less harm than good in working with the viewer's mind.
I finally have it here. Lynch's `Twin Peaks' experiment came close, but turned into a comment on the empty soul of TeeVee as the basic material was passed from one director to another, each trapped by different restrictions in the medium. Lynch finally had to `fix' it by making a wrapper film that brilliantly references those bounds.
What we have here is something that spreads out and takes time to percolate. It is designed to coherently be delivered in small discrete parts. I saw it on DVD but can imagine it not being destroyed by those pesky interruptions and the delay between broadcasts.
The idea is pretty complex for TeeVee: five levels of narrative, three in story, one in reference and one in a particularly strong use of song as narrative. This last is so novel and different from the conventions of artificial reality we've come to expect in musicals that it alone makes it interesting.
The nominal base level is Marlow the writer in a hospital. He has a story that was written, is being written and rewritten and adapted. It is also what we see.
Above these two levels is the explicit recognition that Potter, the `real' writer is Marlow, the fictional writer. This is wisely not introduced in any meaningful way until the 4th episode, including the notion that the characters at all levels are in control.
Below these three levels is the story of his `murder' of his mother, his own `detection' and the ghosts of character.
Permeating all is that fifth level, narrative assembled and saturated by popular song. Some characters and actors, even gestures and props (like that one shoe) appear in all five levels.
Redheads are used in a particular clever way. (A project with similar tone and aspirations was 'Draughtsman's Contract' which inspired Potter and which also features Janet Suzman.)
But as time goes on, we can see that each level struggles to be the generator of the others. Particularly sweet is the notion that the singing detective can sing and think at the same time and what we see at all levels is what he thinks. Over time it becomes more viable to see the situation in any one layer as written (or imagined) in any other. Along the way he provides clear tools for doing so.
The interesting thing here is that Potter uses the time of the miniseries format wisely. He introduces a new layer or idea or narrative folding in each half hour. Only so fast as we can adapt. He uses the same material over and over, but always in a new context. It is exactly anti-TeeVee in this way as TeeVee depends on a consistency of context as frame. Here, the frame shifts, and the whole point of the context is to provide levers for that shifting.
That's what the detective story is all about: starting with events and locating a frame. And why it revolutionized literature. Too bad the appearance of this didn't revolutionize TeeVee.
I haven't yet seen the 2003 film version, with the amazing Downey as Marlow. But it seems that this exploration in causal frames needs time to stretch, because one of Potter's tricks is to use the fact that his scope exceeds that we normally swallow in a 90 minute film experience.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
I have been without a TeeVee for thirty years. It is a standing challenge to my friends to show me something that is produced for TeeVee that does less harm than good in working with the viewer's mind.
I finally have it here. Lynch's `Twin Peaks' experiment came close, but turned into a comment on the empty soul of TeeVee as the basic material was passed from one director to another, each trapped by different restrictions in the medium. Lynch finally had to `fix' it by making a wrapper film that brilliantly references those bounds.
What we have here is something that spreads out and takes time to percolate. It is designed to coherently be delivered in small discrete parts. I saw it on DVD but can imagine it not being destroyed by those pesky interruptions and the delay between broadcasts.
The idea is pretty complex for TeeVee: five levels of narrative, three in story, one in reference and one in a particularly strong use of song as narrative. This last is so novel and different from the conventions of artificial reality we've come to expect in musicals that it alone makes it interesting.
The nominal base level is Marlow the writer in a hospital. He has a story that was written, is being written and rewritten and adapted. It is also what we see.
Above these two levels is the explicit recognition that Potter, the `real' writer is Marlow, the fictional writer. This is wisely not introduced in any meaningful way until the 4th episode, including the notion that the characters at all levels are in control.
Below these three levels is the story of his `murder' of his mother, his own `detection' and the ghosts of character.
Permeating all is that fifth level, narrative assembled and saturated by popular song. Some characters and actors, even gestures and props (like that one shoe) appear in all five levels.
Redheads are used in a particular clever way. (A project with similar tone and aspirations was 'Draughtsman's Contract' which inspired Potter and which also features Janet Suzman.)
But as time goes on, we can see that each level struggles to be the generator of the others. Particularly sweet is the notion that the singing detective can sing and think at the same time and what we see at all levels is what he thinks. Over time it becomes more viable to see the situation in any one layer as written (or imagined) in any other. Along the way he provides clear tools for doing so.
The interesting thing here is that Potter uses the time of the miniseries format wisely. He introduces a new layer or idea or narrative folding in each half hour. Only so fast as we can adapt. He uses the same material over and over, but always in a new context. It is exactly anti-TeeVee in this way as TeeVee depends on a consistency of context as frame. Here, the frame shifts, and the whole point of the context is to provide levers for that shifting.
That's what the detective story is all about: starting with events and locating a frame. And why it revolutionized literature. Too bad the appearance of this didn't revolutionize TeeVee.
I haven't yet seen the 2003 film version, with the amazing Downey as Marlow. But it seems that this exploration in causal frames needs time to stretch, because one of Potter's tricks is to use the fact that his scope exceeds that we normally swallow in a 90 minute film experience.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
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Brilliant performance by a childPermalink
A search of the comments on 'The Singing Detective' turned up only one mention of Lyndon Davies, who played Philip Marlow aged 10. His performance of this really central character was truly remarkable, and it was essential to establishing the basis for the adult Marlow's problems.
It is amazing that a 10-year-old could play the part, which required, among other things, mastering the country dialect, and showing emotional states so convincingly. Probably John Amiel's direction was an important factor in Lyndon's performance -- as well as that of the other children -- but it was really up to Lyndon's talent to bring it off.
Thanks, Lyndon Davies!
It is amazing that a 10-year-old could play the part, which required, among other things, mastering the country dialect, and showing emotional states so convincingly. Probably John Amiel's direction was an important factor in Lyndon's performance -- as well as that of the other children -- but it was really up to Lyndon's talent to bring it off.
Thanks, Lyndon Davies!
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A landmark work of detective fiction and personal examinationPermalink
The Singing Detective is one of those great works that inspire something deep within the viewer, leaving them both shaken and elated by the spectacle they have just witnessed. Few cinematic works can inspire such a feeling, let alone a work for television; and it is this sense of genius that elevates this work above the comparatively 'okay' likes of say, Cracker, Brideshead Revisited, and Prime Suspect et al. This is down to the fact that The Singing Detective is a work far greater than anything else; a microcosm of life, love, anger, defeat, consciousness and the sub-conscious. It deals with the intricate realms of fantasy and reality, the written, the understood and the real. If this sounds complicated then we're on the right track, because this is one of Dennis Potter's most detailed narrative constructs. The story chronicles a writer's decent into personal hell, as well as a decent into a book being written in his own imagination and a book written many years before; with his past, present and future all jostling for our attention throughout the epic, six-hours-plus running-time.
It is a testament to Potter's ability as a screenwriter that the whole thing zips along so quickly, with the multi-layered story never pausing for a moment; constantly being carried along at every step by the combined genius of Potter's characters, the skillful and visually rich direction of Jon Amiel and that towering central performance from the brilliant Michael Gambon. The writing is truly ecstatic, with Potter obviously relishing every chance he gets to play with both the musical and detective-movie clichés - bringing to mind both Casablanca and Potter's own-classic Pennies From Heaven - whilst the dialog of Gambon's inner-monologues have more in common with the profane poetry of 60's playwrights that anything you'd expect to hear on BBC 2. The story also has obvious political overtones, with Potter using the hospital setting of the present sequences to double as an allegory of 80's Britain under the tyrannical leadership of Margaret Thatcher (bringing to mind the Elvis Costello song Tramp the Dirt Down and those other hospital set political parables, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Britannia Hospital).
The story is also somewhat semi-autobiographical from Potter's point of view, with the writer, at this point in time, suffering from the same psoriatic-arthritis that Gambon's character Marlow has (creating that devastating, iconic image of the paralytic Marlow languishing half-naked in bed, being greased by a young Joanne Whally). There are also the much deeper autobiographical aspects with the young Marlow's childhood in the shady and evergreen Forest of Dean, in which the pastoral setting gives way to some truly shocking moments; recalling similar childhood traumas from such diverse examples as Iain Bank's Complicity and Rob Reiner's film Stand by Me. However, within this mire of bitterness, surrealism, bouts of lip-synced cabaret and phantasmagorical shoot-outs, there is also a great deal of humour. Anyone who has seen one of Potter's early TV plays or, for that matter, later classics like Karaoke and Cold Lazarus will know of his depth and range as both a humorist and a satirist; and it is this darkly acerbic wit that underlines the central narrative strands of The Singing Detective.
Some would argue that this is the best that television has to offer, though I would politely disagree. The Singing Detective is a work of art too good to be considered simply for television. Now, thanks to the magic of DVD we have the chance to experience Potter's classic in its definitive unabridged, unedited, uninterrupted from. A truly great piece of work.
It is a testament to Potter's ability as a screenwriter that the whole thing zips along so quickly, with the multi-layered story never pausing for a moment; constantly being carried along at every step by the combined genius of Potter's characters, the skillful and visually rich direction of Jon Amiel and that towering central performance from the brilliant Michael Gambon. The writing is truly ecstatic, with Potter obviously relishing every chance he gets to play with both the musical and detective-movie clichés - bringing to mind both Casablanca and Potter's own-classic Pennies From Heaven - whilst the dialog of Gambon's inner-monologues have more in common with the profane poetry of 60's playwrights that anything you'd expect to hear on BBC 2. The story also has obvious political overtones, with Potter using the hospital setting of the present sequences to double as an allegory of 80's Britain under the tyrannical leadership of Margaret Thatcher (bringing to mind the Elvis Costello song Tramp the Dirt Down and those other hospital set political parables, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Britannia Hospital).
The story is also somewhat semi-autobiographical from Potter's point of view, with the writer, at this point in time, suffering from the same psoriatic-arthritis that Gambon's character Marlow has (creating that devastating, iconic image of the paralytic Marlow languishing half-naked in bed, being greased by a young Joanne Whally). There are also the much deeper autobiographical aspects with the young Marlow's childhood in the shady and evergreen Forest of Dean, in which the pastoral setting gives way to some truly shocking moments; recalling similar childhood traumas from such diverse examples as Iain Bank's Complicity and Rob Reiner's film Stand by Me. However, within this mire of bitterness, surrealism, bouts of lip-synced cabaret and phantasmagorical shoot-outs, there is also a great deal of humour. Anyone who has seen one of Potter's early TV plays or, for that matter, later classics like Karaoke and Cold Lazarus will know of his depth and range as both a humorist and a satirist; and it is this darkly acerbic wit that underlines the central narrative strands of The Singing Detective.
Some would argue that this is the best that television has to offer, though I would politely disagree. The Singing Detective is a work of art too good to be considered simply for television. Now, thanks to the magic of DVD we have the chance to experience Potter's classic in its definitive unabridged, unedited, uninterrupted from. A truly great piece of work.
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Amazing, almost perfect, You have to see it to believe it.Permalink
soundmxr4 November 2000
Once you understand the 'rules' of time and alternate realities, this will just engulf you. An outstanding achievement dramatically and visually. Way too much to describe, you really have to toss out notions of time and structure and let yourself observe. Brilliant is not too strong a word to describe this! If you have ever seen 'Last Year at Marienbad' you will be but a step ahead. This went way beyond. There is nothing else comparable.
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Astoundingly Brilliant....Potters PinnaclePermalink
werefox0824 April 2012
To put it simply---the best thing to be shown on television ..EVER. Dennis Potters The Singing Detective is six hours of exquisite brilliance. It has sex, humor, drama, action, detectives, whores, spies Etc. Etc........in fact everything that constitutes a great reason for looking into a square screen. This is tripping..but..without the chemicals. Some of Potters writing...or 'his observations on humanity' are startling in there depth. This is a pure form of originality by an extremely complex man. Potters mind was always 'on the boil'...how else could he come up with this electrically charged wonder of the last century ?? (1986). This is like the birth of a new star ...in a galaxy far far away. This is television gold, and plutonium. This is as good as T.V. has ever been (or will ever be). This is THE SINGING DETECTIVE.
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No wordsPermalink
dickjan-braggaar15 December 2010
When you go to London to stand on the Hammersmith bridge to have your photo taken, when you are in London to search for the Habitat store in Tottenham Court Road to find the 'Habitat knife', when underground in Londen and always having an urge to call 'Philip!', yes, then this series has made a tremendous impact. The adventures of the Singing Detective are unforgettable. On all levels, that is. In the hospital, with Mr Hall and his 'Nurse!', with the beautiful nurse Mills, the girl in all the songs! Even when I think of the death of Ali, when Philip is crying, I feel my eyes getting wet. This is a must-see. It looks slow, but it will completely absorb you. Dennis Potter is my hero! And The Singing Detective is the best. 'Into each life some rain must fall', is one of the songs. So be it. But let it rain, we have The Singing Detective!
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MesmerizingPermalink
Thorsten-Krings31 May 2007
The Singing Detective is certainly one of the best things ever to be seen on TV. It certainly caused a stir in the UK at the time because of its explicit treatment of sexuality. The story certainly is multi layered and fascinating and the acting is superb down to really minor characters. Usually the success is attributed to Potters's writing. When you read the screenplay which was published by Faber & Faber you certainly read an interesting story (although somewhat influenced by DH Lawrence) but you are not as overwhelmed as you are when seeing it on screen. So from my point of view The Singing Detective is at least as much the product of Jon Amiel and the mesmerizing pictures he creates plus his direction of actors. I find it amazing that the beautiful Alison Steadman never became the English Catherine Deneuve.
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Best movie I have ever seen!editor-31612 August 2006
All I can say about this movie is that it is the best -- from the screenplay to the cinematography to the choreography to the acting -- this movie is the best!
It's got it all -- from irony to bathos.
Knowing nothing of the plot, it was just a bit hard to get into. But by the time I had watched 15 minutes, I was hooked.
It took me a while (all right, over an hour) to understand the flashbacks and the surrealism (come to think of it, that element is rather similar to what the Coen Brothers did in their masterpiece Barton Fink) but when I did sort out the real from the surreal and the present from the past, I was overcome with admiration.
It's visually gorgeous; the music is luscious; the pacing is perfect ... The Singing Detective is glorious, a splendiferous accomplishment.
See it ASAP!
It's got it all -- from irony to bathos.
Knowing nothing of the plot, it was just a bit hard to get into. But by the time I had watched 15 minutes, I was hooked.
It took me a while (all right, over an hour) to understand the flashbacks and the surrealism (come to think of it, that element is rather similar to what the Coen Brothers did in their masterpiece Barton Fink) but when I did sort out the real from the surreal and the present from the past, I was overcome with admiration.
It's visually gorgeous; the music is luscious; the pacing is perfect ... The Singing Detective is glorious, a splendiferous accomplishment.
See it ASAP!
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can't be topped. (SPOILER)Warning: SpoilersPermalink
Still waiting for the feature film version with Robert Downey, Jr and Mel Gibson, I put on my VHS copy of this 80s version to check a few of my favorite scenes, and found myself watching all 6 hours over again.
I sort of disagree with the reviewer on this page who thinks it's impossible to cram the plot into 2 hours - an equally intricate plot was successfully contained in the 90 minutes of Potter's 'Dreamchild' - but I agree that it will be quite a feat if they succeed in capturing all the eminence of the TV version, though. Every part - even down to the minute one played by David Thewliss as a soldier on a train - is so excellently cast.
Truth to tell, the tv version almost made me cry (as Marlowe finally does in his last session with the analyst). The beauty of Potter's complicated stories is that they build up from something that is really very simple - in this case, two episodes in Marlowe's childhood: his frustrated mother's suicide - later developed into endless spy and murder plots - and his betrayal of a classmate, Binney - who proceeds to haunt Marlowe's stories. Potter's point seems to be that this is all it takes to produce a writer (if these events are left untreated by psychiatry) and he is likely to be right.
I sort of disagree with the reviewer on this page who thinks it's impossible to cram the plot into 2 hours - an equally intricate plot was successfully contained in the 90 minutes of Potter's 'Dreamchild' - but I agree that it will be quite a feat if they succeed in capturing all the eminence of the TV version, though. Every part - even down to the minute one played by David Thewliss as a soldier on a train - is so excellently cast.
Truth to tell, the tv version almost made me cry (as Marlowe finally does in his last session with the analyst). The beauty of Potter's complicated stories is that they build up from something that is really very simple - in this case, two episodes in Marlowe's childhood: his frustrated mother's suicide - later developed into endless spy and murder plots - and his betrayal of a classmate, Binney - who proceeds to haunt Marlowe's stories. Potter's point seems to be that this is all it takes to produce a writer (if these events are left untreated by psychiatry) and he is likely to be right.
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Surreal, imaginative, complex, funny, very rewarding - excellent!Permalink
soundmxr20 August 1999
This is a unique form of storytelling - the only things close are 'Last Year at Marienbad' & 'Billy Liar' but that is just the starting point. Reality and fantasy overlap and intertwine, irony and selfishness all contribute to a story told in flash backs / forwards and alter egos. Stunning visual images (telephone poles become crucifixions along the railway) are frequent. You will have to pay attention or you will miss out on abrupt shifts of a very original story as the central character who is confined in a hospital ward, rejects his current reality (as much as he can) and reexamines his memories of his past and is also working on ideas for his next novel. Whew. It is hard to follow at first but if you persist and learn the 'grammar' of this show you will be richly rewarded.
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What TV should be likePermalink
The Singing Detective Full Movie
fiona-356 November 2001
Singing Detective Movie
The Singing Detective is without doubt the best TV programme and one of the best films or serials I have ever seen. It is highly intelligent, complex and often disturbing. As a viewer, you sit glued to the TV, wondering where Dennis Potter is taking you and trying to work out what the various strands are leading up to. For me (highly critical viewer of a vast number of films) fascination was total and I cannot wait to tape it when it is next shown here.
A must for any film buff!
A must for any film buff!
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I've never spent 6 hours of my life in such an amazing wayPermalink
ufokart30 January 2005
The Singing Detective Trailer
I heard about this miniseries last year in the local newspaper. One critic wrote that it was the best thing ever to be showed in Television. After reading this i started researching and i finally bought (Directly from England) 'The Singing detective' DVD.
I believe i wasn't prepared at first to see 'The singing Detective', because i thought it would be a regular mini, but i was wrong. After watching the first episode i realized that i had to watch it again because i didn't understand even one of the scenes in the first episode. After re watching it and reading some of the comments in this site i continued watching the rest of the episodes. I watched 6 hours straight of pure brilliance.
I recommend this mini to everyone that can understand true artistic achievements.
10/10
I believe i wasn't prepared at first to see 'The singing Detective', because i thought it would be a regular mini, but i was wrong. After watching the first episode i realized that i had to watch it again because i didn't understand even one of the scenes in the first episode. After re watching it and reading some of the comments in this site i continued watching the rest of the episodes. I watched 6 hours straight of pure brilliance.
I recommend this mini to everyone that can understand true artistic achievements.
10/10
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The Singing Detective Cast
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