Tom Jones
- 1963 film
Oscar-winning adaptation of Henry Fielding's bawdy tale of a rakish young man's romantic meanderings in 18th-Century England. Also features Albert Finney, Susannah York, Hugh Griffith, Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood and more.
Tom Jones trivia
After a 16-week shoot, director Tony Richardson immediately began post-production. He became extremely depressed during the process and cut extensive scenes, fearing they were not funny or fast enough.
Tom Jones was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won four: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score.
The film garnered no fewer than three Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress: for Diane Cilento, Edith Evans, and Joyce Redman. (They lost out to Margaret Rutherford for The VIPs.)
The film's opening prologue, aping the silent film era with intertitles of dialogue, was suggested by director Tony Richardson's wife, actress Vanessa Redgrave.
Narration was not originally planned to be included in the film, but added during post-production amidst fear that audiences might not follow the story without.
Director Tony Richardson encouraged both creative crew and actors alike to improvise and experiment during production. One particularly notable scene, in which Tom Jones and 'Mrs. Waters' tease and flirt with each other whilst eating, was totally absent from the script and created on-set by Richardson, Finney and Redman.