MISTRESS PAMELA

UK, 1974, 91 minutes, Colour.
Ann Michelle, Julian Barnes, Dudley Foster, Anna Quayle, Anthony Sharp, Derek Fowlds.
Directed by Jim O’C onnolly.

Mistress Pamela is loosely based on Samuel Richardson’s 18th century classic novel, Pamela. In 1963, 18th century novels made an enormous cinema breakthrough with the Oscar-winning success of Tom Jones. Tony Richardson in the 1970s made a version of Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews. Because of the sex content, these classics were ripe for parodies as well as Carry On-type comedy.

On the whole, this is a light-hearted variation on Richardson’s plot – with a touch of the Carry On. The film was directed by Jim O’Connolly? who made only a few films, Berserk with Joan Crawford, Valley of the Gwangi, Crooks and Coronets with Edith Evans. This was his lasat film.

1. How entertaining a comedy? British sex comedy? Costume comedy?

2. The film was based on an English classic. Was this evident from the treatment in the film?

3. The costumes, colour photography, 18th century setting? Music? Appropriate for this kind of film?

4. Did the film have plot credibility or was it sufficient for the purpose of sex comedy?

5. The character of Pamela and her background, a girl in the eighteenth century, in service? Sexuality? The emphasis on her purity? The effect of the abstention of Lord Robert Devenish? The encounter with Mrs Jelks? Her emerging as pure as ever from these encounters? (Was this genuine, tongue-in-cheek?) Pamela after five years of service, Lord Robert and his approaches, Mrs Jelks and her jealousy, Pamela agreeing, to spend the night with Lord Robert but drugging his wine? The encounter with Mistress Blimper? Devenish's attempt to rape her and her resistance? The fake wedding and the happy ending? Farcical elements in the characterisations? Their relationship to Samuel Richardson’s original conception of Pamela?

6. The presentation of Lord Robert Devenish as a typical lord of the eighteenth century handsome young man, attitudes towards sexuality, Pamela? Being forced into love? The contrast with Jonathan and his looking after Pamela? The servants in the household?

7. The character of Mrs Jelks, the lesbian overtones and her possessiveness? Mistress Blimper and her conniving for Lord Robert? the other feminine members of the household?

8. English society in the eighteenth century? audience reaction to it, its values and lack of values, its surface style and manners, corruption?

9. The original novel was an attempt to understand virtue and hypocrisy using comic mode. Was this evident at all in the film?