EXPERIENCE PREFERRED BUT NOT ESSENTIAL
UK, 1983, 77 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Edmonds.
Directed by Peter Duffell.
Experience Preferred But Not Essential is one of a television series called First Love. The film had such impact that it was given cinema release and was very popular. It is a pleasing slice of life, a glimpse of girls working as waitresses in a resort hotel in the summer of 1962. The focus is on Anne and the changes in her life during the period at the hotel. While there are serious themes, treated humanely, the touch is very light and humorous. There is a warmth about all the characters and an accurate insight into human motivation as well as detailed observation of human behaviour. There is a strong feminine sensibility - with screenwriter and a number of the production company being women. Direction is by Peter Duffell, the director of the cinema version of Graham Greene's England Made Me. An excellent short film.
1. The popularity of the film? Its being part of a television series? Cinema release and success? An example of '80s British film-making?
2. The atmosphere of the '60s, the resort, The Grand Hotel, the appearance of the town - hills, harbour, beaches etc.? The costumes and hairstyles? Music, dancing? Focuses of interest and style of talk? Authentic atmosphere for this slice of life?
3. The qualities of the performances - humane, comic, witty, serious? Insight? Audiences sharing the experiences as well as empathising with the characters? Enlightenment by empathy?
4. The title and its reference to work, employment situations, students with holiday jobs? The comparisons with employment situations of the present? 'The good old days' - considered modern in those days? Characters, situations, values then? Now? The perennial styles of behaviour? The tradition of values and morals?
5. The audience going into the situation and leaving it with Annie? Experiencing her transformation? The opening up of her life? Sharing her character and experiences? Initial impact: from the country, her clothes, the boys' attention in the bus to the other girl, her not being helped with the case? The end and her going out, looking more attractive, drawing attention, more self-confident?
6. The Grand Hotel - its appearance, this type of holiday resort? The overtones of films about hotels with their guests and interactions? This film being and 'upstairs downstairs' Grand Hotel film? The resort town, the guests - as observed by the staff, generally at meals? The life of the hotel: the rooms, the kitchen, the dining room, work, after hours? The busy life of the kitchen and waiting staff? Crises, coping? The importance of the editing for the pace and feel of the work: the early calls, rising, breakfast work, main meals service, the staff relaxing with their own meals, their own time, days off? The editing and the shifts of pace? Audience pleasure in recognising the accuracy of detail ?
7. Annie in herself - a student (and the immediate reactions to this?), her hopes, her attractiveness, shyness yet open? Arriving at the hotel, liking the attic room, her first reaction to the other waitresses? Getting into the swing of the work? Getting to know the other characters, ups and downs? An atmosphere of 'realism'? The friendship with Mike, work in the kitchen, his special attention in giving meals to her? Her ability to listen to others, offer advice? Her days off? A positive person, relationships? The attraction to Mike? Her resistance to his advances, her going to his room (and he to hers)? The party, the drinking with its aftermath? The night with Mike? A future - her first love, its effect on her, the possibility of marriage? The detail of what she did, said, how she listened?
8. The other girls and the accuracy of characterisation: Mavis: sharing the room, the background of her breakdown, being jilted, her affair with the young lad in the village, his not having any conversation and her reaction at the dance, the bonds with Annie and helping her, the dress for the party, her farewell - and her decision to try out going home? Arlene and her age, her story about leaving home and her work in the kiosk for 18 years, her affair with Now, his not believing she was pregnant, her tears, illness, riding the bike to get a miscarriage, the dance and Now's silence, the seeming unhappy ending yet her disappearance, coming back engaged, the prospect of marrying and starting a family? Paula and her relationship with Hywel, attraction, his hitting her, her bruises, the sexual relationship - and the embarrassment for Doreen, the talk, her friendliness and liveliness, lack of tact? Doreen and her friendship with Paula, sharing the same room, her response to Hywel’s visits to Paula, more domestic, the knitting, Gareth and his awkwardness, the dance and his reaction to her perfume? Work, moods, interaction, helping one another? The importance of incidentals: the meals, the outings and the sexual (or not) encounters? The audition for Hywel and their all going, enjoying the party? Audiences knowing the girls-well, empathising? Humour, sadness, hopes?
9. The men: Hywel and his self-preoccupation, looking in the mirror, his hair, his temper and hitting Paula, his work, sullenness, crude language about sex, his visits to Paula and his roughness, going to the pub, hiding the early cutlery to get out? The surprise of the audition and the send-up of his rendition of 'Love Me Tender', his song at the dance? His self-absorption - yet his roughness e.g. picking his nose, dipping his comb in the water for the guests? The least affectionately treated character in the film? Ivan and his pleasantness, the comedy of his naked sleepwalking, the homosexuality, his loneliness - his discovering of Anne in his room at the beginning? His friendship with Dai? Dai and his work in the kitchen, with Mike, the day off and sharing it with Annie, wanting to kiss Annie, raising the problem of his homosexuality, her advice, his friendship with Ivan at the party, the beginning of the affair, their going to London and his not being afraid, admitting his situation to himself? Mavis' boyfriend and the grope on the beach, his inability to talk at the dance? Gareth and his fussiness, not kissing Doreen, allergic to her perfume, preferring to sit and chat rather than dance etc.? Now and his relationship with Arlene, his age, not believing her pregnancy, the engagement?
10. Mike as a genial character, charm and clowning, good at his work, his skill and wit in talking, the outings with Annie, the cocoa, his advances and his respect for her, the night that he missed her, treating her with her drinking after the party, the falling in love, the night together? His declaration of love - and the possibility of a future? A genial, humorous and ironic man?
11. The sketch of the manager and his properness, his affair with Helen, his wife: her meals, reading romances and eating chocolates? Helen and her role in the hotel, shopping with Annie, giving her dresses, talking about her future? A wise and worldly woman? Her physical resemblance to Paula and Doreen, - what might become of them?
12. A glimpse of life, time passing, routines, enjoying situations saving money? What was achieved in the months at the hotel? The transformation of a person? A likable film?
