Kingsley Amis was described by his biographer as “the finest English comic novelist of the second half of the twentieth century.” Whilst that may have been the case, his range of writing was eclectic, to say the least; dabbling in just about everything. Several of his works have been adapted for TV and film, including Lucky Jim, That Uncertain Feeling, Stanley and the Women and The Green Man. George Melly penned the screenplay of Take a Girl Like You for Jonathan Miller’s 1970 film.
Jenny Bunn (Hayley Mills) is a young conservative woman who leaves her home in northern England to work as a teacher near London. She lodges in the house of the lecherous Dick (John Bird) and long-suffering Martha Thompson (Sheila Hancock). She’s courted by the worldly Patrick Standish (Oliver Reed) who becomes increasingly frustrated by her traditional values and attitude towards sex.
Take a Girl Like You is a bawdy period sex farce which, despite how badly it has aged, is difficult not to like. Whilst the script is sharp and full of laughs, it is very much of its time. The chauvinistic free love of the ‘70s feels like ancient history is today’s more enlightened times. The cast are breezy whilst the comedy lands much better than the drama. Take a Girl Like You is a fun and entertaining comic romp and biting social satire.
Special Features:
- High Definition remaster
- Original mono audio
- A New Era Revisited (2019, 15 mins): in-depth interview with celebrated actor Hayley Mills
- Now and Then: Jonathan Miller (1967, 42 mins): archival interview featuring the polymath director in conversation with broadcaster Bernard Braden
- Make a Film Like You (2019, 8 mins): production manager Denis Johnson Jnr and assistant director Joe Marks recalls the making of Take a Girl Like You
- Isolated music & effects track
- Original theatrical trailers
- Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Limited edition exclusive 32-page booklet with a new essay by Melanie
Williams, Kingsley Amis on Take a Girl Like You, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits - UK premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited Edition of 3,000 copies
- All extras subject to change
Take a Girl Like You is released on Blu-ray by Powerhouse Films as part of their Indicator Series on 25 February.
