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The Dresser

118 statements
22 feature instances
5 referencing feature instances

The Dresser	type	TVTItem
The Dresser	label	The Dresser
The Dresser	page	TheDresser
The Dresser	comment	The Dresser is a 1983 British drama film directed by Peter Yates, starring Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay.It is 1940, and German bombs rain down on London. A classically trained actor only referred to as "Sir" (Finney) is the leader of a traveling troupe of Shakespearean players. Sir was once an actor of some renown—he is a knight, after all—but he has been reduced to touring the sticks and backwater towns of Britain. The existence of a theater troupe is only made harder by the war, which leaves Sir's troupe stuck with mostly second-rate actors as most of the best young men are serving in the armed forces.Actually, while Sir is the star of the shows, the real leader is his faithful servant Norman (Courtenay). Norman, who seems to have nothing in his life other than Sir, has his work cut out for him. Sir is many years past his prime, aging, fragile, struggling to remember his lines, emotionally unstable, constantly teetering on the edge of breakdown. Norman has a tough job getting Sir ready and dressed and fit to perform Shakespeare.Ronald Harwood wrote the script, which was based on his own play. One of the rare films to feature two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, for Finney and Courtenay; they both lost to Robert Duvall in Tender Mercies.Remade in 2015 for TV, with Anthony Hopkins as Sir and Ian McKellen as Norman.
The Dresser	fetched	2023-07-02T21:29:27Z
The Dresser	parsed	2023-07-02T21:29:27Z
The Dresser	isPartOf	DBTropes
The Dresser / int_1ba17583	type	The Ghost
The Dresser / int_1ba17583	comment	The Ghost: Davenport Scott, recently a player with the troupe, no longer around because he was busted for sodomy. Constantly referred to, like when they have to figure out who's going to play the Fool in Lear because Scott isn't around, or when they have to figure out who's going to operate the wind machine because that was Scott's job.
The Dresser / int_1ba17583	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_1ba17583	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_1ba17583
The Dresser / int_1f250372	type	I Need a Freaking Drink
The Dresser / int_1f250372	comment	I Need a Freaking Drink: Norman is often seen taking a swig from a flask as the stresses of holding the production together get to him. Eventually it's clear that he has a drinking problem.
The Dresser / int_1f250372	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_1f250372	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_1f250372
The Dresser / int_216c045b	type	The Scottish Trope
The Dresser / int_216c045b	comment	The Scottish Trope: When an addled Sir quotes from Macbeth Norman freaks out, yelping "You've quoted from the Scottish tragedy!" He makes Sir do some dumb ritual where Sir has to leave the dressing room, turn around three times, and knock to gain re-entry.
The Dresser / int_216c045b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_216c045b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_216c045b
The Dresser / int_326a740c	type	Scatterbrained Senior
The Dresser / int_326a740c	comment	Scatterbrained Senior: Played very tragically, as Sir seems to be slowly breaking down, unable to remember lines or even remember what play they're doing. He also has wild emotional outbursts in public, as well as occasionally slipping into near-catatonia.
The Dresser / int_326a740c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_326a740c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_326a740c
The Dresser / int_4e3d253b	type	Downer Ending
The Dresser / int_4e3d253b	comment	Downer Ending: Ends with Norman weeping over Sir's body after Sir dies in his dressing room.
The Dresser / int_4e3d253b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_4e3d253b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_4e3d253b
The Dresser / int_6ca72c26	type	All Take and No Give
The Dresser / int_6ca72c26	comment	All Take and No Give: Sir does this with both Madge and Norman, using them and giving nothing back. Madge the Love Martyr has come to terms with this, saying she'll take what she can get. Norman for his part doesn't realize this until he reads the dedication to Sir's memoir and does not find his name. He flies into a rage, calling Sir "an ungrateful old sod."
The Dresser / int_6ca72c26	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_6ca72c26	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_6ca72c26
The Dresser / int_718c561	type	Performance Anxiety
The Dresser / int_718c561	comment	Performance Anxiety: Norman seems to have the works of William Shakespeare committed to memory, but he's utterly terrified when he has to make an announcement to the audience about the air raid.
The Dresser / int_718c561	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_718c561	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_718c561
The Dresser / int_722b3319	type	Camp Gay
The Dresser / int_722b3319	comment	Camp Gay: Norman is very effeminate in speech and manner, which just makes it all the more amazing when Sir and others make derogatory comments about "buggers" without realizing.
The Dresser / int_722b3319	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_722b3319	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_722b3319
The Dresser / int_7464705c	type	Arc Words
The Dresser / int_7464705c	comment	Arc Words: When giving advice or recommendations, Norman tends to give examples, starting with, "I had a friend..." It takes on a tragic meaning at the end, when he is weeping over Sir's dead body. All he can get out is, "I had a friend."
The Dresser / int_7464705c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_7464705c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_7464705c
The Dresser / int_7aba8180	type	Job Title
The Dresser / int_7aba8180	comment	Job Title: Norman dresses Sir.
The Dresser / int_7aba8180	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_7aba8180	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_7aba8180
The Dresser / int_823c6e3e	type	Large Ham
The Dresser / int_823c6e3e	comment	Large Ham: Sir's performances, as was the style for Shakespeare of the day. Sir behaves this way off the stage as well, constantly agitated and yelling.
The Dresser / int_823c6e3e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_823c6e3e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_823c6e3e
The Dresser / int_9b1e50bd	type	During the War
The Dresser / int_9b1e50bd	comment	During the War: As mentioned, the film takes place in World War II Britain during the height of The Blitz.
The Dresser / int_9b1e50bd	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_9b1e50bd	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_9b1e50bd
The Dresser / int_bb18a227	type	It's All About Me
The Dresser / int_bb18a227	comment	It's All About Me: Sir seems to think Adolf Hitler started World War II in order to wreck his tour.
The Dresser / int_bb18a227	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_bb18a227	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_bb18a227
The Dresser / int_ca87e3ec	type	No Name Given
The Dresser / int_ca87e3ec	comment	No Name Given: Not only is Sir only ever called that, his wife and leading actress is only called "her Ladyship."
The Dresser / int_ca87e3ec	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_ca87e3ec	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_ca87e3ec
The Dresser / int_dc955e66	type	Inspired by…
The Dresser / int_dc955e66	comment	Inspired by…: Loosely inspired by Ronald Harwood's experiences as the assistant to an aging, over-the-hill Sir Donald Wolfit.
The Dresser / int_dc955e66	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_dc955e66	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_dc955e66
The Dresser / int_e796ce97	type	Blackface
The Dresser / int_e796ce97	comment	Blackface: Sir dons it to play Othello. Later, he forgets which play he's in and puts on blackface when he's supposed to be getting ready for King Lear.
The Dresser / int_e796ce97	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_e796ce97	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_e796ce97
The Dresser / int_e8ca5cb3	type	Freudian Slip
The Dresser / int_e8ca5cb3	comment	Freudian Slip: When Norman is helping Sir with what will be his final performance of King Lear:
The Dresser / int_e8ca5cb3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_e8ca5cb3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_e8ca5cb3
The Dresser / int_ec40626	type	Love Martyr
The Dresser / int_ec40626	comment	Love Martyr: Madge the stage manager eventually reveals to Sir that she's stayed with the troupe for 20 years because she's deep in unrequited love with Sir.
The Dresser / int_ec40626	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_ec40626	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_ec40626
The Dresser / int_f15c2859	type	NO INDOOR VOICE
The Dresser / int_f15c2859	comment	No Indoor Voice: Sir's default volume setting is "bellow." Occasionally this pays dividends. In one scene a train is taking off from the station without the actors, who are late. Sir booms "STOP THAT TRAIN!", and amazingly, the train does in fact stop.
The Dresser / int_f15c2859	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_f15c2859	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_f15c2859
The Dresser / int_fb732731	type	FilmWithinAFilm
The Dresser / int_fb732731	comment	Film Within a Film: Othello in the opening scene, but mostly King Lear. The choice of Lear has obvious thematic reference, as Sir, like Lear, is a once-great man now facing aging and death.
The Dresser / int_fb732731	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_fb732731	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_fb732731
The Dresser / int_fbd1aeb	type	Living Emotional Crutch
The Dresser / int_fbd1aeb	comment	Living Emotional Crutch: Sir cannot function without Norman. Norman constantly has to battle to keep Sir emotionally calm and stable, he has to help Sir remember his lines, he does indeed have to dress Sir—at one point Norman comes into Sir's dressing room right before a show and sees to his horror that Sir is putting on blackface for Othello, when the play for the night is King Lear.
The Dresser / int_fbd1aeb	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_fbd1aeb	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_fbd1aeb
The Dresser / int_name	type	ItemName
The Dresser / int_name	comment
The Dresser / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
The Dresser / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Dresser / int_name
The Dresser / int_name	itemName	The Dresser

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

The Dresser	hasFeature	Definite Article Title / int_88b0d66d
The Dresser	hasFeature	Job Title / int_88b0d66d
The Dresser	hasFeature	Scatterbrained Senior / int_88b0d66d
The Dresser	hasFeature	The '40s / int_88b0d66d
The Dresser	hasFeature	The Scottish Trope / int_88b0d66d

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