The actress and politician Glenda Jackson died last week at the age of 87. Her acting career moved effortlessly between stage, TV, and motion pictures, where Jackson proved a commanding presence in each. In 1992 she took a lengthy break from the acting world to become a Labour MP, exchanging the likes of co-stars George Segal, James Garner, and Jeff Goldblum for colleagues Dennis Skinner, Roy Hattersley, and John Prescott.
Returning to stage, TV, radio, and film in 2015, Jackson had lost none of her thespian chops, continuing to rack up awards. Despite an occasionally stern public persona, she could easily turn her hand to comedy as much as serious drama, evidenced by her Best Actress Academy Award for A Touch of Class (1973), and most famously, appearing as Cleopatra in Morecambe & Wise (1971), which she remembered as one of the high points of her acting career. Here is my selection of ten of her best motion pictures:
Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) full movie available on YouTube
Life amongst the bohemian Hampstead set is skilfully dissected in John Schlesinger’s (Midnight Cowboy) literary love triangle drama. Jackson plays divorcee Alex Greville, involved in the throes of an open relationship with bisexual sculptor Bob Elkin (Murray Head) who is also seeing gay Jewish doctor, Daniel Hirsh (Peter Finch).
A humane movie, in many ways ahead of its time, which unsurprisingly played well in urban centres but bellyflopped in the shires. Sunday Bloody Sunday boasts the first (uncredited) screen appearance of Daniel Day-Lewis, playing a young vandal.
A Touch of Class (1973)
Jackson’s comic turn in Morecambe & Wise led directly to her casting in Melvin Frank’s (The Prisoner of Second Avenue) knowing, occasionally bittersweet, romantic comedy. Glenda is Vickie Allessio, another divorcee who has what is originally intended as a ‘just for fun’ affair with married American Steve Blackburn (George Segal). Segal’s role was first intended for the retired Cary Grant, then Roger Moore.
When Steve’s wife (Hildegarde Neil) turns up at the couple’s nookie break in Malaga, he pretends Jackson is his mum; at 39, Segal was two years older than Jackson at the time.
The chemistry between the two is palpable, leading to Frank reteaming the duo in 1979’s less popular Lost & Found. When Jackson won the Best Actress Oscar for ATOC, Eric Morecambe telegrammed her, ‘Stick with us and we will get you another one.’
Stevie (1978) full movie available on YouTube
Jackson moves up from Sunday Bloody Sunday’s Hampstead to less salubrious Palmers Green in this sometimes claustrophobic biopic of death-obsessed ‘Not Waving but Drowning’ poet/novelist Stevie Smith. A strong performance from Glenda, ably supported by Mona Washbourne as her strong-willed Aunt Madge.
Hopscotch (1980) Amazon, Prime, Plex, Amazon Rent/Buy, full movie also available free on YouTube
Ronald Neame’s (The Poseidon Adventure) enjoyable spy comedy pairs Jackson as Isobel von Schönenberg, the not noticeably Teutonic former lover of sidelined CIA spook Miles Kendig (Walter Matthau).
When Kendig decides to write a tell-all memoir about his time with the agency, he inveigles his ex into a scheme to outwit his now former bosses and spill the beans on CIA skulduggery. Jackson and Matthau make a fun screen couple and are ably supported by Ned Beatty, Herbert Lom, Sam Waterson, and George Baker.
Hopscotch was the second movie Jackson made with Matthau, the first being 1978’s barbed romantic comedy House Calls, Walter playing a randy LA doctor, Glenda his patient.
The Triple Echo (1972) full movie available free on YouTube
Based on H.E. Bates’s novel, Triple Echo is the second of three pictures Jackson made with professional handful Oliver Reed (the others being Women in Love and The Class of Miss MacMichael).
An army deserter (Brian Deacon) in rural second world war England gets more than he bargains for when he seeks shelter at Alice Charlesworth’s (Glenda Jackson) farm. To evade Reed’s military policeman Alice persuades him to adopt the disguise of her sister Jill. Things take a turn for the worse when Reed takes a fancy to the ‘lass’.
Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) Amazon Rent/Buy
Glenda essayed Good Queen Bess twice in 1971, first on TV for BBC1’s Elizabeth R and then in the movies for Charles Jarrott’s period biopic (revisiting the Tudor era of 1969’s Anne of the Thousand Days).
Vanessa Redgrave plays tiresome Mary, whose shenanigans understandably led to her incarceration and eventual execution by an exasperated Elizabeth. The action moves along at a fair clip, with an exceptionally strong supporting company including Ian Holm, Nigel Davenport, Trevor Howard, Daniel Massey, Patrick McGoohan, and ubiquitous character actor Vernon Dobtcheff. Mary, Queen of Scots also boasts a superb score by John Barry.
HealtH (1980) – full movie available free on YouTube
Robert Altman’s starry political satire is seen through the lens of a Miami health convention, where Jackson plays Isabell Garnell, a contender for the presidency of HealtH (‘Happiness, Energy, and Longevity through Health’) running against narcoleptic 83-year-old Esther Brill (slogan ‘Feel Yourself’), played by Lauren Bacall.
Garnell has a habit of constantly recording her observations on tape, as well as filching large segments of former Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson’s stump speeches. Jackson is game in the role, although she’s slightly overshadowed by Bacall’s antics and the easy-going charm of James Garner as Brill campaign manager Henry Wolff.
Beyond Therapy (1987)
Jackson must have got along with Altman, as she again teamed up with the director for this little-seen comedy, based on Christopher Durang’s 1981 stage play. Jackson is Manhattan-based (psychiatrist Charlotte based the film was actually shot in Paris), whose bisexual patient Bruce (Jeff Goldblum) proves something of a trial.
Glenda is joined by a solid cast that also includes Tom Conti, Julie Hegarty, Christopher Guest and now 95-year-old French actress Geneviève Page, who readers may remember from El Cid (1961), Belle du jour (1967) and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970).
A Murder of Quality (1991) full TV movie available free on YouTube
This neglected adaptation of John le Carré’s thriller sees Denholm Elliott as retired spymaster George Smiley drawn into investigating a murder at a public school by wartime MI6 colleague Ailsa Brimley (Jackson).
An early role for Christian Bale as a schoolboy offed by fruity classics teacher Joss Ackland, who also played boozy hack/amateur British agent Jerry Westerby in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979). Worth a look as a Sunday evening time-filler, Elliott and Jackson both delivering the acting goods, as one would expect.
Women in Love (1969)
Jackson won her first Best Actress Academy Award for her role as the waspish Gudrun Brangwen in Ken Russell’s adaptation of the D.H. Lawrence novel.
Despite her success in the picture, the movie is eclipsed by the notorious firelight nude wrestling scene between Reed and co-star Alan Bates. Not something you see every day, as the saying goes. Jackson made four other films with Ken Russell – The Music Lovers (1971), The Boy Friend (1971), Salome’s Last Dance (1988) and The Rainbow (1989), another D.H. Lawrence adaptation.
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