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Mrs Henderson Presents - Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Christopher guest, Stephen Frears

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

The show must go on, but the clothes must come off.

Set in pre-World War II London, Judy Dench plays the eccentric society figure Laura Henderson who, at seventy years old, finds herself widowed and at loose ends. She decides to buy an abandoned Soho cinema and turns it into what would become the historic Windmill Theatre. knowing nothing about theatre, she hires the irascible Vivian van Damm (Bob Hoskins) to run it and comes up with an inspired idea to get audiences in: produce a nude revue. She sidesteps censorship laws by creating tableaux vivants - permitting entirely nude girls on stage provided they didn't move a muscle.

Penetrating, lively and invigorating, Mrs Henderson Presents is a love note to a famous London theatre, a homage to Britain's wartime experiences and an evocation of the great musicals that lit up the screen during the thirties and forties. Add a captivating duel played out by two of Britain's finest actors in Dench and Hoskins and you have an uplifting tale likely to live long in the memory of audiences everywhere.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film theatre biography World War II Britain Soho Windmill Laura Henderson revue censor

Persons of interest

Anna Brewster .... Doris
Judi Dench .... Laura Henderson
Christopher Guest .... Lord Cromer
Rosalind Halstead .... Frances
Bob Hoskins .... Vivian Van Damm
Camille O'Sullivan .... Jane
Kelly Reilly .... Maureen
Sarah Solemani .... Vera
Natalia Tena .... Peggy
Will Young .... Bertie
Shona McWilliams .... Gracie Kramer
Martin Sherman .... Screenwriter
Stephen Frears .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Mrs Henderson Presents official movie site
Mrs henderson Presents film production notes
Mrs Henderson Presents QuickTime movie trailers

Awards and film festivals:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS - Oscars) 2005: Nominated: Performance by an actress in a leading role (Judi Dench), Achievement in costume design (Sandy Powell)
Bangkok International Film Festival 2006: International Competition
British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) 2005: Nominated: Original screenplay (Martin Sherman), Actress in a leading role (Judi Dench), Anthony Asquith Award for achievement in film music (George Fenton), Costume design (Sandy Powell)
Cinematic intelligence Agency Trenchcoat Awards 2005: Won: Best actor - female (Judi Dench as Laura Henderson); Nominated: Best biography, documentary or true drama
Hollywood Foreign press Association (Golden Globes) 2005: Nominated: Picture - musical Or Comedy, Actress In A Leading Role - Musical Or Comedy (Judi dench), Actor In A Supporting Role (Bob Hoskins)
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2005: Nominated: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Judi Dench)

See also Being julia, Bright young Things, Stage beauty, Shakespeare in love, These foolish things
Studios and distributors:

BBC * Hopscotch Films

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Mrs Henderson presented a delightful show and a lovely life. Mrs henderson Presents is both delightful and lovely as well as jolly and moving. Judi Dench is a scream (more camp than a row of tents) and is clearly having an absolute ball. Bob Hoskins is the pleasantly grumpy, stumpy English bastard of the type we have come to know and love - as one character says, "He thinks he's Winston Churchill". The shows are fabulous in a campy kitsch, soft porn kind of way. Lots of titties but nothing by which to be affronted (ie you can take your grandmother; heck, she was probably in it).

Running all through the film is a scampish, almost larrikin attitude to which we Australians can easily relate. Some of that is black British humour, some is Mrs Henderson herself and the rest is the "Up yours, Herr Hitler" attitude that served Britain so well during World war II. If you want to laugh, if you want to cry, if you want to reminisce, Mrs Henderson Presents is the film for you. enjoy.