James Ivory's Savages (1972) to air on TCM Thur 9/8, with T. David & C. Pennock

[David]

In September, TCM will air 28 films by art house director James Ivory, including Savages (1972), on Sept. 8.
This bizzare allegory features Chris Pennock in drag and Thayer David nude (for real!!!!!!)

Ivory is best known for his acclaimed period dramas like A Room With a View, Maurice, Howard's End, etc.

[Midnite]

The other Savages/DS connection is that the movie was filmed at Beechwood Mansion and, according to Ivory, was inspired by his visit to the estate in 1970, only months after the Old House scenes were filmed there for HoDS.

[ClaudeNorth]

This bizzare allegory features Chris Pennock in drag and Thayer David nude (for real!!!!!!)

Personally, I would have preferred it the other way around...

Saw this years ago and was not impressed, but have been wanting to see it again.

[David]

Where is Beechwood? There have been so many fan outings to Seaview, Lyndhurst, etc. We should go to Beechwood!

[KMR]

Beechwood is just up the road (Broadway) from Lyndhurst, about maybe 6 miles.  It's in Scarborough, and on the west (river) side of the road.  When I stopped by in 1990, there was a sign that read "Beechwood Estates" or something like that.  It's private property.  The main house is massively huge.  It's divided into a number of separate homes (don't know how many).

[Gothick]

I'm pretty sure Pennock was naked in a couple of scenes as well, but because of how it's filmed, you don't get to see much (if I'm remembering correctly).

There is this one scene that I found really compelling... it involves an actress telling a long story.  It feels very late Sixties avant-garde NY stage, to me at least...

G.

[Midnite]

Beechwood is just up the road (Broadway) from Lyndhurst, about maybe 6 miles.  It's in Scarborough, and on the west (river) side of the road.

And the Scarborough Post Office, which back in the day was the train station where Vicki and Burke pulled into Collinwood, is only about a half-mile from Beechwood.

[David]

wasn't the train station a studio set?

[Midnite]

Sorry to not respond sooner, David.  I'm still recovering from the infamous DS Fest cold-- it was my turn this year to catch it.  

Anyway, the closeup scenes on the train platform did take place on a set, but interspersed were location shots from the old Scarborough Station:

You can spot Vicki's plaid suitcase through the underside of the moving train.

Vicki approaches Burke.

The station, now a Post Office, in 2004:

[David]

Right! I remember now. Let's go there!

Hope you feel better quickly!

[David]

 

Tonight's the night!

[KMR]

It'll be interesting to hear people's thoughts on this film. I watched the DVD the other night. It was ... different. After reading a few reviews of it, maybe I'll watch it again one of these days. Certainly I'll want to look at bits and pieces again to try to get more of a handle on the geography of the main entrance hall of Beechwood.