Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is a
British novel by
Alan Sillitoe (his second, in
1958), a film starring
Albert Finney, directed by
Karel Reisz, adapted from the novel by its author, and later, in
1964, a success as a
stage play, adapted by David Brett for the
Nottingham Playhouse, with the lead role one of the first played by
Ian McKellan.
The film is considered to be the first of the
social-realist, or "
kitchen sink drama" of the 1960's, such as
Tony Richardson's
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (from Alan Sillitoe's
1959 collection of short stories of the same name) and
A Taste of Honey, and
John Schlesinger's
A Kind of Loving and
Billy Liar. It was at the forefront of the British New Wave, films dealing with
working class issues in a serious manner for the first time, and portraying the more realistic side of everyday issues such as
sex, unwanted pregnancy and
abortion.
The following plot summary refers to the film version which differs from the novel's plot in several key areas. It tells the story of Arthur Seaton, a young
Nottingham factory worker, who is having an affair with Brenda, the wife of an older co-worker. He also has a relationship with Doreen, a woman closer to his own age. When Brenda gets pregnant, Arthur takes her to see his aunt to perform an illegal abortion, which fails. Brenda's husband discovers the affair and gets his brother (a soldier on home leave) and his brother's friend to give Arthur a serious beating. Brenda decides to keep the baby and bring it up as her husband's son. The film ends on an ambiguous note, with a recovered Arthur and Doreen discussing marriage and the prospect of a new home.
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Albert Finney as Arthur Seaton
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Shirley Anne Field as Doreen
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Rachel Roberts as Brenda
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Hylda Baker as Aunt Ada
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Norman Rossington as Bert
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Bryan Pringle as Jack
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Robert Cawdron as Robboe
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Edna Morris as Mrs. Bull
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Elsie Wagstaff as Mrs. Seaton
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Frank Pettitt as Mr. Seaton
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Avis Bunnage as Mousy Woman
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Colin Blakely as Loudmouth
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Irene Richmond as Doreen's Mother
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Louise Dunn as Betty
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Anne Blake as Civil Defence Officer
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Peter Madden as Drunken Man
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Cameron Hall as Mr. Bull
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Alister Williamson as Police Constable
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IMDb page*
British Film Institute article
