The Rita Tushingham Home Page

Credits & Photos 1961 - 1963



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Rita Tushingham
Jo plays netball at school.  The school has since been demolished, but was located on Jarvis Street between Charlesworth Street and Barmouth Street.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.
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Rita Tushingham
Jo walks home from school to the basement flat that she shares with her mother.
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photo courtesy of Darren Barclay
The same area in 2007.


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Rita Tushingham
Jo enters the building where her basement flat is located.
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photo courtesy of Darren Barclay
The same building in 2007, on Larkhill Road at Cunliffe Street.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Darren Barclay for this location info.
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Dora Bryan, Rita Tushingham
Still owing two months' rent, Helen and Jo vacate their basement flat by crawling through the window while their landlady is watching television, then make their way down a hill.


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photo courtesy of Darren Barclay
The same area in 2007.
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Rita Tushingham
Jo takes the long way home from school, past the Manchester Ship Canal.
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Rita Tushingham, Paul Danquah
"Looks bad.  Needs a bandage."
Friendly sailor Jimmy examines Jo's skinned knee.


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Rita and Paul Danquah take direction from Tony Richardson.
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Rita Tushingham
Rita and the crew pause for lunch while on location at the Manchester Ship Canal.
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Rita Tushingham
"So this is where you do your cookin', is it?"
Jo plays with Jimmy's chef's hat in the ship's kitchen.


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Rita Tushingham, Paul Danquah
Jimmy renders first aid.
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Paul Danquah, Rita Tushingham
Jimmy and Jo share a mutual attraction.
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Rita Tushingham, Paul Danquah
"Were you expecting to marry a man whose father beat the tom-tom?"
Jimmy walks Jo home after school.


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photo courtesy of Geoff Knight
The same area in 2006.  The steps run from Cambrian Street at the top, down to Holt Town road at the bottom.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.
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photo courtesy of Geoff Knight
The steps in 2006 are obviously not as clean as they were in 1961!
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photo courtesy of Geoff Knight
Looking up the steps.


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Rita Tushingham
When Jo reaches the top of the steps, she waves goodbye to Jimmy.
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photo courtesy of Geoff Knight
The same area in 2006, but with the photographer's cousin standing in for Rita.
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photo courtesy of Geoff Knight
After waving goodbye to Jimmy, Jo runs and skips down this sidewalk, seen here in 2006.  The street is Cambrian Street, running northwest from Holt Town road, just north of Ashton New Road, in Manchester, England.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.


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Dora Bryan, Tony Richardson
Dora was very bashful about her scene in the bathtub, and wore an elastoplast bandage across her breasts just out of sight of the camera.
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Rita Tushingham, Paul Danquah
"Can I keep it?"
Jo asks to keep Jimmy's toy car.
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Robert Stephens, Rita, and Dora Bryan joke with director Tony Richardson while preparing for the scene in which they depart for Blackpool Pleasure Beach.


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Dora grabs some cotton candy.
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Robert Stephens, Rita Tushingham
"You leave ME alone, and leave my mother alone too!"
The day at Blackpool does not go well.  Jo gets into an argument with her mother's boyfriend, and throws a box of chocolates in his face.
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Rita Tushingham
Returning from Blackpool alone, Jo spends the night with Jimmy.  The next morning, Jo waves goodbye to Jimmy, who must return to his ship.


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Paul Danquah
The early dawn light silhouettes Jimmy on the Trafford Road bridge.  Click for Google map.
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Rita Tushingham
Jo remains at the ship canal to watch the departure of Jimmy's ship, the Manchester Shipper.
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Rita Tushingham
Jo watches Jimmy's ship depart, wondering if she will ever see him again.


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Rita Tushingham, Murray Melvin
New customer Geoffrey buys a pair of Italian casual shoes from Jo.
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photo courtesy of Manchester Local Image Collection
The stock in Jo's shoe shop is labeled "W Timpson" – a well-known chain of shoe shops in England at the time.  A trolley bus seen in the film indicates that the shop was located on one of Manchester's few trolley routes in 1961.  Additional geographical features such as alleys and the names of neighboring shops reveal that the filming location was the "W Timpson" shop at 312/314 Ashton New Road (south side of street), Manchester, England.  The shop can be seen at the far left in the above photo, taken in 1960.  The area has since been redeveloped, and if you were standing in the doorway of the shoe shop, you would see the City Of Manchester Stadium (home of Manchester City Football Club) across the street, on the north side of Ashton New Road.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.  Photo © Manchester City Council.
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Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham
While viewing the annual Whit Week Walks, Geoffrey and Jo see each other on the steps of the city art gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester.  This scene was filmed as a pick-up shot during an actual Whit Week Walk.  Rita wore no jacket that day, so the jacket she is wearing in this scene was borrowed from cameraman Desmond Davis, who was wearing the traditional cameraman's blue blazer.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.


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Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham
New flatmate Geoffrey talks to Jo under a brick arch.  She tells him that she is pregnant with Jimmy's baby.
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photo courtesy of Darren Barclay
Brick-arch scene was filmed under one of the 27 arches of the Stockport railway viaduct.  The arch in the scene is to the left of this photo, where a rising hill makes the arches smaller.  Completed in 1842 as part of the railway system linking Manchester with London, the viaduct contains over 11 million bricks and is the largest brick structure in western Europe.
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Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham
"It kicked me, Geoff!  It kicked me!"
Jo feels Jimmy's baby kick in her womb for the first time.


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The crew films the scene in which Jo's baby kicks her for the first time.  The canal basin and locks are bordered by three streets – Holland Street and Vickers Street with Varley Street crossing both.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Geoff Knight for this location info.
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photo courtesy of Geoff Knight
The canal basin and locks in 2006.  The basin was slightly reduced in size when new houses were built in the area.  The mill in the background with the tall chimney is Victoria Mill, which still stands and has been converted into apartments.
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photo courtesy of Geoff Knight
The canal basin and locks from a slightly different angle.


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Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham
Geoff presents a newborn-baby doll to Jo, to help her learn about her impending motherhood.
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Rita Tushingham
Jo does not look forward to becoming a mother.
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photo courtesy of Darren Barclay
Scene with newborn doll was filmed at St. Mary's church in Stockport, greater Manchester, England.  Click for Google map.


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Rita Tushingham, Dora Bryan
Jo resents her mother's offer of help.
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Tony Richardson sets up a shot.  Rita looks repelled by the cigarette she is holding.
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Dora Bryan


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Robert Stephens
Due to the many flubbed takes of this scene, actor Robert Stephens had to choke down many chocolate eclairs.  Too many!
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The crew sets up a shot at the doorway to Jo's loft.  Note Murray Melvin standing in the doorway, holding a bassinet.
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Rita Tushingham, Tony Richardson


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Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham, Tony Richardson
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Rita with young Elaine Yates of Salford, greater Manchester, who plays one of the street urchins in the film.  Perhaps Elaine hopes to someday fill Rita's shoes?
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Rita Tushingham, Murray Melvin


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photo courtesy of Terry Parker
Murray Melvin, Rita Tushingham
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Dora Bryan, Rita Tushingham
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Rita Tushingham, Murray Melvin


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Rita Tushingham, Tony Richardson
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Rita and John Osborne at the UK premiere of A Taste Of Honey at the Odeon Leicester Square Theatre in London on Thursday, 14 September 1961.  Rita wears a red dress provided by fashion designer Mary Quant, founder of Bazaar.
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Tony Richardson, Rita Tushingham, John Osborne


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Tony Richardson, Rita Tushingham, John Osborne
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Dora Bryan, Rita Tushingham
Dora and Rita enjoy the premiere.
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An unidentified man joins Rita and Dora at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival.  Rita won the Best Actress award for A Taste Of Honey, shared with Katharine Hepburn for Long Day's Journey Into Night.  Rita and Dora were initially such unknowns at Cannes that they had difficulty in gaining admittance to their own party!  On another occasion, Rita accidentally walked into a pillar in her hotel and knocked herself out.  Somehow, Rita never received her award certificate at Cannes.  This was rectified in 1999, when she was presented with a replacement certificate during the taping of her This Is Your Life episode.


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Publicity photo of director Tony Richardson and Rita.
   



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Rita Tushingham
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Director Tony Richardson explained his approach to choosing the cast.  "I do sincerely believe that one must give opportunities to people in whose talent one has faith.  For instance, Rita Tushingham, who is playing Hermia in this production, has never attempted a Shakespeare part before, and I do not know how successful she is going to be in this first instance.  But I believe in her talent, and I believe that it is very important for her that she should have this experience.  Even though one may be able to cast better outside, one must build up people one knows have it in them to do great things.  It is a sort of insurance policy, or long term investment."
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Rita Tushingham, Corin Redgrave
Rita says that her performance as Hermia was "murdered" by the critics.
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Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham
This play was the stage debut of Lynn Redgrave, who played the role of Helena.  Rita says, "I took to Lynny immediately.  She seemed to be a very warm, if shy, person.  We had a fantastic time appearing in A Midsummer Night's Dream, partly because Tony Richardson made everything such fun.  Lynn's older sister Vanessa Redgrave would often be at rehearsals because she was married to Tony.  Of course, I knew her father was the great Sir Michael Redgrave, and that her mother was Rachel Kempson, but I wasn't fazed by any of that because no one stands on ceremony with anyone in our business.  We hit it off straight away."


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Rita Tushingham
Rita stands in front of the Royal Court Theatre on the day before the premiere performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
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Corin Redgrave, Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave
Dress rehearsal on 23 Jan 1962.  While doing this play, Rita met Terry Bicknell, eight years older, who was working as a TV cameraman.  They would marry in December 1962.  When they met, Terry was sharing a flat with actors Tom Courtenay, Nicol Williamson, and John Thaw.  Terry says, "One of the chaps brought Rita home one evening.  That was too bad for him!"


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Rita and her dog in January 1962.
   



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Rita says, "Twelfth Night was such a fun play to do, and it got a great response from the audience, which for us all was terrific, as A Midsummer Night's Dream was so badly received."
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Helen Shapiro, Cliff Richard, Rita Tushingham
Rita and singer Helen Shapiro ("You Don't Know", "Walkin' Back to Happiness") share the award for the Most Promising Newcomer.
   



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Rita Tushingham
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Rita Tushingham, Philip Locke, Julian Glover, James Bolam
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Rita Tushingham
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Julian Glover, Rita Tushingham, James Bolam, Philip Locke



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Rita Tushingham, Colin Campbell
Newlyweds Dot and Reg.
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Dot has bought herself a blond wig and wants to party.
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photo courtesy of Terry Parker
Dot and Reg have a fight in the Ace Cafe.


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Dudley Sutton, Colin Campbell
After several fights with Dot, Reg moves into his grandmother's spare room.  Fellow cyclist Pete becomes Reg's roommate.
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Reg catches Dot with another man.
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Rita Tushingham
Rita takes a break for tea on an obviously cold morning.  Standing nearby is an extra, dressed as a vicar, who appears in the background in two scenes.


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Rita Tushingham
Rita is caught unawares in this behind-the-scenes photo.
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Owner Mark Wilsmore and The Wolfman Johnny-B greet Rita at the reopening of the Ace Cafe, Saturday, 08 September 2001.  Click for Google map.
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On the roof of the Ace with Faster Pastor Paul Sinclair, Mark Wilsmore, our Rita, and Father Scott Anderson of the 59 Club.


Ace wall of fame
photo courtesy of Greg Ogarrio
To rechristen the Ace, Rita and Colin Campbell signed the caff's wall of fame.
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Twilight photo from the Ace's parking lot.
 



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Rita, John, Enid Tushingham
Rita poses with her parents on the day before her marriage.
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Rita Tushingham, Terence William Bicknell
Rita and her new husband.
 



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Rita Tushingham
Popular publicity photo of Rita as Catherine, from the pub scene in which Ricky sings "Out And About".
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Rita Tushingham
Another photo from the pub scene.  The surprised Catherine's favorite drink appears to be Truman Light Ale.
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Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne
Ricky brings Cat to a disused shelter so that they can be alone.  Catherine is afraid that rats might be living in the decaying structure.


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Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne
The disused shelter gives Cat and Ricky a place to go to be alone and make love.
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Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne
Cat and Ricky make the most of their time together.
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photo courtesy of Terry Parker
Ricky visits Catherine at the public wash-house where she works.  She declines to go out with him, as she has already made a date with Charlie Batey.


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Michael Sarne, Rita Tushingham
Ricky gives Catherine a playful dunking.
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Michael Sarne, Rita Tushingham
In return, Catherine splashes Ricky with a bucket of water.
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William Marlowe, Michael Sarne
Charlie Batey pulls a knife on Ricky in a pub fight.


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Rita Tushingham
Catherine also gets involved in the pub fight.
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Publicity photo of our Rita and Michael Sarne.
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Rita Tushingham, Michael Sarne
Cover photo of Michael Fisher's book.


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Rita Tushingham, Terry Bicknell
Husband Terry Bicknell pours the champagne on Rita's 21st birthday, 14 March 1963, during the filming of one of the final scenes of A Place To Go, on Wiltshire Row, N1, along the south side of Regents Canal in Hackney, London.  The pub seen behind Terry is The Southgate Arms, 1 Southgate Road, at the junction with Shepperton Road.  As of 2007, the foreground house by Rita's hair is gone, revealing a second pub, The Rosemary Branch, whose white roof is just visible above Rita's hair.  Click for Google map.  Our thanks to Christopher Matheson for this location info.
   



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Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham
Their boyfriends having just pulled up in a car and honked the horn, Baba and Kate run out the door to go on a double date.  Filmed on the steps of a Georgian house in Dublin, possibly Merrion Square.
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Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham
With clothes, hair, and makeup perfectly done, Baba and Kate greet their boyfriends.
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Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham
Based upon The Lonely Girl, the second novella of author Edna O'Brien's 'Country Girls trilogy'.  The working title for Girl With Green Eyes was Once Upon A Summer.  Shot on location in Dublin and County Wicklow.


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Pat Laffan, Mike Murphy
The boyfriends are suitably impressed.
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photo courtesy of Terry Parker
Kate has forgotten to bring her dancing shoes to the ballroom, and so must sit on the sidelines while everyone else dances to The Fly Twist.
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Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave
Kate and Baba cross the river Liffey on O'Connell Bridge, as they explore Dublin, Ireland.  O'Connell Street is reputed to be the widest main street in any European capital.  Note the woman with handbag looking down at a bundle of clothes – it's someone begging.


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Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham
Baba and Kate ride in Bertie's van.
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Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham
Baba and Kate invite Eugene to join them for tea.  Nowadays, Baba would have to extinguish her cigarette, since the Smoking In The Workplace law was introduced in Ireland in March 2004.
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Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham
This was Lynn Redgrave's second film.  She had a small part in Tom Jones earlier in 1963.


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Rita Tushingham, Peter Finch
Kate and Eugene take a walk along Merchants Quay, on the south bank of the river Liffey, which runs west-east through the center of Dublin.  In the background, on the opposite bank (Inns Quay), is a late-night cafe called The Last Post, which was frequented by showbands before setting out on their long journeys home.  Our thanks to Francis Kennedy and Jimmy Reilly for this location info.  Jimmy was the drummer in the Irish showband The Swingtime Aces, who played The Fly Twist in the ballroom scene in Girl With Green Eyes.
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Rita Tushingham
Kate phones Eugene from her workplace.
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Rita Tushingham
Kate is dressed for church.


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Rita Tushingham, Peter Finch
Kate spends the weekend at Eugene's farm.
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Peter Finch, Rita Tushingham
Newspapers of the day reported that Rita had lost weight due to an ulcer, but Rita says, "I never had an ulcer – thank goodness – just the press making up a story.  It sounds more interesting than just being a little overtired."
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Kate visits Eugene's farm again.  Note the tracks in the background for the camera dolly.


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Rita Tushingham
Eugene's bedroom becomes Kate's second home.
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Rita Tushingham, Arthur O'Sullivan
To keep her away from Eugene, Kate's father brings her back to their farm, on an obviously windy day.
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Rita Tushingham
Not wanting to be found in Eugene's house by her father's search party, Kate hides under a sofa.  Despite the film's title, Rita's eyes are actually blue-grey.


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Peter Finch, Rita Tushingham
Eugene and Kate after the departure of her father's search party.
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photo courtesy of Terry Parker
Eugene buys Kate an engagement ring.
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Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave
The relationship with Eugene at an end, Kate and Baba wave goodbye to their friends as the ship takes them from Dublin to Liverpool, to make a fresh start in England.


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Of all of Peter Finch's leading ladies, he thought the most truly childlike was Rita Tushingham.  While they were filming in Dublin, they used to go together to the zoo when they had time off.  Both were fascinated by the balletic grace of the hippo, and they'd spend hours watching the monkeys.
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Rita stands on her mark as the cinematographer sets up the shot.
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Publicity photo of Rita in 1963.



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