England Swings: Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

The decade of groundbreaking British movies in the 60's began with a bang with the release of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning in 1960. Not only was it a breakthrough for its lead Albert Finney but for the film's director-a half-bald 33 year old man from Czechoslovakia named Karel Reisz.

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Finney plays Arthur Seaton-a young man who works at a factory in Midlands. When he is not working he spends the money that he earns and he also tries to lure women. Then everything changes when he meets Doreen (Shirley Ann Field) and within a few weeks she becomes pregnant and now Arthur must make a decision of settling down or continue his lifestyle.

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The movie was produced by Harry Saltzman and Tony Richardson; who would become director for his next movie A Taste of Honey. Ironically enough the movie was banned in several cities in England for its sexual content but that changed when a movie theater in London showed the movie and it was a huge hit. And with that the British cinema took the first big step. Much of the credit has to go to Finney's performance.

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