Prick Up Your Ears (1987)

Synopsis: This witty and moving portrait of Britain's daring and rebellious playwright, Joe Orton, is based on the true story of the tragic murder-suicide of Orton, at the hands of his long-term lover, Ken... This witty and moving portrait of Britain's daring and rebellious playwright, Joe Orton, is based on the true story of the tragic murder-suicide of Orton, at the hands of his long-term lover, Ken Haliwell, in the 1960s and the subsequent biography of the same name by New York drama critic John Lahr. PRICK UP YOUR EARS, skillfully directed by Stephen Frears, traces the outrageous life of the famed playwright, portrayed by Gary Oldman. Told through a series of flashbacks, the John Lahr character (Wallace Shawn) interviews Orton's literary agent (Vanessa Redgrave) and others, while weaving the memories and flashbacks from Orton's diaries into a cohesive biography, beginning and ending with the grisly murder. Escaping his lower class upbringing, Orton teamed up with an older ambitious writer, Ken Halliwell (Alfred Molina) at England's Royal Academy of Drama. But after years of close collaboration Orton took a chance and broke out on his own--skyrocketing to fame and fortune with such theatrical hits as LOOT and WHAT THE BUTLER SAW. Orton gregariously charmed Britain's press and theatre-going public, while living an illegal and sexually daring lifestyle. However, the competition and emotional rivalry between Halliwell and Orton took a toll on the lonely unsuccessful confidant. Dejected, in the shadows, and seething with jealousy, Halliwell finally cracked. Abruptly, tragically, he hammered Joe Orton to death in 1967 and took his own life immediately following the murder. [More]

Starring: Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave, Wallace Shawn

Starring: Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave, Wallace Shawn

Director: Stephen Frears

Director: Stephen Frears

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