The Turn of the Screw (1898 Henry James)- A supernatural tale of a governess, two children, and a mystifying haunting.
Henry James (1843-1916) Born in New York City, Henry James would spend his youth and adulthood living in the US and Europe with the last 30 years in Europe. Mr. James was a prolific writer of magazine articles, short stories, and novels. His most famous novels, besides this one include: The Portrait of a Lady, Washington Square, The Wings of the Dove, Daisy Miller. His stories are at times opaque, challenging the reader to determine exactly what is going on. In 1895, Henry James became depressed and obsessed with death when the failure of his play compounded sorrow from the loss of his sister and several friends in preceding years. He was jeered at by the audience while taking a bow at the end of the performance. But some of his best work like The Turn of the Screw lay before him. A year before his death he became a British Citizen. During his final year Mr. James was awarded the prestigious Order of Merit bestowed by King George V. He shares the honor with notables such as Florence Nightingale and Winston Churchill.
“Sorrow…if it is strong, we are stronger, inasmuch as it passes and we remain.”
Susannah York (1939-2011) was born in London and raised in Scotland. An early role was with a pre James Bond Sean Connery in a TV production of The Crucible, a play about the Salem witch trials. She worked extensively in theater, television and movies and took time to raise her children and write children’s books. The best known movies in which she performed include: Tunes of Glory, Freud, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (for which Ms. York was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.), and as Clark Kent’s biological mother in 1978’s Superman. Enjoy her performance in Turn Of The Screw.