This film is part of Free
Bad Lord Byron
Ambitious, eccentric and hugely entertaining biopic, with Dennis Price's 'wicked' poet-adventurer defending himself in a celestial court.
Overview
Many and varied are the delights of this spirited defence of the "mad, bad and dangerous to know" Lord Byron: poet, lover and champion of Greek independence. There's Joan Greenwood as Lady Caroline Lamb (her reciting of She Walks in Beauty is alone worth the price of admission) and Stephen Dade's magnificent cinematography. Above all, there's Greenwood's Kind Hearts co-star, Dennis Price, in his last major starring role for British cinema, playing Byron not as a stereotyped Gainsborough-style cad but as a charismatic aesthete, his opening words "I am perfectly fit - to die", setting the mood.
The Bad Lord Byron was one of the most personal films of its producer, Sydney Box: a biopic of "one of the most fascinating Englishman who ever breathed". It was also one of his most expensive; the cost was a then-considerable £223,000, which ruled out using Technicolor as it would have added another third to the budget. The project was initially mooted in 1944 with Eric Portman in the title role, but Box ultimately opted for Price, who was reckoned to be easier to work with. Digitisation supported by the Mohamed S. Farsi Foundation.
Related
High Treason (sound version) High Treason (sound version)
Science Fiction 1929 68 mins
Extravagantly-mounted futuristic sci-fi, now with added sound, although still with the world's two power blocs at loggerheads.
High Treason (silent version) High Treason (silent version)
Science Fiction 1929 75 mins Silent
A terrorist plot plays out on a backdrop of towering skyscrapers, bullet-railways and silver lamé in this vintage vision of London's future.
The Tunnel The Tunnel
Science Fiction 1936 93 mins
The construction of a transatlantic tunnel linking Britain and America hits trouble in an entertaining slice of speculative fiction.
The Private Life of Don Juan The Private Life of Don Juan
Comedy 1934 87 mins
Husbands lock up their wives when the renowned Romeo returns to Seville; but the man wooing the city’s ladies is not what he seems.
A Message from Mars A Message from Mars
Science Fiction 1913 60 mins Location: London
Britain's first full-length science fiction feature has been restored by the BFI National Archive and given a new score by composer Matthew Herbert, commissioned by the BFI and the BBC.
Hedd Wyn Hedd Wyn
Historical drama 1992 115 mins Location: Trawsfynydd
The stirring story of poet Ellis Evans-Hedd Wyn, the Welsh poet posthumously awarded the Eisteddfod chair at Birkenhead in 1917 after failing to return from 1st World War trenches.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.