Here is Richard Burton before Liz. Before Cleopatra and a stretch of melodramas chosen so the couple could co-star despite playing roles distressingly below his talents. Burton flaunts his prodigious range as “angry young man” Jimmy Porter — Britain’s very own rebel without a cause– in a screen adaptation of John Osborne’s landmark play. He rages against England and his disillusionment with his dismal life, turning on his upper middle class wife (Mary Ure), with utter contempt for the opportunities she had that were denied him as a working-class lad. Finding temporary sexual solace in her wily girlfriend (a dynamic Claire Bloom), this film is far more than a romantic triangle. It is hard-hitting social realism illustrating the struggles for so many in post war 1950s Britain, and, many critics feel, Burton’s finest performance. UK 1959 (99 minutes)
Playing as part of Mostly British Festival
This film can be used with loyalty cards or our 2026 annual CinemaSF passes