Mrs Henderson Presents  

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 +'''''Mrs Henderson Presents''''' is a 2005 [[biographical film|biographical]] [[musical film]] directed by [[Stephen Frears]] and written by [[Martin Sherman]]. It stars [[Judi Dench]], [[Bob Hoskins]], [[Kelly Reilly]], and [[Will Young]] (in his acting debut). It tells the true story of [[Laura Henderson]], an eccentric British socialite who opened the [[Windmill Theatre]] in London in 1931.
-A '''French postcard''' is a small, [[postcard]]-sized piece of cardstock featuring a photograph of a nude or semi-nude woman. Such erotic cards were produced in great volume, primarily in France, in the late 19th and early 20th century. The term was adopted in the United States, where such cards were not legally made. The cards were sold as postcards, but the primary purpose was not for sending by mail, as they would have been banned from delivery. The cards sometimes even depicted naked lesbians. French street vendors, tobacco shops and a variety of other vendors bought the photographs for resale to tourists.+''Mrs Henderson Presents'' was theatrically released on 25 November 2005 by [[The Weinstein Company]]. It received generally positive reviews from critics and did moderately well, grossing $27.8 million against its $20 million budget. It received two nominations at the [[78th Academy Awards]]; [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] (for Dench) and [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]] (for [[Sandy Powell (costume designer)|Sandy Powell]]).
-==French postcard images==+==Plot==
-A number of photographers and studios produced French postcards, with some of them featuring particularly popular models.+Eccentric 70-year-old widow Mrs [[Laura Henderson]] purchases a redundant cinema and remodels it to create the [[Windmill Theatre]] in [[London]], as a post-widowhood hobby and appoints autocratic manager [[Vivian Van Damm]]. In 1937, they start a continuous variety revue called "Revudeville", but after other theatres copy this innovation, they begin losing money. Mrs Henderson suggests they add female [[nudity]], similar to the [[Moulin Rouge]] in Paris, something unprecedented in the [[United Kingdom]]. The [[Lord Chamberlain]] ([[Rowland Baring, 2nd Earl of Cromer]]) reluctantly allows this under the condition that the nude female performers remain immobile, so the performances can be considered art, the equivalent of nude statues in museums.
 +Because the theatre's auditorium is below street level, it is relatively safe during [[The Blitz|the bombing of London]], and performances continue. The performers bravely go on with the show even during frightening bombing raids, and the posed nude girls resume their poses, after ducking, as the whole theatre is shaken and the scene [[Flats (theatre)|flats]] all round them sways when a bomb lands close by.
-===Orientalist images===+Maureen, one of the cast, becomes involved at Mrs Henderson's instigation with a young soldier, Paul, one of the audience regulars. Maureen becomes pregnant and receives word that after Paul is [[Demobilisation of the British Armed Forces after the Second World War|demobilised]], he intends to return to his girlfriend. She becomes very upset, and hands in her notice. Before further developments, she is killed by a bomb while leaving the theatre.
-Many photographers and studios specialized in images with an [[Orientalism|Orientalist]] theme.+
-==Pages linking in as of Jan 2022==+Other scenes depict life in the theatre during the period. Mrs Henderson and Mr Van Damm frequently clash, but also show great appreciation for each other.
-[[Boudoir photography]], [[Count Jim Moriarty]], [[Erotic photography]], [[Erotica]], [[Evelyn Nesbit]], [[Fernande Barrey]], [[French Postcards]], [[Glamour photography]], [[History of erotic depictions]], [[Jean Agélou]], [[Julien Mandel]], [[Mary Willumsen]], [[Mrs Henderson Presents]], [[Postcard]], [[Sex in advertising]], [[Softcore pornography]], [[Woman Is the Future of Man]]+
 +Eventually, the authorities want the theatre to close because of the danger from bombs to crowds gathering outside the theatre. Mrs Henderson successfully argues that for soldiers going to die in the war, this is their last chance, and for many of the young soldiers their only chance, to see naked women. She reflects on the death of her son in the [[World War I|First World War]], and how he may never have even seen a naked woman except on a [[French postcard]] he had been carrying when he died in a [[Chemical warfare|gas attack]].
-==Further reading==+The film's closing credits explain that, on her death in 1944, Mrs Henderson bequeathed the theatre to Mr Van Damm.
-* ''French Postcards: An Album of Vintage Erotica'', Martin Stevens. [[RCS MediaGroup|Universe Books/Rizzoli]], 2007, {{ISBN|978-0789315342}}+
-* P. Hammond ''French undressing: naughty postcards from 1900 to 1920''. London: Jupiter, 1976.+
-* W. Oulette, B. Jones ''Erotic postcards''. New York: Excalibur, 1977.+
- +
- +
-==See also==+
-:''[[postcard]]s, [[French erotica]], [[striptease in France]], [[erotic postcard]]''+
-*''[[French Undressing - Naughty Postcards from 1900 to 1920]]'' (1976) is a book by English writer [[Paul Hammond]] first published by Jupiter Books Limited London. +
- +
 +==Cast==
 +* [[Judi Dench]] as [[Laura Henderson]]
 +* [[Bob Hoskins]] as [[Vivian Van Damm]]
 +* [[Will Young]] as Bertie
 +* [[Christopher Guest]] as [[Rowland Baring, 2nd Earl of Cromer|Lord Cromer]]
 +* [[Kelly Reilly]] as Maureen
 +* [[Toby Jones]] as Gordon
 +* [[Thelma Barlow]] as Lady Margot Conway
 +* [[Anna Brewster]] as Doris
 +* [[Rosalind Halstead]] as Frances
 +* [[Sarah Solemani]] as Vera
 +* [[Natalia Tena]] as Peggy
 +* [[Melody Squire]] as Millerette
 +* [[Thomas Allen (baritone)|Sir Thomas Allen]] as Eric Woodburn
 +* Richard Syms as Ambrose
 +* [[Samuel Barnett (actor)|Samuel Barnett]] as Paul
 +* [[Ralph Nossek]] as Leslie Pearkes
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Mrs Henderson Presents is a 2005 biographical musical film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Martin Sherman. It stars Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly, and Will Young (in his acting debut). It tells the true story of Laura Henderson, an eccentric British socialite who opened the Windmill Theatre in London in 1931.

Mrs Henderson Presents was theatrically released on 25 November 2005 by The Weinstein Company. It received generally positive reviews from critics and did moderately well, grossing $27.8 million against its $20 million budget. It received two nominations at the 78th Academy Awards; Best Actress (for Dench) and Best Costume Design (for Sandy Powell).

Plot

Eccentric 70-year-old widow Mrs Laura Henderson purchases a redundant cinema and remodels it to create the Windmill Theatre in London, as a post-widowhood hobby and appoints autocratic manager Vivian Van Damm. In 1937, they start a continuous variety revue called "Revudeville", but after other theatres copy this innovation, they begin losing money. Mrs Henderson suggests they add female nudity, similar to the Moulin Rouge in Paris, something unprecedented in the United Kingdom. The Lord Chamberlain (Rowland Baring, 2nd Earl of Cromer) reluctantly allows this under the condition that the nude female performers remain immobile, so the performances can be considered art, the equivalent of nude statues in museums.

Because the theatre's auditorium is below street level, it is relatively safe during the bombing of London, and performances continue. The performers bravely go on with the show even during frightening bombing raids, and the posed nude girls resume their poses, after ducking, as the whole theatre is shaken and the scene flats all round them sways when a bomb lands close by.

Maureen, one of the cast, becomes involved at Mrs Henderson's instigation with a young soldier, Paul, one of the audience regulars. Maureen becomes pregnant and receives word that after Paul is demobilised, he intends to return to his girlfriend. She becomes very upset, and hands in her notice. Before further developments, she is killed by a bomb while leaving the theatre.

Other scenes depict life in the theatre during the period. Mrs Henderson and Mr Van Damm frequently clash, but also show great appreciation for each other.

Eventually, the authorities want the theatre to close because of the danger from bombs to crowds gathering outside the theatre. Mrs Henderson successfully argues that for soldiers going to die in the war, this is their last chance, and for many of the young soldiers their only chance, to see naked women. She reflects on the death of her son in the First World War, and how he may never have even seen a naked woman except on a French postcard he had been carrying when he died in a gas attack.

The film's closing credits explain that, on her death in 1944, Mrs Henderson bequeathed the theatre to Mr Van Damm.

Cast




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