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Title: BEDFORDS, the

Reference number: 8117

Date: 2008

Director: d. Henry Coombes

Sponsor: Scottish Screen presents in association with South West Screen Commission

Producer: Ciara Barry

Production company: Brocken Spectre

Sound: sound

Colour: col

Fiction: fiction

Running time: 19.52 mins

Description: The Bedfords tells the story of Sir Edwin Landseer, a famed artist and favourite portrait painter of Queen Victoria. The film opens on Landseer as he travels from his studio in London to the Highlands of Scotland to visit The Bedford family whose portrait he has been commissioned to paint. After the long coach journey north Landseer awakes and makes a sleepy entrance to the Highland home of The Bedfords. The domineering Duke of Bedford welcomes Landseer as the family gather in the drawing room to meet this famous London artist, a celebrity of his day.

The next day, the Duchess sits to pose for the artist and eyes him flirtatiously. Landseer nervously begins his portrait study but is afraid of eye contact with the Duchess who oozes sexual prowess across the room. With the Duke gone fishing and their son Giles at play outside, the Duchess flirts openly with Landseer. Asking him to undo a button on the cuff of her dress, their bodies come close and the pair embrace passionately.

The guilt of the forbidden affair with the Duchess weighs heavily on Landseer. Rather than enjoying the game of the stalk, Landseer is tormented by surreal visions out on the hill. Through the binoculars, Landseer imagines a spectacle of naked men, their antlers locked in battle. Surreal episodes become more and more frequent, revealing the fragile state of the artist’s mind.

View this film at http://henrycoombes.co.uk/films/the-bedfords/ [last accessed 13/02/2018]

See also ref. 7688

Credits: [Landseer Ewan Stewart
Duchess Katy Barker
Duke Hugh Ross
Father in Law Alasdair Gray
Mother Anne Lacey
Son Alasdair Wilson
Stags Kevin McIsaac, Gordon Robertson, Callum Proctor
Gamekeeper Andrew Colin Treadway-Hoare
Servant James Bryce
Background Servants Mike Stockbridge]

w., d. and designed Henry Coombes
exec. p. David Smith
exec. p. for Scottish Screen Robbie Allen
d. ph. Benjamin Kracun
co-production designer Ursula Cleary
costume designer Anna Robbins
make-up and hair designer Nicole Stafford
casting d. Des Hamilton
p. man. Alison Goring
location man. Brodie
1st ass. d. Dave Tarvit
ed. Aldo Palumbo
m. Jamie Bolland, Raydale Dower, Cleveland Watkiss
p. co-ordinator Rosie Crerar
p. accountant Kirsty Kyle
2nd ass. d. Majella McNeaney
3rd ass. d. Kate Maginiss
producer's ass. Kim Stewart
p. runner Leanne Kane
art d. Moley Campbell
set construction Kieran Shellard
props construction Daniel Bonarelli
standby art d. Martin McNee
gaffer Arthur Donnelly
focus puller Mark Purvis
clapper loaders James Harrison, Nick Aiton
camera trainee Erin Currie
grip Freddie Bonfanti
make-up and hair ass. Jessica Cruickshank
costume supervisor Camille Moohan
costume ass. Ellie Hatfield
costume making team Matilda Kirkwood, Gaby Brown, Rebecca Hywel-Jones, Peggy Jones, Emily Raemaekers
boom operator Mark Calton
sc. supervisor Karen Wood
dubbing mixer John Cobban
dubbing ed. Travis Reeves, Romano Valerio
stills ph. Janet Wilson, Alan Dimmick
catering Spice of Life
security Media Security
film stock Kodak
laboratory Ilab
vehicles Arnold Clark
facilities Skyemore RV's
DI post production Dragon DI
DI exec. Tony Ray, James Ballrd
DI p. Julie Harding
visual effects Myfanwy Harris
senior colourist Rob May
senior DI technician Paul Wright
ass. DI technician Michele de Benedetti

Special thanks to Sorcha Dallas
Thanks to Gregor Johnston, Phillipa Farnese, Steven Lindsay, Andrew Colin Treadaway-Hoare, Rosie Crerar, Glasgow Film Theatre, Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow, Kimberley O'Neill at Des Hamilton Casting, Alice Stilgoe, Alec Barclay, Margaret and Robert Gladstone, Audrei Hendry at Panalux Glasgow, Sam Clark at Kodak

Filmed on location in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland
© Henry Coombes 2008