Merchant Ivory Productions

Merchant Ivory Productions
Founded 1961
Founder Ismail Merchant
James Ivory
Website www.merchantivory.com/ Edit this on Wikidata

Merchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant (d. 2005) and director James Ivory. Their films were for the most part produced by Merchant, directed by Ivory, and 23 (of the 44 total films) were scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (d. 2013) in some capacity, all but two of those with solo credit. The films were often based upon novels or short stories, particularly the work of Henry James, E. M. Forster, and two novels by Jhabvala herself.

The initial goal of the company was "to make English-language films in India aimed at the international market." The style of Merchant Ivory films set and photographed in India became iconic. The company also went on to make films in the United Kingdom and America.

Some actors and producers associated with Merchant Ivory include Maggie Smith, Leela Naidu, Madhur Jaffrey, Aparna Sen, Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendal, Hugh Grant, James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Simon Callow, Anthony Hopkins, Glenn Close, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson, Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter.

Of this collaboration, Merchant once commented: "It is a strange marriage we have at Merchant Ivory... I am an Indian Muslim, Ruth is a German Jew, and Jim is a Protestant American. Someone once described us as a three-headed god. Maybe they should have called us a three-headed monster!"[1]

The expression "Merchant–Ivory film" has made its way into common parlance, to denote a particular genre of film rather than the actual production company. While 1965's Shakespeare Wallah put this genre on the international map,[2] its heyday was the 1980s and 1990s with such films as A Room with a View and Howards End. A typical "Merchant–Ivory film" would be a period piece set in the early 20th century, usually in Edwardian England, featuring lavish sets and top British actors portraying genteel characters who suffer from disillusionment and tragic entanglements.[3][4]

Filmography

Compiled works from Merchant Ivory Productions

YearTitleScreenwriterOther notes
1963The HouseholderRuth Prawer Jhabvalascreenplay, adapted from the novel by Jhabvala
1965Shakespeare WallahRuth Prawer Jhabvalascreenplay
1969The GuruRuth Prawer Jhabvalascreenplay
The Night of Counting the YearsShadi Abdel Salamwritten and directed by Shadi Abdel Salam
1970Bombay TalkieRuth Prawer Jhabvalascreenplay
1972SavagesGeorge W. S. Trow and Michael O'Donoghuewritten by
1975The Wild PartyWalter Marksbased on a poem by Joseph Moncure March
Autobiography of a PrincessRuth Prawer Jhabvalawritten by
1977RoselandRuth Prawer Jhabvalastory and screenplay
1978Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's PicturesRuth Prawer JhabvalaTV (story)
1979The Five Forty-EightTerrence McNallybased on the story by John Cheever
The EuropeansRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by Henry James
1980Jane Austen in ManhattanRuth Prawer Jhabvalawritten by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
1981QuartetRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by Jean Rhys
1983The Courtesans of BombayIsmail Merchant, James Ivory and Ruth Prawer JhabvalaTV feature; directed by Ismail Merchant
Heat and DustRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
1984The BostoniansRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by Henry James
1985A Room with a ViewRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by E. M. Forster
1986My Little GirlConnie Kaisermanoriginal; directed by Kaiserman
1987MauriceJames Ivory & Kit Hesketh-Harveybased on the novel by E. M. Forster
1988The DeceiversMichael Hirstbased on the novel by John Masters
The Perfect MurderH. R. F. Keating and Zafar Haibased on the novel by Keating
1989Slaves of New YorkTama Janowitzbased on collection of stories by Janowitz
1990Mr. & Mrs. BridgeRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on novels by Evan S. Connell
1991The Ballad of the Sad CafeMichael Hirstplay by Edward Albee
(based on novel by Carson McCullers)
directed by Simon Callow
Street Musicians of Bombaydirected by Richard Robbins
1992Howards EndRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by E. M. Forster
1993In CustodyShahrukh Husain and Anita Desaibased on the novel by Desai
directed by Ismail Merchant
The Remains of the DayRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro
1995Feast of JulyChristopher Neamebased on a novel by H. E. Bates
Jefferson in ParisRuth Prawer Jhabvalawritten by J. T. Hyndman
1996The ProprietorJean-Marie Besset and George W. S. Trowdirected by Ismail Merchant
Surviving PicassoRuth Prawer Jhabvalascreenplay (based on the book by Arianna Huffington)
1998Side StreetsTony Gerber, Lynn Nottagedirected by Tony Gerber
A Soldier's Daughter Never CriesRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by Kaylie Jones
1999Cotton MaryAlexandra Vietsdirected by Ismail Merchant
2000The Golden BowlRuth Prawer Jhabvalabased on the novel by Henry James
2001The Mystic MasseurCaryl Phillipsbased on a novel by V. S. Naipaul
2002Merci Docteur ReyAndrew Litvackdirected by Andrew Litvack
2003Le DivorceRuth Prawer Jhabvala & James Ivorybased on the novel by Diane Johnson
2005HeightsAmy Foxdirected by Chris Terrio
The White CountessKazuo Ishiguroscreenplay
2007Before the RainsCathy Rabindirected by Santosh Sivan
2009The City of Your Final DestinationRuth Prawer Jhabvalascreenplay (based on book by Peter Cameron)
2017Call Me by Your NameJames Ivorybased on the novel by André Aciman, directed by Luca Guadagnino
2018Make the Wiseguys WeepGeorge Gallo, Ric Menellobased on a novel by David Evanier

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Ismail Merchant", The Times, 26 May 2005.
  2. ↑ Kaur, Harmanpreet. "The Wandering Company: Merchant-Ivory Productions and Post-Colonial Cinema" Archived 10 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine., Projectorhead Film Magazine, 10 January 2013.
  3. ↑ LaSalle, Mick. "Merchant-Ivory's final film a refined delight. Naturally", San Francisco Chronicle, 13 January 2006.
  4. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Ismail Merchant: In Memory", 26 May 2005.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.