DIRECTOR: Douglas Hickox.
“Entertaining Mr. Sloane”: The talented gay British playwright Joe Orton burst onto the scene in the swinging sixties with his brilliantly dark, satirical, and comedic masterpieces “Loot” and “Entertaining Mr. Sloane.” Tragically, his career was cut short when he was murdered by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell, in 1967. Halliwell then tragically took his own life. These events were portrayed by Gary Oldman and Albert Molina in the captivating 1987 film “Prick Up Your Ears” directed by Stephen Frears.
This 1970 cinema adaptation of “Entertaining Mr. Sloane,” which was written by the esteemed British TV writer Clive Exton and directed by Douglas Hickox, loses some of its impact in translation mainly because it tones down the sense of danger that should have emanated from Peter McEnery’s title character, a morally ambiguous wanderer with a striking allure. Sloane is willing to go to any lengths, including sleeping simultaneously with the siblings Kath and Ed, portrayed by Beryl Reid and Harry Andrews, if he can continue to live the spoilt life to which he has become accustomed. However, in this adaptation, he is portrayed as a bland, unassuming figure rather than the powerful force he was meant to be (I have not seen the ITV 1968 adaption starring Sheila Hancock, Edward Woodward and Clive Francis).
