Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary
| Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Biography, Comedy, Drama |
| Based on | Marie and Halliday lawsuit from 1923 |
| Written by | R.W. Reid |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Robert Hardy |
| Production | |
| Producer | David C. Rea[1] |
| Running time | 65 Minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 25 June 1970 |
Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary is a 1970 TV play which retells and explores a real life story from the year 1923 when Marie Stopes sued Halliday Sutherland over an attack.[2][3] The film was produced by the BBC, broadcast only once on BBC One and shown on the 25 June 1970.[4][5]
Plot
Set in 1923, a British author named Marie Stopes is having quite the tumultuous life until one day she attempts to sue Dr. Halliday Sutherland for libel, since she thinks he criticized her birth control clinic. A lawyer named Patrick Hastings comes to represent Stopes, and judge Ernest Charles comes to represented Dr. Halliday Sutherland. At first Stopes loses the case then she won for an appeal at the Court of Appeal and then lost again in the House of Lords, but the case ends up generating huge publicity for everyone who views Stopes' case.
Cast
- Bernard Archard as Serjeant Sullivan K.C.
- Anthony Bate as Doctor Halliday Sutherland
- Alethea Charlton as Marie Stopes
- Sonia Dresdel as Professor Louise McIlroy
- Leo Genn as Patrick Hastings K.C.
- Llewellyn Rees as Lord Chief Justice
- Peter Sallis as Ernest Charles K.C.
- Robert Hardy as Narrator
Reception
The film was only broadcast once on BBC One on the 25 June 1970. The film is fully intact and survives in the BBC Archives.[6] The film has unfortunately not been made available to watch at the British Film Institute or anywhere else.[7]
Critical response
The play received excellent reviews from critics.
Mike Fitzgerald of the Lancashire Telegraph described the play as a "highly‑polished and absorbing account" of Stopes' life and work. He commended the production as well balanced and thoroughly researched. He also said that David Rea delivered a "highly professional" piece of television.[8]
Peter Ware of the Norwich Evening News considered the documentary "skilfully moulded together" and of "considerable value", noting that it's combination of interviews, narration, and courtroom reconstruction created a coherent portrait.[9]
Seán Day-Lewis of The Daily Telegraph characterised the play as an "intense biography" whose understated approach effectively highlighted the ironies of Stopes' life. He commended the reconstruction of the 1923 libel trial, noting only minor reservations about one performance and suggested the programme might renew wider interest in Stopes as a dramatic subject.[10]
Nancy Banks-Smith of The Guardian regarded the production as "well‑made and worthwhile", praising its mixture of documentary and drama. She highlighted the trial sequence as the programmes strongest element and felt that the play captured both the radical nature of Stopes' ideas and the contradictions of her personality.[11]
Maurice Tasnier of the Western Daily Press described the play as a skilful blend of documentary material and dramatic reconstruction. He also praised Alethea Charlton's performance as "utterly convincing" and said that the production successfully brought Marie Stopes to life for viewers unfamiliar with her story.[12]
References
- ^ Day-Lewis, Sean (26 June 1970). "Marie Stopes make intense biography". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ "The true story behind the Marie Stopes eugenics trial of 1923". catholicworldreport.com.
- ^ "Marie Stopes (1880 - 1958)". bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary (1970)" – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Birmingham Evening Mail · 25 Jun 1970". newspaper.com.
- ^ "Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary (1970)". tvbrain.info.
- ^ "Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary (1970)". collections-search.bfi.org.uk.
- ^ Lancashire Telegraph Newspaper. 26 Jun 1970. p. 02.
- ^ Norwich Evening News Newspaper. 26 Jun 1970. p. 02.
- ^ The Daily Telegraph Newspaper. 26 Jun 1970. p. 16.
- ^ The Guardian Newspaper. 26 Jun 1970. p. 08.
- ^ Western Daily Press Newspaper. 26 Jun 1970. p. 03.