Share
Clip description
John wants to remove his father as head of the Masons’ newspaper and needs his brothers to support his plan. His wife Kathy (Anne Haddy) meets with his brother David (Kevin Miles) to try and get his vote. David then meets with John (Ron Graham) to talk things over.
Curator’s notes
The two scenes in this clip draw drama from the conflicting desires of strongly defined characters. Anne Haddy’s skilled performance invests the character Kathy Mason with a compelling mix of world-weariness, loneliness and toughness. She matches David for cunning, switching fluidly from asking him to support her husband, to reasoning with him, accusing him of cowardice, insulting him and then, finally, resorting to blackmail and coldly ending their liaison. The framing of the scene is simple but effective. As Kathy builds to her ultimatum, the characters stand so they are – literally and figuratively – diametrically opposed to each other, with contrasting outlooks.
The scene cuts swiftly to the next to show us that David has quickly recovered his composure. He is only willing to support Kathy’s husband if he can win something from him in return. Kevin Miles impresses with his ability to make David a fascinating character of shifting emotions and allegiances; he is more than simply a scheming villain. He even seems to register a moment of sincere regret, shrugging slightly before telling Kathy, ‘It’s one way to end something’.
