British Universities Film & Video Council

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Beast with Two Backs, A

Synopsis
Dennis Potter’s television drama. The story tells of an Italian showman and his dancing bear arriving in the neighbourhood at the same time a violent attack occurs. The scapegoats are the bear and a simple-minded villager. Some critics perceive striking echoes with Sam Peckinpah’s film STRAW DOGS, released three years later, but Potter’s focus is not on deliverance through machismo, but on the destructiveness of religious and sexual guilt and hypocrisy. With Patrick Barr, Dennis Carey. [71 minutes].
Series
Wednesday Play, The
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Year of release
2015
Year of production
1968
Notes
First shown BBC 1 20th November 1968.
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
television drama

Credits

Director
Lionel Harris
Producer
Patrick Barr (3)
Cinematographer
Ken Westbury
Writer
Dennis Potter

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Online Retailer

Name

BBC Store

Web
https://store.bbc.com/ External site opens in new window
Notes
NB. From May 2017 programmes are no longer available to buy on BBC Store. From November 1st 2017 the store will close completely and programmes bought from BBC Store will no longer be available to watch. Customers who have bought items from BBC Store will be contacted by email and refunded for their purchases either by full cash refund or Amazon video vouchers.

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