narrative_location gosford park
Henry Kenneth Alfred " Ken " Russell ( 3 July 1927  27 November 2011 ) was an English film director , known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style . Critics have accused him of being obsessed with sexuality and the Roman Catholic ___MASK37___ . His films in the main were liberal adaptations of existing texts , or biographies , notably of composers of the Romantic era . Russell began directing for the BBC , where he made creative adaptations of composers ' lives which were unusual for the time . He also directed many feature films independently and for studios . Chancer is a British television serial produced by Central Television for ITV . It tells the story of a likable conman and rogue ( played by Clive Owen ) at the end of the yuppie eighties . There were a total of twenty episodes , split into two series which aired on Tuesdays at 21 : 00 in 1990 and ___MASK1___ . Elizabeth II ( Elizabeth Alexandra Mary ; born 21 April 1926 ) has been Queen of the ___MASK12___ , ___MASK85___ , Australia , and New Zealand since 6 February 1952 . She is Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of 12 countries that have become independent since her accession : Jamaica , ___MASK78___ , the Bahamas , Grenada , Papua New Guinea , Solomon Islands , Tuvalu , Saint Lucia , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Belize , Antigua and Barbuda , and Saint Kitts and Nevis . The Representation of the People Act 1832 ( known informally as the 1832 Reform Act , Great Reform Act or First Reform Act to distinguish it from subsequent Reform Acts ) was an Act of Parliament ( indexed as 2 & 3 Will . IV c . 45 ) that introduced wide - ranging changes to the electoral system of ___MASK65___ and Wales . According to its preamble , the Act was designed to " take effectual Measures for correcting divers Abuses that have long prevailed in the Choice of Members to serve in the Commons House of Parliament ". Before the reform , most members nominally represented boroughs . The number of electors in a borough varied widely , from a dozen or so up to 12 , 000 . Frequently the selection of MPs was effectively controlled by one powerful patron : for example Charles Howard , 11th Duke of Norfolk controlled eleven boroughs . Criteria for qualification for the franchise varied greatly among boroughs , from the requirement to own land , to merely living in a house with a hearth sufficient to boil a pot . Richard St John Harris ( 1 October 1930  25 October 2002 ) was an Irish actor , singer , songwriter , producer , director and writer . He appeared on stage and in many films , appearing as Frank Machin in " This Sporting Life ", and King Arthur in the 1967 film " Camelot " and the subsequent 1981 revival of the show . He played an aristocrat and prisoner in " A Man Called Horse " ( 1970 ), a gunfighter in Clint Eastwood ' s Western film " Unforgiven " ( ___MASK53___ ), Emperor Marcus Aurelius in " Gladiator " ( 2000 ), and Albus Dumbledore in the first two " Harry Potter " films : " the Philosopher ' s Stone " ( 2001 ) and " the Chamber of Secrets " ( 2002 ). Harris had a top ten hit in the ___MASK12___ and United States with his 1968 recording of Jimmy Webb ' s song " MacArthur Park ". The House of Lords of the ___MASK12___ , referred to ceremonially as the House of Peers , is the upper house of the Parliament of the ___MASK12___ . Like the House of Commons , it meets in the Palace of Westminster . Officially , the full name of the house is : " The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the ___MASK12___ of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled ". West Stafford is a village and civil parish in southwest Dorset , ___MASK65___ , situated in the Frome valley east of Dorchester . In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 291 . The village contains the public house ' The Wise Man Inn ', and St Andrew ' s Church . The river Winterbourne runs beside the village and 2 miles south lies the village of West Knighton . Thomas Hardy , when training as an architect , assisted in the design of Talbothays Lodge and the cottages opposite . Sir Michael John Gambon ( born 19 October 1940 ) is an Irish - born English actor who has worked in theatre , television and film . Gambon has played the eponymous mystery writer protagonist in the BBC television serial " The Singing Detective ", Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial " Maigret ", and Professor Albus Dumbledore in the " Harry Potter " films after the death of actor Richard Harris who played the part in the first two Harry Potter films . Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J . K . Rowling ' s " Harry Potter " series . For most of the series , he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts . As part of his backstory , it is revealed that he is the founder and leader of the Order of the ___MASK42___ , an organisation dedicated to fighting Lord Voldemort . In English law , an appropriate adult is a parent , guardian or social worker ; or if no person matching this is available , any responsible person over 18 . The term was introduced as part of the policing reforms in the ___MASK66___ and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and applies in ___MASK65___ and Wales . Emily Margaret Watson , OBE ( born 14 January 1967 ) is an English actress . She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her debut film role as Bess McNeil in Lars von Trier ' s " Breaking the Waves " ( 1996 ) and for her role as Jacqueline du Pré in " Hilary and Jackie " ( 1998 ), winning the BIFA Award for Best Actress for the latter . She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress as Janet Leach for the 2011 ITV television film biopic " Appropriate Adult ". New ___MASK23___ , sometimes referred to as the " American New Wave ", refers to a period in American film history from the mid - to - late 1960s (" Bonnie and Clyde ", " The Graduate ") to the early 1980s (" Heaven ' s Gate ", " One from the Heart ") when a new generation of young filmmakers came to prominence in United States , influencing the types of films produced , their production and marketing , and the way major studios approached film - making . In New ___MASK23___ films , the film director , rather than the studio , took on a key authorial role . " New ___MASK23___ " usually refers to a period of film - making rather than a style of film - making , though it can be referred to as a movement . The films made in this era are stylistically characterized in that their narrative often strongly deviated from classical norms . Georgy Girl is a 1966 British film based on a novel by Margaret Forster . The film was directed by Silvio Narizzano and starred Lynn Redgrave as Georgy , ___MASK62___ Rampling , Alan Bates , and James Mason . The movie also features the well known title song performed by The Seekers . Dame Helen Lydia Mirren ( née Mironoff ; born 26 July 1945 ) is an English actor . Mirren began her acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967 , and is one of the few performers who have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting , having won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2007 , after two previous nominations , for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in " The Queen ". She received an Olivier Award for Best Actress in ___MASK24___ for her West End performance in " The Audience ", in which she also portrayed Elizabeth II , and in 2015 she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her Broadway performance in the play . " The Audience " was written by Peter Morgan , who also wrote " The Queen ". Mirren won three consecutive BAFTA Awards for Best Actress between ___MASK53___ and 1994 and her first of several Emmy Awards in 1996 for her performance as ___MASK66___ detective Jane Tennison on the British television series " Prime Suspect ", which ran for seven seasons between ___MASK1___ and 2006 . Bram Stoker ' s Dracula ( or simply Dracula ) is a ___MASK53___ American romantic horror film directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola , based on the novel " Dracula " by Bram Stoker . It stars Gary Oldman as Count Dracula , Winona Ryder as Mina Harker , Anthony Hopkins as Professor Abraham Van Helsing , and Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker . The Royal Shakespeare Company ( RSC ) is a major British theatre company , based in Stratford - upon - Avon , Warwickshire , ___MASK65___ . The company employs over 1000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford - upon - Avon and plays regularly in London , Newcastle upon Tyne and on tour across the UK and internationally . The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre , more commonly known as the Tony Award , recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre . The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in ___MASK11___ City . The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances , and an award is given for regional theatre . Several discretionary non - competitive awards are also given , including a Special Tony Award , the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre , and the Isabelle Stevenson Award . The awards are named after Antoinette " Tony " Perry , co - founder of the American Theatre Wing . Robert Bernard Altman ( February 20 , 1925  November 20 , 2006 ) was an American film director , screenwriter , and film producer . A five - time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and an enduring figure from the New ___MASK23___ era , Altman was considered a " maverick " in making films with a highly naturalistic but stylized and satirical aesthetic , unlike most ___MASK23___ films . He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in American cinema . Dame Margaret Natalie Smith , ( born 28 December 1934 ), known as Maggie Smith , is an English actress . She has had an extensive , varied career in stage , film and television spanning over sixty years . Smith has appeared in over 50 films and is one of Britain ' s most recognisable actresses . A prominent figure in British culture for six decades , she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for services to the performing arts , and received the Companion of Honour from the Queen in ___MASK15___ for services to drama . Richard E . Grant ( born Richard Grant Esterhuysen ; 5 May 1957 ) is a Swazi - English actor , screenwriter , director and perfumier . He came to public attention in 1987 for playing Withnail in the film " Withnail and I ", and achieved recognition as John Seward in ___MASK53___ ' s " Bram Stoker ' s Dracula ". Sir Alan Arthur Bates , CBE ( 17 February 1934  27 December 2003 ) was an English actor who came to prominence in the 1960s , when he appeared in films ranging from the popular children ' s story " Whistle Down the Wind " to the " kitchen sink " drama " A Kind of Loving ". He is also known for his performance with Anthony Quinn in " Zorba the Greek ", as well as his roles in " King of Hearts ", " Georgy Girl ", " Far From the Madding Crowd " and " The Fixer ", in which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor . In 1969 , he starred in the Ken Russell film " Women in Love " with Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson . The British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC ) is a British public service broadcaster . It is headquartered at Broadcasting House in ___MASK21___ , is the world ' s oldest national broadcasting organisation , and is the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees , with over 20 , 950 staff in total , of whom 16 , 672 are in public sector broadcasting ; including part - time , flexible as well as fixed contract staff , the total number is 35 , 402 . Prime Suspect is a British ___MASK66___ procedural television drama series . It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison , one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater ___MASK21___ ' s Metropolitan Police Service , as she rises to rank of Detective Superintendent whilst confronting the institutionalised sexism that exists within her job . An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside . Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house . This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city  hence , for these people , the term distinguished between town and country . However , the term also encompasses houses that were , and often still are , the full - time residence for the landed gentry that ruled rural Britain until the Reform Act 1832 . Frequently , the formal business of the counties was transacted in these country houses . Jules Amedée François Maigret , simply Jules Maigret or Maigret to most people , including his wife , is a fictional French ___MASK66___ detective , actually a " commissaire " or commissioner of the ___MASK87___ " Brigade Criminelle " ( Direction Régionale de Police Judiciaire de ___MASK87___ ), created by writer Georges Simenon . Julian Alexander Kitchener - Fellowes , Baron Fellowes of West Stafford DL , ( born 17 August 1949 ) is an English actor , novelist , film director and screenwriter , and a Conservative peer of the House of Lords . Fellowes is primarily known as the author of several " Sunday Times " best - seller novels ; for the screenplay for the film " Gosford Park ", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2002 ; and as the creator , writer and executive producer of the critically acclaimed and multiple award - winning ITV series " Downton Abbey " ( 2010  2015 ). Clive Owen ( born 3 October 1964 ) is an English actor who first gained recognition in the ___MASK12___ for playing the lead role in the ITV series " Chancer " from 1990 to 1991 . He then received critical acclaim for his work in the film " Close My Eyes " ( 1991 ) before earning international attention for his performance as a struggling writer in " Croupier " ( 1998 ). In 2005 , he won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the drama " Closer " ( 2004 ). Gosford Park is a 2001 British mystery film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes . The film stars an ensemble cast , which includes Maggie Smith , Michael Gambon , Derek Jacobi , Eileen Atkins , Alan Bates , Richard E . Grant , Helen Mirren , Kristin Scott Thomas , Clive Owen , Emily Watson , Charles Dance , Tom Hollander and Laurence Fox . The story follows a party of wealthy Britons and an American , and their servants , who gather for a shooting weekend at Gosford Park , an English country house . A murder occurs after a dinner party , and the film goes on to present the subsequent investigation from the servants ' and guests ' perspectives . Development on Gosford Park began in 1999 , when Bob Balaban asked Altman if they could develop a film together . Balaban suggested an Agatha Christie - style whodunit and introduced Altman to Julian Fellowes , with whom Balaban had been working on a different project . The film went into production in March 2001 , and began filming at Shepperton Studios with a production budget of $ 19 . 8 million . Gosford Park premiered on 7 November 2001 at the ___MASK21___ Film Festival . It received a limited release across cinemas in the United States in December 2001 , before being widely released in January 2002 by USA Films . It was released in February 2002 in the ___MASK12___ . The film was successful at the box office , grossing over $ 87 million in cinemas worldwide , making it Altman ' s second most successful film after MASH . Widely acclaimed by critics , it received multiple awards and nominations , including seven Academy Award nominations and nine British Academy Film Awards nominations . The TV series Downton Abbey -- written and created by Fellowes -- was originally planned as a spin - off of Gosford Park , but instead was developed as a stand - alone property inspired by the film , set decades earlier . The ___MASK12___ of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the ___MASK12___ ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland , it includes the island of Great Britain ( the name of which is also loosely applied to the whole country ), the north - eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland . Apart from this land border , the UK is surrounded by the ___MASK43___ , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south - south - west , giving it the 12th - longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of , the UK is the 78th - largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th - largest in Europe . It is also the 21st - most populous country , with an estimated 65 . 1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth most densely populated country in the European Union . Withnail and I is a 1987 British black comedy film written and directed by Bruce Robinson . Based on Robinson ' s life in ___MASK21___ in the late 1960s , the plot follows two unemployed young actors , Withnail and " I " ( portrayed by Richard E . Grant and Paul McGann ) who live in a squalid flat in Camden Town in 1969 while squandering their finances on alcohol . Needing a holiday , they obtain the key to a country cottage in the Lake District belonging to Withnail ' s lecherous gay uncle Monty and drive there . The weekend holiday proves less recuperative than they expected .