Oregon Movies, A to Z

The sixth Merchant Ivory production made in India explores the collision of East and West via one simple question – who’s in charge here?

From the San Francisco Film Society website:

Georgie, the Maharajah, has a priceless collection of Indian miniature paintings rotting away in his storeroom. They are invaluable to him only as reminders of his heritage. On the other hand, his sister Bonnie is only concerned with selling them….Suddenly three quite different art dealers struggle in keen and devious rivalry to get the pictures away from Georgie and Bonnie. Miss Jhabvala’s witty writing is greatly enhanced by all the performances, particularly Dame Peggy Ashcroft as the tweedy noblewoman, Saeed Jaffrey as a venal Indian art dealer, and Clarke Haven as a young American millionaire sans noblesse. To add to the fun, there is even a rampant ghost.

This is one of my favorite Merchant Ivory films. Clark Haven plays (I believe) a thinly veiled version of James Ivory himself. Aparna Sen is amazing as the sheltered princess who seethes and smokes – and who is just as trapped as the pictures she would love to steal. The above still is in black & white, but Walter Lassally’s color photography in Hullaballoo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures is worth the price of admission alone.

I hereby claim Hullaballoo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures as an Oregon film, on the basis of James Ivory’s contribution as director.