A Taste of Honey

Synopsis: Black and white, gay and straight, mothers and daughters, class, and coming of age. Jo is working class, in her teens, living with her drunk and libidinous mother in northern England. When mom marries impulsively, Jo is out on the streets; she and Geoffrey, a gay co worker who's adrift himself, find a room together. Then Jo finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with Jimmy, a Black sailor. Geoffrey takes over the preparations for the baby's birth, and becomes, in effect, the child's father. The three of them seem to have things sorted out when Jo's mother reappears on the scene, assertive and domineering. Which "family" will emerge?
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Tony Richardson
Production: Westchester Films
  Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.6
Rotten Tomatoes:
88%
NOT RATED
Year:
1961
101 min
3,929 Views


Go on, go on!

Come on, Jo, come on!

Come on, move with the ball!

That's it, up, come on, jump!

Don't let it drop into your hands, jump!

Go for it, Jo, come on!

That's right, go on.

Oh, come on, Jo,

pull yourself together!

Move with it!

You're not much good at netball,

are you, Jo?

No, lm bad on purpose.

- Are you going dancing tonight?

- I can't.

You never go anywhere, do you?

I haven't got any clothes to wear,

for one thing.

- And for another...

- What?

We might be moving home again.

Like gypsies, you and your mother.

So what?

Don't think it's the first time lve heard you

and your men friends here in the afternoon.

This is a respectable house

and I mean to keep it that way.

I warned you when you first came,

no gentlemen and pay regular.

You owe me two months' rent.

If I don't have it by tomorrow, you're out!

I don't want any more of your fancy men

coming in here.

- And that's my last word!

- Oh, shut up, you'll get your rent.

Suppose that means another flit?

She's always glued to television at tea time.

We can slip out that window.

Now, come on, hurry up!

Be a bit useful for a change.

Now, come on, hurry up!

Now, come on, hurry up, keep quiet!

Come on!

# Oh, the big ship sails

on the alley-alley-o

# The alley-alley-o, the alley-alley-o

# Oh, the big ship sails

on the alley-alley-o

# On the last day of September

# The captain said

it would never never do

# Never never do, never never do

# The captain said

it would never never do

# On the last day of September

# We dipped our heads

in the deep blue sea

# The deep blue sea, the deep blue sea

# We dipped our heads

in the deep blue sea

# On the last day of September

# Oh, the big ship sails

on the alley-alley-o

# The alley-alley-o, the alley-alley-o

# Oh, the big ship sails

on the alley-alley-o

# On the last day of September

# Oh, the big ship sails

on the alley-alley-o #

Come on, hurry up.

Hurry up, Jo. Can you manage? Hurry up.

- Let me give you a hand.

- Thanks very much.

Its up here.

Oh, she's so stupid!

She's getting bone lazy, that girl.

Thanks very much. Ta-ra.

See ya.

- This the bedroom?

- Well, what do you think?

Sharing a bed again, I see.

I can't bear to be parted from you

for a minute

What I wouldn't give

for a room of me own.

Oh, isn't that awful?

Well, don't look at it, then.

I do hate to see an unshaded light bulb

dangling from the ceiling like that.

- Ooh! God, it's hot!

- Oh, you do get on my nerves!

Why can't you leave things alone?

- I can get a proper shade tomorrow.

- What makes you think we'll live that long?

The roof's leaking.

No, it's not, it's condensation.

Make me a cup of coffee, love, I feel rotten.

Every time I move me head

me eyeballs hurt.

- Where's the kitchen?

- Its along the corridor. Ooh...

D'you know, I think lve got

more than a cold. I think it's flu.

Why should I run after you?

Because children owe their parents

these little attentions!

Which knob do I turn?

Switch 'em all on, you're bound

to find the right one in the end.

And mind you don't gas yourself.

Oh, the way you bang about!

- Where's the coffee?

- Er... it's in the brown suitcase.

I was thinking of washing me hair tonight

but I don't think ld better with this cold.

Oh, do hurry up, love,

lve got to meet Peter.

Who's Peter?

- Now, don't get into any mischief, Gladys.

- Oh, go on!

Cheeky monkey!

# Why does he follow me about

# And wait up for me when it's my night out?

# Why? Because he loves me

# Why does he help me shell the peas

and stick the fork in the sausages?

# Why? Because he loves me

# And when he's got lumbago

in his back lve got

# To make him poultices, all nice and hot

# Why does he smile with never a frown?

# If it gets too hard it slips right down

# Why? Because he loves me #

More!

Oh, no, go on!

# Why when his wife gives me the sack

# He throws her out and he takes me back

# Why? Because he loves me

# Why does his wife wear bits of string

# While I wear garters with diamonds in?

# Why? Because he loves me

# I have to lather him each morning

when he shaves

# I piles the lather on in little waves

# Why does he sit in his chair and blush

# When I tickle his chin with a lather brush?

# Why? Because he loves me #

Oh, shut up!

Give over!

Oh, no.

- Buzz off, love, I don't feel like it.

- Hey, hey, hey, hey.

What's the little lady want,

an engagement ring?

I always accept the odd diamond ring

with pleasure.

- Who's that?

- Its me daughter.

- Hello, then.

- What's this one called?

Oh, go to bed, go on!

- Are you coming?

- Not yet.

Then lll wait for you.

Is she always like this?

- She's jealous.

- That's something I didn't bargain for.

- She ought to be in bed.

- I know.

Shall I retire

while you kiss her good night?

Lll kiss you good night, young lady!

Look after your mother while she's ailing.

You know how fragile these old ladies are.

Oh, buzz off!

Ooh, he's a noisy beggar, that one.

What's that bed like?

Like a coffin, only half as comfortable.

Its where we all end up in the end.

Oh, now, come on, Jo, get that light off

and let's get to bed.

- Aren't we going to clear this luggage up?

- Oh, it'll look all right in the dark.

Yeah, it's seen at its best, this room,

in the dark.

Everything's seen at its best in the dark.

Even me.

I can't understand

why you're so frightened of it.

Its not the darkness outside

lm frightened of.

Its the darkness inside houses I don't like.

Hey, Jo, what would you do if I told you

I was thinking of getting married again?

Ld have you locked up in an institution

right away.

- You're up early.

- Its a long way from here to school.

Not for much longer, thank God.

Only a few more days.

You're still set on leaving, then.

What are you going to do?

Get out of your sight as soon as possible.

Get a bit of money in me pocket.

Well, it's your life, ruin it your own way.

Takes me all me time to look after meself.

- Here, love, you've forgotten this... Oh.

- Give those to me!

- Oh, I say.

- Leave them alone, lll pick them up.

- Have you done these?

- Yes.

Oh, I didn't realise ld got

such a talented daughter.

Lm not just talented, lm geniused.

What's these?

Self-portraits. Oh, give 'em here.

I suppose you've got to draw yourself,

nobody else'd draw you.

Hey! Is that supposed to be me?

Yes.

Don't I look a proper misery?

Still, it's very artistic, in't it?

Tell me, Jo, have you ever thought of taking

it up properly and going to art school?

Lve had enough of schools.

Too many different schools

in too many different places.

Well, I think you're wasting yourself, I do.

So long as I don't waste anybody else.

Anyway, why are you so suddenly

interested in me?

You never cared much before.

I know. Lm a cruel, wicked mother

"The voice I hear this passing night

was heard

"In ancient days by emperor and clown:

"Perhaps the selfsame song

that found a path

"Through the sad heart of Ruth,

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Shelagh Delaney

Shelagh Delaney, FRSL (; 25 November 1938 – 20 November 2011) was an English dramatist and screenwriter, best known for her debut work, A Taste of Honey (1958). more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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