The Chain (1984 film)

The Chain
The Chain
Directed by	Jack Gold
Written by	Jack Rosenthal
Produced by	Victor Glynn
Starring	Maurice Denham,; Nigel Hawthorne,; Denis Lawson,; Leo McKern,; Warren Mitchell,; Rita Wolf
Cinematography	Wolfgang Suschitzky
Edited by	Bill Blunden
Music by	Stanley Myers
Distributed by	Film Four International; Rank Organisation
Release date	1984;
Running time	100 min
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£1.15 million

The Chain is a 1984 British comedy drama film written by Jack Rosenthal directed by Jack Gold. It stars Maurice Denham, Nigel Hawthorne, Denis Lawson and Leo McKern. The film was produced and distributed by Film Four International.^[2] In 1994, a spin-off television series, Moving Story, was made for ITV in which Warren Clarke played the part of Bamber.

The theme tune is sung by Barbara Dickson. The opening dialogue is sampled on "V. Thirteen" by Big Audio Dynamite; "Good morning, Sodom and Gomorrah, Good morning, sinners, No, that wasn't your radio set on the blink again".^[3]

^ "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 20.
^ Punch - Volume 288, Part 2 - Page 57 1985 - If the Turkish baths can be construed as a sort of metaphor for Britain today, then The Chain (PC, Odeon Haymarket) may also be ... In fact, we know it's a rather more serious business because we're told so by Warren Mitchell as leader of a splendidly glum quartet of removal men who are deeply into Socratic philosophy. It's the chain of life, no less. The film, while inspired on occasion - Nigel Hawthorne as the sort of husband who removes all the fixtures and Anna Massey as his extremely long-suffering wife, are hilarious - is inevitably episodic and those episodes often become plodding under Jack Gold's less-than-dazzling direction. If Steaming remains theatre, The Chain appears resolutely strung-out TV sitcom.
^ "Big Audio Dynamite – V. Thirteen Lyrics | Genius Lyrics".

[org-1] "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 20.

[2] Punch - Volume 288, Part 2 - Page 57 1985 - If the Turkish baths can be construed as a sort of metaphor for Britain today, then The Chain (PC, Odeon Haymarket) may also be ... In fact, we know it's a rather more serious business because we're told so by Warren Mitchell as leader of a splendidly glum quartet of removal men who are deeply into Socratic philosophy. It's the chain of life, no less. The film, while inspired on occasion - Nigel Hawthorne as the sort of husband who removes all the fixtures and Anna Massey as his extremely long-suffering wife, are hilarious - is inevitably episodic and those episodes often become plodding under Jack Gold's less-than-dazzling direction. If Steaming remains theatre, The Chain appears resolutely strung-out TV sitcom.

[3] "Big Audio Dynamite – V. Thirteen Lyrics | Genius Lyrics".

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