Get Carter

[[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]]-born [[gangster]] Jack Carter has lived in [[London]] for years in the employ of [[organised crime]] bosses Gerald and Sid Fletcher. Jack is having an affair with Gerald's girlfriend Anna and plans to escape with her to [[South America]]. Before he can, he must return to Newcastle and [[Gateshead]] to attend the funeral of his brother, Frank, who died in a purported drink-driving accident. Jack's bosses warn him not to stir up trouble, as they are friendly with the Newcastle mob. Unsatisfied with the official explanation, Jack investigates for himself. At the funeral, Jack meets his teenage niece Doreen and Frank's evasive mistress, Margaret.

[[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]]-born [[gangster]] Jack Carter has lived in [[London]] for years in the employ of [[organised crime]] bosses Gerald and Sid Fletcher. Jack is having an affair with Gerald's girlfriend Anna and plans to escape with her to [[South America]]. Before he can, he must return to Newcastle and [[Gateshead]] to attend the funeral of his brother, Frank, who died in a purported drink-driving accident. Jack's bosses warn him not to stir up trouble, as they are friendly with the Newcastle mob. Unsatisfied with the official explanation, Jack investigates for himself. At the funeral, Jack meets his teenage niece Doreen and Frank's evasive mistress, Margaret.

Jack goes to [[Newcastle Racecourse]], seeking his old acquaintance Albert Swift for information about his brother's death, but Swift evades him. Jack encounters another old associate, Eric Paice, who refuses to tell Jack who is employing him as a chauffeur. Tailing Eric leads Jack to the [[country house]] of crime boss Cyril Kinnear. Jack confronts Kinnear but learns little from him; he also meets a glamorous drunken woman, Glenda. As Jack leaves, Eric warns him against damaging relations between Kinnear and the Fletchers. Back in Newcastle, Jack is threatened by henchmen who want him to leave town, but he fights them off, capturing and interrogating one to find out who wants him gone. He is told the name "Brumby."

Jack goes to [[Newcastle Racecourse]], seeking his old acquaintance Albert Swift for information about his brother's death, but Swift evades him. Jack encounters another old associate, Eric Paice, who refuses to tell Jack who is employing him as a chauffeur. Tailing Eric leads Jack to the [[country house]] of crime boss Cyril Kinnear. Jack confronts Kinnear but learns little from him; he also meets a glamorous drunken woman, Glenda. As Jack leaves, Eric warns him against damaging relations between Kinnear and the Fletchers. Back in Newcastle, Jack is threatened by henchmen who want him to leave town, but he fights them off, capturing and interrogating one to find out who wants him gone. He is told the name "Brumby".

Jack knows Cliff Brumby as a businessman with controlling interests in local seaside [[amusement arcade]]s. Visiting his house, Jack discovers Brumby knows nothing about him and, believing he has been set up, he leaves. The next morning, two of Jack's London colleagues – Con McCarthy and Peter the Dutchman – arrive, sent by the Fletchers to take him back, but he escapes. Jack meets Margaret to talk about Frank, but the Fletchers' men are waiting and pursue him. He is rescued by Glenda, who takes him in her [[Sunbeam Alpine]] sports car to meet Brumby at his new restaurant development at the top of a [[multi-storey car park]]. Brumby identifies Kinnear as being behind Frank's death, also explaining that Kinnear is trying to take over Brumby's business. He offers Jack £5,000 to kill the crime boss, which he refuses.

Jack knows Cliff Brumby as a businessman with controlling interests in local seaside [[amusement arcade]]s. Visiting his house, Jack discovers Brumby knows nothing about him and, believing he has been set up, he leaves. The next morning, two of Jack's London colleagues – Con McCarthy and Peter the Dutchman – arrive, sent by the Fletchers to take him back, but he escapes. Jack meets Margaret to talk about Frank, but the Fletchers' men are waiting and pursue him. He is rescued by Glenda, who takes him in her [[Sunbeam Alpine]] sports car to meet Brumby at his new restaurant development at the top of a [[multi-storey car park]]. Brumby identifies Kinnear as being behind Frank's death, also explaining that Kinnear is trying to take over Brumby's business. He offers Jack £5,000 to kill the crime boss, which he refuses.

Jack has sex with Glenda at her flat, where he finds and watches a [[pornographic film]] called "Teacher's Pet," in which Doreen is forced to have sex with Albert. The other participants in the film are Glenda and Margaret. Jack becomes enraged and pushes Glenda's head underwater as she is taking a bath. She tells him the film was Kinnear's and that she thinks Doreen was pulled into the production by Eric. Forcing Glenda into the [[Trunk (automobile)|boot]] of her own car, Jack drives off to find Albert.

Jack has sex with Glenda at her flat, where he finds and watches a [[pornographic film]] called "Teacher's Pet", in which Doreen is forced to have sex with Albert. The other participants in the film are Glenda and Margaret. Jack becomes enraged and pushes Glenda's head underwater as she is taking a bath. She tells him the film was Kinnear's and that she thinks Doreen was pulled into the production by Eric. Forcing Glenda into the [[Trunk (automobile)|boot]] of her own car, Jack drives off to find Albert.

Jack tracks down Albert, who confesses he told Brumby that Doreen was Frank's daughter. Brumby showed Frank the film to incite him to call the police on Kinnear, so Eric and two of his men arranged Frank's death. Having extracted this information, Jack fatally stabs Albert. Jack is attacked by the London gangsters and Eric, who has informed Fletcher of Jack and Anna's affair. In the ensuing shootout, Jack kills Peter. As Eric and Con escape, they push the sports car into the river, unaware that Glenda is in the boot. Returning to the car park, Jack finds and beats Brumby before throwing him to his death. He then posts the film to the [[Scotland Yard]] vice squad.

Jack tracks down Albert, who confesses he told Brumby that Doreen was Frank's daughter. Brumby showed Frank the film to incite him to call the police on Kinnear, so Eric and two of his men arranged Frank's death. Having extracted this information, Jack fatally stabs Albert. Jack is attacked by the London gangsters and Eric, who has informed Fletcher of Jack and Anna's affair. In the ensuing shootout, Jack kills Peter. As Eric and Con escape, they push the sports car into the river, unaware that Glenda is in the boot. Returning to the car park, Jack finds and beats Brumby before throwing him to his death. He then posts the film to the [[Scotland Yard]] vice squad.

==Cast==

==Cast==

* [[Michael Caine]] as Jack Carter. [[Mike Hodges]] wrote the screenplay with Ian Hendry in mind for Carter, but learned that [[Michael Klinger (producer)|Michael Klinger]] had already signed up Caine for the role.{{cite book |last=Chibnall |first=Steve |title=Get Carter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b3uW92r5gB0C&pg=PA27 |url-status=live|publisher=I.B.Tauris |date=July 2003 |access-date=5 May 2012 |page=27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224134004/https://books.google.com/books?id=b3uW92r5gB0C&pg=PA27 |archive-date=24 February 2017 |isbn=9781860649103 |df=dmy-all}} With the backing of a major studio, Klinger was keen to secure a big name for the lead, and Caine was very prominent at the time, having starred in ''[[Alfie (1966 film)|Alfie]]'', ''[[The Italian Job]]'' and ''[[The Ipcress File (film)|The Ipcress File]]''. Hodges was surprised that a star of Caine's stature would want to play such a thoroughly unlikeable person as Carter. Giving his reasons for wanting to be involved with the film, the actor said "One of the reasons I wanted to make that picture was my background. In English movies, gangsters were either stupid or funny. I wanted to show that they're neither. Gangsters are not stupid, and they're certainly not very funny". He identified with Carter as a memory of his [[working-class]] upbringing, having friends and family members who were involved in crime{{cite journal |last=Wells |first=Jonathan |title='Get Carter' at 50: The inside story of a British gangster classic |url=https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/get-carter-at-50-inside-story-british-gangster-classic-michael-caine/ |journal=Gentleman's Journal |date=February 2021 |access-date=24 June 2021 |df=dmy-all}} and felt Carter represented a path his life might have taken under different circumstances: "Carter is the dead-end product of my own environment, my childhood; I know him well. He is the ghost of Michael Caine".{{cite book |last=Freedland |first=Michael |title=Michael Caine: A Biography |year=2000 |publisher=Orion |isbn=978-0-7528-3472-6 |page=213}} He made subtle changes to Hodges's depiction of Carter in the script, cut out pleasantries and gave him a cold, hard edge; closer to Lewis's original envisioning of the character. Although he is not credited as such in the film, Caine has been acknowledged in retrospect as a co-producer.{{cite web|title=Get Carter, AFI Catalog of feature films|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=54265|work=AFI Catalog|publisher=AFI|access-date=14 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228205750/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=54265|archive-date=28 December 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} By a strange coincidence, Caine's [[stand-in]] on the film was a man called Jack Carter.

* [[Michael Caine]] as Jack Carter. [[Mike Hodges]] wrote the screenplay with Ian Hendry in mind for Carter, but learned that [[Michael Klinger (producer)|Michael Klinger]] had already signed up Caine for the role.{{cite book |last=Chibnall |first=Steve |title=Get Carter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b3uW92r5gB0C&pg=PA27 |url-status=live|publisher=I.B.Tauris |date=July 2003 |access-date=5 May 2012 |page=27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224134004/https://books.google.com/books?id=b3uW92r5gB0C&pg=PA27 |archive-date=24 February 2017 |isbn=9781860649103 |df=dmy-all}} With the backing of a major studio, Klinger was keen to secure a big name for the lead, and Caine was very prominent at the time, having starred in ''[[Alfie (1966 film)|Alfie]]'', ''[[The Italian Job]]'' and ''[[The Ipcress File (film)|The Ipcress File]]''. Hodges was surprised that a star of Caine's stature would want to play such a thoroughly unlikeable person as Carter. Giving his reasons for wanting to be involved with the film, the actor said: "One of the reasons I wanted to make that picture was my background. In English movies, gangsters were either stupid or funny. I wanted to show that they're neither. Gangsters are not stupid, and they're certainly not very funny". He identified with Carter as a memory of his [[working-class]] upbringing, having friends and family members who were involved in crime{{cite journal |last=Wells |first=Jonathan |title='Get Carter' at 50: The inside story of a British gangster classic |url=https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/get-carter-at-50-inside-story-british-gangster-classic-michael-caine/ |journal=Gentleman's Journal |date=February 2021 |access-date=24 June 2021 |df=dmy-all}} and felt Carter represented a path his life might have taken under different circumstances: "Carter is the dead-end product of my own environment, my childhood; I know him well. He is the ghost of Michael Caine".{{cite book |last=Freedland |first=Michael |title=Michael Caine: A Biography |year=2000 |publisher=Orion |isbn=978-0-7528-3472-6 |page=213}} He made subtle changes to Hodges's depiction of Carter in the script, cut out pleasantries and gave him a cold, hard edge; closer to Lewis's original envisioning of the character. Although he is not credited as such in the film, Caine has been acknowledged in retrospect as a co-producer.{{cite web|title=Get Carter, AFI Catalog of feature films|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=54265|work=AFI Catalog|publisher=AFI|access-date=14 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228205750/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=54265|archive-date=28 December 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} By a strange coincidence, Caine's [[stand-in]] on the film was a man called Jack Carter.

* [[Ian Hendry]] as Eric Paice. Hendry had previously been cast by producer Klinger in [[Roman Polanski]]'s ''[[Repulsion (film)|Repulsion]]'', and was Hodges's first choice to play Carter, but by 1970 his career was rapidly declining. Hendry's [[alcoholism]]{{cite book |last=Chibnall |first=Steve |title=Get Carter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b3uW92r5gB0C&pg=PA29 |url-status=live |publisher=I.B.Tauris |date=July 2003 |page=29 |access-date=5 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111200357/http://books.google.com/books?id=b3uW92r5gB0C&pg=PA29 |archive-date=11 January 2014 |isbn=9781860649103 |df=dmy-all}} and poor physical conditionChibnall, 2003 p. 86 were apparent on set in [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], and his envy at the success of his contemporary Caine was exacerbated by his drinking. Hodges was concerned that the character's physical exertion at the film's climax may have been too much for Hendry, and so he arranged for it to be the first sequence shot as a precaution, so that he would not have to re-shoot the rest of the film if it were necessary to replace Hendry. Hodges and Caine used his animosity towards Caine to their advantage to create extra tension in the scenes between Carter and Paice.Chibnall, pp. 37–38

* [[Ian Hendry]] as Eric Paice. Hendry had previously been cast by producer Klinger in [[Roman Polanski]]'s ''[[Repulsion (film)|Repulsion]]'', and was Hodges's first choice to play Carter, but by 1970 his career was rapidly declining. Hendry's [[alcoholism]]{{cite book |last=Chibnall |first=Steve |title=Get Carter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b3uW92r5gB0C&pg=PA29 |url-status=live |publisher=I.B.Tauris |date=July 2003 |page=29 |access-date=5 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111200357/http://books.google.com/books?id=b3uW92r5gB0C&pg=PA29 |archive-date=11 January 2014 |isbn=9781860649103 |df=dmy-all}} and poor physical conditionChibnall, 2003 p. 86 were apparent on set in [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], and his envy at the success of his contemporary Caine was exacerbated by his drinking. Hodges was concerned that the character's physical exertion at the film's climax may have been too much for Hendry, and so he arranged for it to be the first sequence shot as a precaution, so that he would not have to re-shoot the rest of the film if it were necessary to replace Hendry. Hodges and Caine used his animosity towards Caine to their advantage to create extra tension in the scenes between Carter and Paice.Chibnall, pp. 37–38

* [[John Osborne]] as Cyril Kinnear, Jack's main adversary. Osborne, a famous playwright, was an unusual choice of actor; he was suggested by Hodges's agent.{{cite web|last=Collings|first=Mark|title=Did You Ever Meet Elvis? Get Carter director Mike Hodges on meeting Caine, Ali and Kubrick|url=http://www.sabotagetimes.com/people/did-you-ever-meet-elvis-get-carter-director-mike-hodges-on-meeting-caine-ali-and-kubrick/|work=Jack mag archives, Sabotage Times, 30 December 2010|publisher=Sabotage Times|access-date=14 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111231205407/http://www.sabotagetimes.com/people/did-you-ever-meet-elvis-get-carter-director-mike-hodges-on-meeting-caine-ali-and-kubrick/|archive-date=31 December 2011|url-status=usurped|df=dmy-all}} The writer enjoyed the change, and saw it as a way to erase the image in the public's mind of him as an [[Angry young men|angry young man]]. Osborne had never played card games before and practised poker before the shoot to lend realism to the gambling scene. Osborne's portrayal was a contrast to the description in [[Ted Lewis (writer)|Ted Lewis]]'s novel ''[[Jack's Return Home]]'' of Kinnear as an uncultured, corpulent [[spiv]], giving him an urbane and relaxed demeanour, his delivery being so relaxed and quiet that it was difficult for the [[Production sound mixer|sound recordist]] to pick up, but Hodges liked the "menace in that quietness".{{cite web |last=Collings |first=Mark |title=Did You Ever Meet Elvis? Get Carter director Mike Hodges on meeting Caine, Ali and Kubrick |url=http://www.sabotagetimes.com/people/did-you-ever-meet-elvis-get-carter-director-mike-hodges-on-meeting-caine-ali-and-kubrick/|work=Jack mag archives, Sabotage Times, 30 December 2010|publisher=Sabotage Times|access-date=14 February 2012|quote=Hodges: "The sound man comes up to me and says, "John's too quiet". And I said, "He's come to me like that and that's how I want him". So if you watch that scene I just get closer and closer with the camera to capture that quietness. John was great, there was a lot of menace in that quietness. He made a great villain".|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111231205407/http://www.sabotagetimes.com/people/did-you-ever-meet-elvis-get-carter-director-mike-hodges-on-meeting-caine-ali-and-kubrick/|archive-date=31 December 2011|url-status=usurped|df=dmy-all}}

* [[John Osborne]] as Cyril Kinnear, Jack's main adversary. Osborne, a famous playwright, was an unusual choice of actor; he was suggested by Hodges's agent.{{cite web|last=Collings|first=Mark|title=Did You Ever Meet Elvis? Get Carter director Mike Hodges on meeting Caine, Ali and Kubrick|url=http://www.sabotagetimes.com/people/did-you-ever-meet-elvis-get-carter-director-mike-hodges-on-meeting-caine-ali-and-kubrick/|work=Jack mag archives, Sabotage Times, 30 December 2010|publisher=Sabotage Times|access-date=14 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111231205407/http://www.sabotagetimes.com/people/did-you-ever-meet-elvis-get-carter-director-mike-hodges-on-meeting-caine-ali-and-kubrick/|archive-date=31 December 2011|url-status=usurped|df=dmy-all}} The writer enjoyed the change, and saw it as a way to erase the image in the public's mind of him as an [[Angry young men|angry young man]]. Osborne had never played card games before and practised poker before the shoot to lend realism to the gambling scene. Osborne's portrayal was a contrast to the description in [[Ted Lewis (writer)|Ted Lewis]]'s novel ''[[Jack's Return Home]]'' of Kinnear as an uncultured, corpulent [[spiv]], giving him an urbane and relaxed demeanour, his delivery being so relaxed and quiet that it was difficult for the [[Production sound mixer|sound recordist]] to pick up, but Hodges liked the "menace in that quietness".{{cite web |last=Collings |first=Mark |title=Did You Ever Meet Elvis? Get Carter director Mike Hodges on meeting Caine, Ali and Kubrick |url=http://www.sabotagetimes.com/people/did-you-ever-meet-elvis-get-carter-director-mike-hodges-on-meeting-caine-ali-and-kubrick/|work=Jack mag archives, Sabotage Times, 30 December 2010|publisher=Sabotage Times|access-date=14 February 2012|quote=Hodges: "The sound man comes up to me and says, "John's too quiet". And I said, "He's come to me like that and that's how I want him". So if you watch that scene I just get closer and closer with the camera to capture that quietness. John was great, there was a lot of menace in that quietness. He made a great villain".|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111231205407/http://www.sabotagetimes.com/people/did-you-ever-meet-elvis-get-carter-director-mike-hodges-on-meeting-caine-ali-and-kubrick/|archive-date=31 December 2011|url-status=usurped|df=dmy-all}}