Jenny Can't Work Any Faster (lost autism movie; 1975)
Status: Lost
Jenny Can't Work Any Faster is a 1975 British television movie starring Pauline Quirke as an autistic teenager. While the movie itself is relatively unknown, it is of interest due to being the first documented British movie with an autistic character.
Plot
Jenny is an autistic teenager. Her father employs her at his own business to help bring her back into the real world. He also hires a young assistant to help out.[1]
Available Information
The British Film Institute (BFI) lists the movie in its archives. They have a camera script, 10 television stills, and 2 articles from TV programming guides, though no video materials.[1] These items are only viewable on-location. Actress Pauline Quirke also mentions the movie in her book Where Have I Gone?[2]
It was produced by Associated Television (ATV), written by David Cooke and directed by Peter Jefferies. Puppeteer Ian Allen also worked on the production.[3]
The earliest known airing date is Monday 8 December, 1975 at 9 p.m., as stated by the Independent Broadcasting Authority annual report 1975-1976[4] and corroborated by the Television & Radio Database[5] and The Financial Times[6]. Combining the listings from these sources, the movie aired in the ITV region London by the franchise holder Thames Television. Based on the time slots it occupies, the movie is around 60 minutes long. In addition, a Radio Times listing gives a cast list[7]. Other than Quirke, actors and actresses of note include Peggy Ann Wood (Mrs Baker), George Costigan (Brian, the young assistant), and James Grout (Robert).
Reportedly, parts of the movie were filmed at the Helen Allison school at The Overcliff, a special education school.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Collections search: BFI: British Film Institute. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150196037
- ↑ Quirke, Pauline (2012). Where Have I Gone? Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://archive.org/details/wherehaveigone0000quir
- ↑ Ian Allen (@IanAllenMrSpoon). Retrieved February 24, 2023 from https://twitter.com/IanAllenMrSpoon/status/1226586441154727942
- ↑ Independent Broadcasting Authority Annual Report and Accounts 1975-76. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Television-&-Radio-ITV/IBA-Annual%20Report-1975-1976.pdf
- ↑ The Television & Radio Database - Listings for Monday, 8th December 1975. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://tvrdb.com/listings/1975-12-08
- ↑ TV/Radio. (1975, December 8). The Financial Times, p 2. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://archive.org/details/FinancialTimes1975UKEnglish/Dec%2008%201975%2C%20Financial%20Times%2C%20%2326839%2C%20UK%20%28en%29/page/n1/mode/2up
- ↑ Radio Times. Retrieved February 28, 2023 from https://web.archive.org/web/20220120151220/https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fe2g8x/jenny-cant-work-any-faster/