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Mrs. Henderson Presents the acting legend Judy Dench
Dame Judy Dench is one of the world’s most respected actors, yet despite her awards and wealth, the 71-year-old Dench shows no signs of slowing down.
With films already slated for next year in the works, earlier this year Dench was seen in Charles Dance’s Ladies in Lavender opposite Dame Maggie Smith. More recently, Dench’s played Lady Catherine de Bourg in the pathetic new version of Pride and Prejudice. While Dench’s small role in the Jane Austen adaptation was the best thing about the film, fortunately filmgoers can now get a grand dose of the dame in Stephen Frears’ Mrs. Henderson Presents.
The third collaboration between Frears and Dench (Going Gently; Saigon – Year of the Cat), Mrs. Henderson Presents is a historically based film about Mrs. Laura Henderson, an English woman of wealth and connections changed English theater history.
It is 1937 and Henderson has just buried her husband. Rather than unwind her lonely life away with idle chatter and occupation, the 69-year-old widow decides to forgo another husband and open the Windmill Theatre.
Henderson knows nothing about running a theater so she hires Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins). A serious nuts and bolts man, Van Damm’s personality would often clash with Mrs. Henderson’s sense of self-entitlement. But the show does go on.
After a successful initial run, the Windmill hits a slump. As the approaching Second World War is about to befall Europe it is more important than ever for Mrs. Henderson to keep the curtains raised. And what better way to keep things afloat than with a little nudity? Thus the Windmill Theatre makes English history by putting naked girls on stage. The censors are not amused and threaten to close the theater down, but Mrs. Henderson will have none of that.
Born in York in Dec. 09, 1934, Dench attended Mount School in York. She studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama and has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and at Old Vic Theatre. She is a five-time BAFTA winner. She received an ACE Award. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1970, and was created Dame of Order of the British Empire in 1988. Her 30-year marriage to actor Michael Williams ended with his death in 2001.
I recently caught up with Dench in Los Angeles to talk to her about the film, censorship and noblesse oblige.
What attracted you to the role of Mrs. Henderson?
I didn’t read it first. I was told the story. Having been told the story, I thought she was irresistible. I also thought the story was worth telling because everyone in Britain knows about the Windmill but nobody actually knew about her. They knew about Van Damm but the whole way the theater came to be is a story that so very few people knew.
What do you think you have in common with her?
Oh, I don’t ever do that. I’m sure there are many things I have to draw on. I find out what she’s like and what drives her and somehow you just have to use your own experiences to get into her shoes. I suppose the whole business of being widowed suddenly and having lots of energy and I’m using that energy up. I can understand that. I don’t think I’m like her; Bob [Hoskins] will tell you that I’m exactly like her.
In what ways does he say you are like her?
He says she’s fearless and that she’s an absolute cow [she laughs]. I’m not fearless; but I hope I’m not the other, but I might be.
You may not be fearless but there is some formidableness to you.
No. I know people say that but that’s really not my bag.
The film covers an era when “society” is uptight about nudity while nations plan for war. What do you think that says about our times?
I don’t know. It was an incredible daring thing to do at that time because Lord Chamberlain censored every single script. This theater was an incredibly rare thing to happen. When I came into the theater in 1957 Lord Chamberlain was still there and he was there until the mid-1960s. Then when he left everything suddenly burst out. You can do anything in the theater now or on film or television. The nudity had to be in this film because that’s what the story is about, but I don’t think in any way it’s gratuitous. Very often now you see sex or nudity or violence that is gratuitous.
The reason why Laura Henderson is successful in her mission has a lot to do with her power and her money. Do you think there’s a certain responsibility the powerful have to promote the arts?
The arts is much more important than really gives it credence. It’s vital and we need it. We’re always going on about subsidy in Britain, and you look at some country like Germany that has so many theaters, all of which are subsidized. Our subsidies are going out the window. It’s always being cut down.
Laura Henderson is a rebel. Have you done such things in your own life?
I’ve fought causes and I think that’s right, to stick to your guns about something.
There is Oscar buzz surrounding your performance. What do you think about that?
It is speculation and the speculation goes on and on about lots and lots of people. I think it’s rather dangerous to have it said about you. It’s like having good notices in the theater. The second night everybody comes, the audience actually removes themselves a pace or two. And nothing could add to the fantastic time we had doing this film.
What kind of credence do you give these awards?
Well, the thing about awards is it’s a person’s point of view. It’s extremely nice to get them, but it’s hard to understand.
Is there anyone you want to work with that you have not yet?
Ed Harris. I think he’s a wonderful actor.
Directors?
Martin Scorsese. He is so very delightful. I really only want to work with people who’ve got a sense a humor. I don’t like to do anything that is so deadly serious that we forget how absurd we are.
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