"Masterpiece Theatre" The Ruby in the Smoke (2006)

Director:

Brian Percival

Writers:

Adrian Hodges (screenplay)
Philip Pullman (novel)

TV Series:

"Masterpiece Theatre" (1971)

Original Air Date:

27 December 2006 (Season 36, Episode 10)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

In Victorian England, Sally Lockhart receives an anonymous note sending her on a mysterious quest. Her...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel | Anthology

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Billie Piper	...	Sally Lockhart
Matt Smith	...	Jim Taylor
Sian Thomas	...	Mrs. Rees
Kay Lyon	...	Ellen
Robert Putt	...	Porter
Trevor Cooper	...	Mr. Higgs
Robert Glenister	...	Samuel Selby
Dominic Coleman	...	Jeremiah Blyth
Miles Anderson	...	Major Marchbanks
Tilly Vosburgh	...	Mrs. Thorpe
Chloe Walker	...	Adelaide
Julie Walters	...	Mrs. Holland
JJ Feild	...	Frederick Garland
Ramon Tikaram	...	Maharajah
Matthew Cureton	...	Young Marchbanks
Tom Davey	...	Young Lockhart
Don Gilet	...	Henry Hopkins
David Harewood	...	Matthew Bedwell / Rev Nicholas Bedwell
Kevin John Harvey	...	Seadog (as Kevin Harvey)
Jason Chan	...	Chinese Man
Nathanael Kelly	...	Clerk
Tony Maudsley	...	Mr. Berry
Hayley Atwell	...	Rosa Garland
Pik Sen Lim	...	Madame Sheng (as Pik-Sen Lim)
Julia Joyce	...	Young Sally
Elliot Cowan	...	Hendrick Van Eeden / Ah Ling
Tom Wu	...	Perak
Sandra Maitland	...	Landlady
Dennis Banks	...	Cabbie
Billy Seymour	...	Paddy
Martin Jarvis	...	Voice of Captain Lockhart (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nick Ellison	...	Dock Worker (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian Percival

Writing credits
Adrian Hodges		(screenplay)
Philip Pullman		(novel)

Produced by
Kate Bartlett	....	producer
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH
Matt Harrigan	....	producer
Louise Mutter	....	line producer
Sally Woodward Gentle	....	executive producer
Laura Mackie	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Martin Phipps

Cinematography by
Peter Greenhalgh		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Kristina Hetherington

Casting by
Jill Trevellick

Production Design by
Donal Woods

Art Direction by
Charmian Adams		(supervising art director)
Mark Kebby

Costume Design by
James Keast

Makeup Department
Christina Baker	....	hair designer (as Chrissie Baker)
Christina Baker	....	makeup designer (as Chrissie Baker)
Zoe Brown	....	makeup artist
Ashley Johnson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Alice Greenland	....	post-production supervisor
Crispin Hardy	....	unit manager
Caroline McManus	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Bennett	....	third assistant director
Debbie Bowser	....	first assistant director
Matt Carver	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Danny Clements	....	stand-by props (as Dan Clements)
Cathy Cosgrove	....	property buyer
Steve Deane	....	carpenter supervisor
Andrew Forrest	....	stand-by props (as Andy Forrest)
Andy Fox	....	stand-by carpenter
Barry Moll	....	construction manager
Paddy Paddison	....	stand-by art director
Mike Power	....	property master
Mike Rawlings	....	dressing props
Lucy Spofforth	....	art department runner
Nick Wood	....	painter supervisor (as Nick Woods)

Sound Department
Chris Ashworth	....	sound recordist
Rory Farnan	....	dialogue editor (as Rory Farnam)
Steve Hancock	....	sound maintenance
Graham Headicar	....	supervising sound editor
Stuart Hilliker	....	dubbing mixer
Mike Reardon	....	sound maintenance
Colin Cooper	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Mark Holt	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
James Cattell	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Joe Cork	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Kelly Lindsay	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Rus Wetherell	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Max Wright	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Gary Connery	....	stunt coordinator
Wayne Docksey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rowley Irlam	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Charles Jarman	....	stunt double: David Harewood (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Andy Bell	....	electrician
Alan Coates	....	electrician
Adam Coles	....	focus puller
Stewart Hadley	....	rigging gaffer
Andrew Lawrence	....	camera assistant
Alan Martin	....	gaffer
Keith Mead	....	grip
Dean Murray	....	clapper loader
Steve Murray	....	camera operator
Ricky Payne	....	electrician
Michael Redmond	....	stand-by rigger
Rob Walton	....	electrician
Mike Rees	....	second focus puller (uncredited)

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
David Allen	....	costume stand-by
Lorraine Boyle	....	costume assistant
Rob Brown	....	wardrobe assistant
Sarah Moore	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Chris Beeton	....	colorist
Phillippa Hunt	....	post-production coordinator (as Philippa Hunt)
Amar Ingreji	....	assistant editor
Mike Williams	....	on-line editor (as Michael Williams)

Music Department
Steve Parr	....	score recordist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gerry 'Haggis' Bryson	....	driver: camera truck (as Gerry Bryson)
Simon Jones	....	driver: director (uncredited)

Other crew
Katie Clifford	....	production runner
Camilla Curtis	....	production secretary
Matt Curtis	....	graphics
Elizabeth Duplock	....	assistant to producer
Zoë Edwards	....	production coordinator (as Zoe Edwards)
Judy Gayton	....	script supervisor
Glyn Harper	....	floor runner
Tamara King	....	floor runner
Tim Leith	....	picture publicity
Una Maguire	....	publicist
Kevin McSweeney	....	production accountant
Duy Nguyen	....	production office coordinator
Ken Payne	....	assistant accountant
Thalia Reynolds	....	artists contracts
Martyn Richmond	....	floor runner
Gordon Ronald	....	production consultant
Caroline Skinner	....	script editor
Jonathan Wicks	....	location manager
Jack Murphy	....	movement coach (uncredited)

Produced by
Steven Ashley	....	senior producer
Stanford Calderwood	....	executive producer
Joan Sullivan	....	producer
Joan Wilson	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert W. Lowden

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ann M. Houlihan	....	assistant director

Editorial Department
Kathleen Cahill	....	senior editor
Erin Delaney	....	post-production director

Other crew
Johanna Baker	....	publicist
Ellen Dockser	....	publicist
Jennifer Frankel	....	production assistant
Deborah Gibbs	....	business manager
Jami Rogers	....	office coordinator

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• WGBH

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2006) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Eén (2008) (Belgium) (TV)

Other Companies

• 10 Twenty Two Casting  extras casting
• Boom  sound post-production
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Media Services  stationery supplier

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Filming Locations:

Bluebell Railway, West Sussex, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Quotes:

[Mr Berry has just stolen the clue to the treasure from Sally]
Mrs. Holland: Oooh, Mr Berry. This calls for a celebration. There's gin in the cupboard.
Mr Berry: I signed the Pledge in Dartmoor, Mrs Holland. Alcohol is the cause of madness, hallucinations, softness of the brain and moral decay.
Mrs. Holland: I think the damage is already done in your case.
Mr Berry: Yeah, I was *formerly* very wicked - but I intend to lead a good life from now on.
Mrs. Holland: Always excepting the odd murder or two.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Shadow in the North (2007) (TV)

A bit disappointing

I haven't read "The Ruby in the Smoke" which probably explains my reaction to this film. Anyway, for the other uninitiated amongst you, this is the basic plot - young Sally Lockhart (Billie Piper) is living with her aunt after her father's ship sank. It turns out there is more to this death than it seems, as Sally receives a cryptic note, eventually leading her to a man named Marchbanks who gives her a notebook and tells her she has an enemy called Mrs Holland (Julie Walters, at her villainous best). This leads Sally through a maze of clues and memories, finding out the fate of her father and the truth of her own origins, and the truth of the elusive eponymous ruby.

I feel this would have done very well as a television series, but as a film it merely felt rushed. The characters introduced promised to be interesting, but weren't really properly developed, and I had trouble keeping up with all the twists in the plot, which were rushed by in seconds. Sally seemed like a fascinating character, but her character development was left to a few scenes of her standing up to her aunt and demonstrating her ability for dealing with figures. This left the film feeling somewhat sterile - more of a puzzle than a story.