The story of Rude Awakening focuses on Estate Agent Norman Shenley played by the late British
actor Denholm Elliot (left) who is trapped in a recurring nightmare. His
only ally throughout is his attractive secretary Lolly with whom he seems
to be having an affair (shown here with
Norman).At work one morning, a gentleman by the name of Mr. Rayburn asks Norman to perform an appraisal on Lower Moat Manor, a run down old manor house. Norman drives to the house - no one answers the door but it opens. Norman is scared witless when he hears a voice from the dumb waiter telling him that "You shouldn't have done it Norman, You shouldn't have killed your wife". Norman asks when he was supposed to have killed her. The dumb waiter replies "Friday 13th", but Norman argues that he couldn't have because todays the ??th. The suit of armour start to attack him, then he wakes up in bed having a nightmare.
Each morning that Norman goes to work Lolly is dressed up in a different provocative outfit, her appearance drastically different to the last - a punk look, then a schoogirl and a leggy blond. When he tells Lolly of his visits to Lower Moat Manor, she doesn't have a clue what he's talking about, but Norman tells her that the house is there one minute, then its not, his dead wife in the dumb waiter and the steamy moment in the telephone box ! He puts it all down to a bizarre nightmare
During another nightmare he takes Lolly to a block of flats for a building appraisal but they get stuck on the roof when demolition of the building begins. They manage to prise the door open and run down the stairs, but Lolly turns the wrong way and falls to her death down the elevator shaft.
Another great moment is when Norman has to go to hospital for an operation. He's lying on the operating table but he's conscious although the surgeon and his team are not aware. He's pronouced dead and is wheeled to the mortuary, still conscious. The surgeon and his staff slide him into the mortuary freezer then remove their operating masks. Its Mr. Rayburn, Lolly and his wife. They start laughing hysterically.
The nightmares are so real that Norman can't distibguish between dreams and reality. He is obsessed with Lolly and doesn't have a good relationship with his wife. She is constantly nagging him and suspects his affair with Lolly. Norman keeps asking for a divorce, but is this reality or not ?
Norman wakes one morning, completely refreshed and carefree. He suffocates his wife to death and then merrily goes off to work. Lolly is dressed very conservatively compared to her previous appearances and is offended when Norman attempts to kiss her, but he thinks its all and act to tease him. Mr. Rayburn then comes into the estate agents and introduces himself as a police detective. He asks Norman about his wife and if she was alive when he left for work this morning. Norman, believing he is still in a dream, tells Rayburn that he killed her but that this is all a dream and he'll wake up soon and his wife will be there nagging him. Rayburn arrests Norman, but Norman tells him that he can't have killed his wife because its not the ??th, and asks Lolly to confirm todays date.
remaining wording to be added shortly
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| Norman Shenley Denholm Elliot |
Lolly Lucy Gutteridge |
Mr. Rayburn James Laurenson |
Emily Shenley Pat Heywood |
Lady Strudwick Eleanor Summerfield |
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| Dr Melbury Gareth Armstrong |
Maid Patricia Mort |
Production details for Rude Awakening
| Script Gerald Savory |
Director Peter Sasdy |
27th September 1980 (UK ITV)
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| Norman in phone box outside lower moat manor | Norman sees a ghost | Norman on the operating table | Lower Moat Manor | Rayburn as a butler hanging Norman |
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| Norman gets arrested for murder |
Film locations used in Rude AwakeningFinally found Lower Moat Manor !
After many years of wondering where on earth this could be I believe I have discovered the whereabouts of the location used for Lower Moat Manor. Its Scottswood Hill just outside Thame. I've got to make a site visit there to be 100% sure but from the details on an aerial view it certainly looks like its the house. Go here to have a look
Shenley's estate agency was a shop in Great Missenden, near the train station. The shop is now a gentelmens barbers and the shop next door is an estate agents - I wonder if they know !
Greenham Close, London SE1 was the location of the block of flats being demolished (They actually have been). Thanks to Anthony McKay for spotting this location.
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