The Portable Phonograph (1977)

Plot Summary

An adaptation of the short story of the same title by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, in which four men who have survived a catastrophic war share memories of their past lives and a civilization which no longer exists. Here, a vintage recording of Debussy's Nocturne played by Walter Gieseking becomes the vehicle by which four lovers of the humanities hover together in a cold post-apocalyptic shack of sandbags to mourn weekly over lost art and loves gone by. Barnes, who must be considered among the greatest filmmakers ever to work in the educational world, forcibly illustrates, through flashback sequences and close-up shots, how the humanities --- music, painting, literature, and theatre --- are perhaps the most enriching of all human endeavors. Their ultimate and devastating loss may have never before or since been shown with such terrifying passion.

Full Cast & Characters

Michael Gwynn

The Music Lover

William Squire

The Actor

Philip Locke

The Book Lover

David Buck

The Musician

Director & Crew

Where to Watch The Portable Phonograph Online

Frequently Asked Questions