The Canterbury Tales (1972): Cast, Box Office & Plot
The Canterbury Tales is a 1972 comedy starring Pier Paolo Pasolini as Geoffrey Chaucer, George Bethell Datch and Hugh Griffith. It runs 1 hour 51 minutes and earned $9,028 worldwide.
Italian What Is The Canterbury Tales About?
The premise of The Canterbury Tales without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
From the creators of “Decameron”, this lively film presents Geoffrey Chaucer’s most risqué tales of medieval England. It intersperses brief dramatized glimpses of Chaucer himself penning his famous work with vivid re‑enactments of several bawdy stories, capturing the humor and romance of the era.
The Canterbury Tales Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- strong sexual content
- male full frontal nudity
- explicit nudity
- anal sex
- male nudity
- male frontal nudity
- female full frontal nudity
- public urination
- handjob
- urinating on someone
- second in trilogy
- surrealism
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- dante's inferno
- stabbed to death
- poison
- friar
- defecation
- gay sex
- burned alive
- male rear nudity
- erotica
- gay character
- urination
- italian sex comedy
- doggy style sex
- horseback riding
- wedding crasher
- seduction
- pilgrims
- carpenter
- infidelity
- both sex nudity
- devil character
- taken to hell
- bedridden man
- fart
- male urinating
- anthology
- historical event
- christianity
- menage a trois
- dominatrix
- female rear nudity
- priest having sex with a woman
- artistic creation
- 14th century
- costume drama
- sex dramedy
- flour mill
- griddlecake
The Canterbury Tales Cast & Characters
Pier Paolo Pasolini leads the cast as Geoffrey Chaucer, with George Bethell Datch as Host of the Tabard and Hugh Griffith as Sir January.
- Pier Paolo Pasolini as Geoffrey Chaucer
- George Bethell Datch as Host of the Tabard
-
Hugh Griffith as Sir January - Peter McGregor as The Merchant (uncredited)
Also Starring in The Canterbury Tales
· 74 more- Josephine Chaplin May
- Giuseppe Arrigio Pluto / The God
- Nicholas Smith Friar
- John Francis Lane Greedy Friar
- Franco Citti Devil
- Ninetto Davoli Perkin
- J.P. Van Dyne The Cook
- Dan Thomas Nicholas
- Jenny Runacre Alison
- Eamann Howell John
- Martin Philips Martin (uncredited)
- Laura Betti The Wife from Bath
- Anita Sanders Thomas' Wife (uncredited)
- Tom Baker Jenkin
- Eileen King Simkin's Wife
- Patrick Duffett Alan
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- Tiziano Longo Simkin the Miller
- Heather Johnson Molly
- Derek Deadman The Pardoner
- Phil Davis 2nd Homosexual Lover (uncredited)
- Vernon Dobtcheff The Franklin
- Michael Balfour The Carpenter
- Francis de Wolff The Bride's Father (uncredited)
- Robin Askwith Rufus
- Vittorio Fanfoni
- Alan Webb Old Man
- Patrick Newell Prior (uncredited)
- Willoughby Goddard Placebo
- Mary Stuart Priest (uncredited)
- Karl Howman 1st Homosexual Lover (uncredited)
- John McLaren Johnny the Grace
- David Hatton Poor Homosexual (uncredited)
- Peter Stephens Justinus
- Franca Sciutto
- Richard Hughes Administrator (uncredited)
- Adrian Street Fighter
- Stephen Calcutt The Groom (uncredited)
- Elisabetta Genovese Prosperine
- Anthony Moore The Spy (uncredited)
- Orla Pederson Pilgrim
- Chris Greener Sir Elephant (uncredited)
- Selwyn Roberts The Knight (uncredited)
- Athol Coats Rich Homosexual
- Charles De la Tour Inn-keeper (uncredited)
- Oscar Fochetti May's Lover
- Norman McGlen Perkin's Father (uncredited)
- Peter Cain Absalom
- Daniele Buckler Pilgrim
- Settimo Castagna Angel
- Judy Stewart-Murray Alice
- Gordon King Chancellor
- Martin Whelar Jack the Justice
- Edward Monteith Dick the Sparrow
- Leonard S. Brooks Businessman (uncredited)
- Michael Derrek Robin (uncredited)
- Andrew Dymock Bill (uncredited)
- V. Edwards The Old Woman (uncredited)
- Dorothy Everall Perkin's Mother (uncredited)
- Diana Fisher The Bride (uncredited)
- Judo Al Hayes Fighter (uncredited)
- Terry Hooper L'Allodoliere (uncredited)
- Robert Brook Howard Vicar of the Monestary (uncredited)
- Laurie Inch Mary (uncredited)
- Charlotte Kell The Prioress (uncredited)
- Pinky Martin The Nun (uncredited)
- Alan McConnell Master Gervaso (uncredited)
- Hugh McKenzie-Bailey Thomas (uncredited)
- Roderick McLeod Knight's Attendant (uncredited)
- Ken Muggleston Doctor (uncredited)
- Ray Parks Sergeant (uncredited)
- Marc Sinclair Ensemble (uncredited)
- Reg Stuart 4th Husband (uncredited)
- Steve Whitton Youth without Name (uncredited)
- Kervin Breen
The Canterbury Tales Plot Summary
What happens in The Canterbury Tales from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 10 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 7-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Set in medieval England, the film weaves together the daily lives of peasants, nobles, clergy, and even demons, while punctuating the narrative with brief glimpses into Geoffrey Chaucer’s world and the seeds of the Canterbury Tales. The frame is anchored by Chaucer, Pier Paolo Pasolini, as the storyteller who gathers travelers at the Tabard inn and, between interruptions and exchanges, opens his book to record a sequence of interlinked, stand-alone tales rather than a single mosaic of pilgrim-led stories.
Full summary
The whole story of The Canterbury Tales, scene by scene
The Canterbury Tales Box Office
The Canterbury Tales grossed $9,028 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$9K
- International
- $8.4K
The Canterbury Tales Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Canterbury Tales.
How Well Do You Know The Canterbury Tales?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who serves as the storyteller who gathers the pilgrims at the Tabard Inn?
The Canterbury Tales Also Known As
18 alternative titles, including “Canterbury Mesék” and “Pasolinis tolldreiste Geschichten”.
- Also known as
-
- Canterbury Mesék
- Pasolinis tolldreiste Geschichten
- Les Contes de Canterbury
- Los cuentos de Canterbury
- 坎特伯雷故事集
- Canterburské povídky
- Кентерберийские рассказы
- Os Contos de Canterbury
- Οι θρύλοι του Καντέρμπουρι
- Canterbury Öyküleri
- Opowieści kanterberyjskie
- Кентърбърийски разкази
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- Кентерберійські оповідання
- 캔터베리 이야기, კენტერბერული მოთხრობები
- カンタベリー物語
- Els contes de Canterbury
- Poveștile Canterbury
- Kenterberio pasakojimai
Seen The Canterbury Tales?
Movies Like The Canterbury Tales
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Tales of Canterbury, More Sexy Canterbury Tales and The Thousand and One Nights of Boccaccio in Canterbury.
The Canterbury Tales FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of The Canterbury Tales, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales runs 1 hour 51 minutes (111 minutes).
When was The Canterbury Tales released?
The Canterbury Tales was released on July 2, 1972.
Who is in the cast of The Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales stars Pier Paolo Pasolini as Geoffrey Chaucer, George Bethell Datch as Host of the Tabard and Hugh Griffith as Sir January, among 78 credited actors.
How much did The Canterbury Tales make at the box office?
The Canterbury Tales grossed $9,028 worldwide.
Does The Canterbury Tales have a post-credit scene?
No. The Canterbury Tales has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is The Canterbury Tales in?
The original language of The Canterbury Tales is Italian.
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