Development Michael Winner bought the rights to
The Wicked Lady from
the Rank Organisation and took the film to
Faye Dunaway, who agreed to star in the leading role. Winner then raised financing from
The Cannon Group in February 1982. In March 1982,
John Gielgud and
Alan Bates agreed to star and the budget was set at $15 million. Winner called the film "
Bonnie and Clyde in the 17th century." In May, Dunaway also announced she would make a second film for Cannon,
Duet for One, which would be directed by her then-boyfriend
Terry O'Neill along with
Dede Allen.
Menahem Golan of Cannon said that "stars who would never have worked with us before are now happy to sign. We pay them peanuts — but we give them big percentages. Faye, Alan and John were happy to sign for
The Wicked Lady because they have 50% of the film. And we have small overheads, so they'll get their money." Dunaway said, "I really feel it will be a fun picture. A period romp, it's a mixture between
Bonnie and Clyde and
Tom Jones."
Censorship The film included a scene where Dunaway's character Lady Barbara Skelton has a whip fight with Jackson's Girl (
Marina Sirtis). The British censor insisted this scene be cut before the film was given an X certificate. Winner got various colleagues to watch the film and write letters of protest to the censor in support of the film and the scene. These included Derek Malcolm,
Kingsley Amis,
Lindsay Anderson, and
Fay Weldon. Winner's appeal was successful and the film was released uncut. ==Reception==