Watching Three Cases Of Murder - a truly awful 1955 film - it dawns that often those "geniuses" of past years like Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier were not always as brilliant as they seemed at the time. Orson's performance in this was quite shockingly dreadful.

Like Larry - a Dorking bloke - in The Jazz Singer?

I hated The Jazz Singer with Olivier playing a Jewish rabbi exactly as he played a Nazi in Marathon Man!

Surprisingly, these two actors - arguably the best ever - won only a few Oscars.

OW for a best screenplay, and an honorary one. LO - 70 years ago, for Hamlet; best actor.

And the movie won best picture.


Politics maybe...

I have never particularly liked Laurence Olivier in film roles and have never understood why he was supposed to be so much better than other leading actors. He also doesn't seem to have been a particularly pleasant person. I came across interviews on YouTube some time ago with actors who had worked with Marilyn Monroe: Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum and Laurence Olivier. They were speaking about what she was like. They were all positive, apart from Olivier, who made her the butt of a joke that made her out to be stupid. It's a Jewish joke I have heard before, about matzo balls, perhaps some here have heard it too. Basically, someone is served a bowl of matzo ball soup and asks the waiter/chef/host, etc. if they serve any other part of the matzo. In this case, Olivier told the joke as if it was a real incident involving Marilyn Monroe. I had heard before that he didn't like working with her on The Prince and the Showgirl because she stole his thunder. What he said in the interview certainly suggested that he wanted to set himself above her, even after her death.

JK2006 wrote:
I hated The Jazz Singer with Olivier playing a Jewish rabbi exactly as he played a Nazi in Marathon Man!

I always thought he over-acted. Perhaps a product of his era but surely not the "greatest " actor of all time.

## Brush With Fame Moment #99: met Olivier when a pal took me to a party in Brighton at the rather large house of Robyn Maugham. They were neighbors. It was a very grand Black Tie party and I didn't blink an eye when my friend said could I wear those leather jeans and jacket I sometimes did.
Boy ..I was the most popular guest there..being chatted up left right and centre.

Oliver's Hamlet was the making of him, particularly in the US; he also produced and directed it - as well as writing the screenplay.

And recruiting the cast - including Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Stanley Holloway and Jean Simmons.

With almost 40% of the lines spoken by Hamlet - cuts to Shakespeare's longest play had to be made, and invoked criticism.

Overall, the movie was a great commercial success though - and the winner of Britain's first Oscars.

And the only film part I was ever offered - when the producers would not accept me (not famous enough) went to Sir Laurence - dreadful film; A Little Romance.

One more offer then, than I received!

Although I could have done Christopher Lee's Hamlet part (a non-speaking guard) well.


However more recently, an English actor won an Oscar - although he had no lines.

Who was he?

JK2006 wrote:
dreadful film; A Little Romance


Won an Oscar though - for the music...

Barney wrote:
more recently, an English actor won an Oscar - although he had no lines.

Who was he?


John Mills in Ryan's Daughter...