Absenteeism

I really do promise, that when I move to London, I am going to try and post at least one detailed entry into this blog every week. Its just, at the moment, I don't have a lot to say.

I have, however, been watching a lot of old films, and continuing in my attempts to watch as many obscure Laurence Olivier films as possible. In fact, it has been a very Laurence Olivier few months, as my family and friends probably know by now. I find him an utterly fascinating actor, and have done so since I first saw Hitchcock's Rebecca all those years ago. My favourite film starring dear old Larry is probably Sleuth, which also stars the wonderful Michael Caine. I have my friend Sam to thank for suggesting I watch this particular masterpiece, and I strongly suggest to anyone who happens to read this to watch it at the first available opportunity. I can't say very much about it without giving away too much of the story, but suffice to say it involves a very elaborate and intriguing set of games, and I don't think you'll ever see another film quite like it. (I am of course excluding Kenneth Branagh's remake of 2007 from this discussion, it is altogether quite a different thing ... in my opinion)

Interestingly enough, I found out the other day that they are making a film (funny how we always say 'they' isn't it? As if there is just some kind of film making robot behind the scenes) about the making of The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) which stars both Larry and Marilyn Monroe and was an adaptation of the 1953 play, The Sleeping Prince by Terrence Ratigan. Marilyn Monroe was an infamously difficult person to work with by all accounts, and certainly Olivier (who directed the film) felt humiliated shortly after commencing filming, describing how: 'whenever I patiently laboured to make her understand an indication for some reading, business  or timing she would listen with ill-disguised impatience, and when I had finished ... petulantly demand, 'Wasseee mean'.  (Confessions of an Actor - Laurence Olivier) Obviously this is just one side of the story, and you wouldn't guess they didn't get on with each other in the film.

Anyway this new film is called a My Week With Marilyn and has the aforementioned Kenneth Branagh playing Olivier. I am certainly going to see this when it comes out at the cinema in any case, as I think it will be very interesting.

I am going to make two suggestions to you dear reader, to watch Rebecca - 1940 and Sleuth - 1972. Both of which I believe can be found online (not that I condone that kind of behaviour.. ahem!) or alternatively on Amazon for a very competitive price. I'd also recommend That Hamilton Woman to see Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier together in a story about Horatio Nelson and Lady Hamilton, and The Divorce of Lady X for a charming 1930's farcical comedy involving a very Shakespearean case of mistaken identity. Of course, Olivier is best known for his portrayal of Shakespeare on both stage and screen, and though it is not my favourite version, his Hamlet is undoubtably a classic interpretation in a very film noir mode. Finally, his Lord Marchmain in the 1980s ITV series of Brideshead Revisited is brilliantly done, but then I would suggest you have a look at this (in my opinion) perfect piece of television anyway. But before I plough into yet another Brideshead related digression I will say, au revoir.