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Arabella’s Notes
1907- 1987 |
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Fire Over England 1937 |
 Olivier and Leigh |
It was a coronation year so producer Alexander Korda gave them royalty. There was the threat of war so Korda also gave them a spectacular war at sea film to show them how history repeats itself. Larry is a young English nobleman who seeks revenge for his father killed by the Inquisitors in Spain. He offers his services to Elizabeth I (Flora Robson) as a spy in the court of Philip II of Spain (Raymond Massey). The Queen agrees hoping that will also separate him from the little lady-in-waiting (Vivien Leigh) who is waiting for him.
Olivier: “Korda provided me with a very good costume part…but I emoted too much and, in the American version, they had to cut one of my scenes because the New York preview audience got the giggles.”
Wuthering Heights 1939
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 Olivier and Geraldine Fitzgerald |
Emily Bronte’s only novel written under the pen name Ellis Bell became a classic in its own right before becoming a classic motion picture. It is the story of a little boy who came to dinner and stayed to fall hopelessly in love. The tale of star crossed lovers Cathy (Merle Oberon) and Heathcliff (Olivier) is, according to the Library of Congress , still "culturally, historically, aesthetically significant”. It was nominated for 8 Oscars and also stars David Niven and Geraldine Fitzgerald.
Olivier: “Then along came a man who pulled me up by my jockstrap and dragged me down to earth! If any film actor is having trouble with his career can’t master the medium and, anyway, wonders whether is is worth it, let him pray to meet a man like William Wyler.”
Rebecca 1940 |
Olivier and Joan Fontaine |
Almost true to Daphne Du Maurier’s best seller, Alfred Hitchcock did take a few liberties with the screenplay. The Hollywood Production Code forbade the murder of one’s spouse without consequences so Rebecca’s death became ‘accidental”. Mrs. Danvers had a makeover, too from a much younger woman into a ghostly, vindictive housekeeper. Joan Fontaine played the nameless “second Mrs. DeWinter.
David O. Selznick was apparently reading “Rebecca” in bed and, when he came to DuMaurier’s description of Max DeWinter’s face “arresting, sensitive and medieval in some strange explicable way” he wrote Olivier’s name in the margin.
Olivier: “ I admired and liked Hitchcock tremendously…He didn’t treat us like cattle…although he boasted that was what he thought…I loved his little bits of business and the way he always avoided the obvious.”
Pride and Prejudice 1940 |
 Olivier and Greer Garson |
With Olivier already cast as Mr. Darcy, the studio chose Greer Garson instead of their first choice, Vivien Leigh, for the role of Elizabeth Bennet. The studio felt that the gossip swirling around the two would undermine the project. So they gave Leigh Waterloo Bridge with Robert Taylor instead. Greer and Larry had worked together before on the London stage.
Olivier: “I was very unhappy with this picture. To me, Jane Austen had made Elizabeth different from her affected, idiotic sisters; she was the only down-to-earth one. But Greer played her as the most affected and silly of the lot. I thought the best points in the book were missed….(but) MGM always got its costumes right.
That Hamilton Woman 1941 |
 Olivier and Leigh |
Emma tells the story of her tragic love affair with Lord Nelson to fellow inmates in a debters prison. Alcohol and poverty have now claimed her. A poignant line “Why do we always meet just to say goodbye?” describes their last meeting before Nelson’s death left her on the path to degradation. The film is one of three that Olivier and Leigh made before they left for Hollywood…broke. It seems that they invested heavily in the lavish stage production of Romeo and Juliet that failed financially. But it was probably the best thing they did together. It was also Winston Churchill’s favorite movie, always screened when he had guests.
Olivier: “Korda, with his cultural knowledge, was a particularly sophisticated director; he had ideas and the acumen to put them into practice.”
Hamlet 1948
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 As "Hamlet" |
Olivier’s Hamlet won the highest praise and yet raised the most controversy. Among its awards were Oscars for Best Actor and Best Picture. However, howls of protest were heard across the land from Shakespeare purists because of his heavy hand at cutting a 4-hour play into a 2-hour film.
Olivier: “Of course I had to be ruthless in the cutting…Half of Henry V had to go; so did half of Hamlet….I approached the job with terror….It must be utterly respectful to the spirit of Shakespeare and to the audience’s consciousness of Hamlet….Hamlet was a success (but) I was not happy at the way I had to cut the final film…I was a dreamer at heart even if I was also one of (William) Wyler’s practical men.”
Carrie |
 Olivier and Jennifer Jones |
This “Carrie” is based on the Theodore Dreiser novel “Sister Carrie”, a classic tale about a May-December romance gone wrong. Wyler treats the story well and Olivier is much more relaxed and comfortable about screen acting as opposed to stage acting. He literally steals this picture away from Jennifer Jones who played the title role. Filmed in 1950, the picure’s release was delayed for two years by the studio because “the political climate at the time wasn’t right”. Goodness, was Carrie a suspected Communist? It seems everyone was during the McCarthy era. The movie didn’t do well at the box office when it was released but has since gained a following.
Notes: After Olivier and Vivien Leigh had accepted their roles (Leigh was doing “A Streetcar Named Desire”) and were ready to leave for Hollywood, Wyler cabled Olivier that Jennifer Jones had been cast for the role of Carrie and hoped he would be pleased. Olivier replied that he was delighted, which was just as well since she had just married David Selznick. He added that he had grown a fine mustache which, if Wyler liked, he would keep on his face for his role as Hurstwood.
The Prince and the Showgirl 1957 |
 Olivier and Monroe |
The script was based on Terence Rattigan’s play The Sleeping Prince but, according to Olivier, the way he played the Prince was based on a mixture of King Paul of Greece ( the mannerisms) and Alexander Korda (the accent). As director, Olivier also had to rein in the mercurial Marilyn Monroe and her “method” acting. Larry felt that all the method “rigamarole” suppressed her natural talent and comic timing.
Olivier: “I had been amused by Terence Rattigan’s original script on the stage but found it hard to love the character in the film version. In the editing room I had a happier time…cutting away at Marilyn’s reaction shots: (but) she gave a star performance.
The Entertainer 1960
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 Onstage with Archie Rice |
This a story about a washed up comedian but it isn’t a comedy. It is a gut-wrenching tale of a guy who never got it right starring a guy who seldom gets it wrong. But audiences found a different Olivier than the one who did Shakespeare or romantic leads. When Vivien Leigh watched Larry during rehearsal as he sang Archie’s ballad “Why should I care…” to a supposedly hostile audience she couldn’t stop weeping.
Olivier: The first act of The Entertainer was sent to me in New York. (I)decided the part for me was that of Billy Rice, the old father….but when I read the completed script, Archie leaped off the page at me and he had to be mine.
Othello 1965
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This was a filmed stage play done during a rehearsal at the national Theater in London with actors under the direction of John Dexter and the first ever in Technicolor and wide screen. It was also the first film production of Shakespeare in which all the leading actors and actresses have been nominated for Oscars even though it only had a 2-day theater run. Film critic John Simon said “Olivier plays this misconceived Othello spectacularly in a manner that is always a perverse joy to behold”. The film remained true to Shakespeare’s play with only the Fool’s scene and a few bits of dialogue omitted.
Olivier: “Black…I had to be black. I had to feel black down to my soul. I had to look out from a black man’s world. Not one of repression for Othello would have felt superior to the white man. If I peeled my skin, underneath there would be another layer of black skin. I was to be beautiful. Quite beautiful.”
Khartoum 1966
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 Olivier as the Mahdi |
This could also be called a “Clash of Titans” with Olivier, the actor who played kings, in a confrontation with Charlton Heston, the actor who played Moses. It was based on a true story about General “Chinese” Gordon (Heston) who took on the slave trade in Khartoum and won. As the Mahdi or “Expected One”, Olivier came out the winner as the most believable although Heston did a convincing job (albeit he was still heston playing Gordon). The only criticism was the running time of the movie (although 109 minutes is not very long by today’s standards).
Olivier: “Immediately after Othello I played the Mahdi in “Khartoum” with Charlton Heston playing Gordon. His seven feet down to my five feet. A consummate actor…who (it is said and I happily concede) acted me off the screen….not for want of trying on my part.”
Sleuth 1972 |
 Caine and Olivier |
Here Olivier (as Andrew Wyke) engages in a wily battle of wits with Michael Caine (Milo Tindle), each vowing to win any way possible. The prize?....Wyke’s wife (Eve Channing). The fact is Wyke doesn’t even want her. But there are more twists and turns than you can count.
This film was based on a play by British playwright Tony Shaeffer who hesitated about selling the screen rights for fear the play’s integrity would be ruined. Hopefully he was consoled when the picture was nominated for 4 Oscars…Best Actor (both Olivier and Caine), Best Director and Best Original Score.
Olivier: “Michael Caine was an absolute delight…(except that he didn’t like rehearsing – I went through my lines with a continuity girl. The camera loves him just as much as we who work with him do…I can see him in the Gary Cooper role in High Noon – but with his Cockney charm, the townsfolk would have all been his deputies by 11:30 a.m.”
Marathon Man 1976
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 Olivier and Hoffman |
“So is it safe?” Not if you are seeing the movie just before you see the dentist! It is a wonder that dentists all over the country weren’t picketing. The script was adapted from a 1974 novel by William Goldman and Larry was absolutely chilling as Dr. Christian Szell…so chilling he was nominated for an Best Supporting Actor Oscar and also won a Golden Globe in the same category.
And, of course, there is the famous story about Dustin Hoffman staying awake for days, appearing on the set red-eyed all to get into the mood for his character. Olivier looked at him and said “Why don’t you try acting, dear boy, it’s far easier.”
So instead of letting you know what Olivier said about the movie…let’s see what Hoffman and the cast said about him.
Artist...Lesley LLOL