Might I point out to our colonial cousins it is Blimey! Not Bligh Me.
-----Original Message----- From: Richard Halegua Comic Art <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:26 Subject: Re: [MOPO] OT; BLIGH ME, GUVNOR I agree David Bridge on the River Kwai being a good example. No happy endingthere At 11:38 AM 6/12/2010, David Kusumoto wrote: I have always felt that Bolt'sscreenplay in "Lawrence" is not just good, butspectacular. There's a reason why it remains in the top ten listsof the greatest films ever made. It is so far ahead of its timewith its ambiguous portrait of Lawrence that it feels timeless andundated. In fact, the parts that linger on the visual majesty ofthe desert or the battle scenes sometimes drags down the pacing. I've always felt (and I know there is debate about this), that despite mylove for Gregory Peck, who won Best Actor that year, that Peter O'Toole'sperformance in Lawrence is simply electric and drop-dead perfect. And what an ending! It disappoints many, but it is an anti-climaxthat is faithful to the integrity of where Lawrence's story HAD togo. Can you imagine some corn-ball U.S.-tinkering happy endingtacked on to make Lawrence's efforts uplifting and redemptive? A generalization, but I think the Brits have a knack for makingwonderfully written films that - as I wrote last year - are masked whenthey're budgeted by American dollars and cast (e.g., Anthony Quinn, whowas a major star here in 1962) to draw an American audience. Astoundingly, the country-of-origin and first printing of"Lawrence" is the U.S.A. like "Bridge over the RiverKwai" (which was cast budgeted to include William Holden) - despitebeing thoroughly British in tone and sensibility. Hence myobsession with "country-of-origin" posters which I treat likefirst edition books regardless of less than attractive art. I'mbitter that the beginning of Carol Reed's "The Third Man" wasbutchered by Selznick when it was released in the U.S.; the Britishversion is superior. But at least in the case of the wonderfullywritten "Third Man" -- the country-of-origin is rightfully theU.K. Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 11:57:20 -0500 From: [email protected] Subject: Re: OT; BLIGH ME, GUVNOR To: [email protected] I think Bolt started the screenplay for The Bounty, but had a stroke andthe eventual film contains little of his original writing. I imagine the movie with a screenplay by the Bolt of the early 1960s, andit would have been wonderful. I first read the three novels by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall(Mutiny on the Bounty, Men Against the Sea, and Pitcairn's Island) as ateen, and I know there is still a great series of movies (or an epic TVmini-series) waiting to be made of the entire story (only parts of whichwere addressed in the earlier versions). Bruce On Sat, Jun 12, 2010 at 8:50 AM, Kirby McDaniel<[email protected]>wrote: He also co-wrote the script for THE BOUNTY (1984), the mutiny on theHMS Bounty story, which David Lean had always wantedto film, but wasnever able to get financed. This film takes a fuller look at the BOUNTY epic, and is enjoyableenough, directed by Roger Donaldson. But one can only imagine thattale with the Lean camera and editing synergy and perfectionistsensibility. Maybe the financiers remembered all too well the MGM experience with the Brandoversion. I have always liked that version. LEAN went on to make A PASSAGE TO INDIA, a thoroughly wonderful film,in my opinion. I think that'sout on BLU - RAY now. K. On Jun 12, 2010, at 7:49 AM, Bruce Hershenson wrote: Robert Bolt, who wrote Lawrence, quickly followed withDoctor Zhivago,A Man for All Seasons(from his earlier play), andRyan's Daughter, apretty amazing string of wonderful screenplays. Of course he didn't manage to include a tagline as great as "Getoff my lawn!" in any of them, but he did his best. Bruce On Sat, Jun 12, 2010 at 1:06 AM, Phil Edwards<[email protected]>wrote: Odd, we nearly always think of LAWRENCE in terms of itsepic scope and spectacular visuals, but it has one of the most literateandprecise screenplays of almost any film I can think of. ----- Original Message ----- From: Kirby McDaniel To:[email protected] Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 2:06 PM Subject: [MOPO] OT; BLIGH ME, GUVNOR Tony Hayward: I am reminded of the wonderful line Claude Rains(Dryden) gets in LAWRENCE: PrinceFeisal: You, I suspect, are chief architect of this compromise.What do you think? Mr. Dryden: Me,your Highness? On the whole, I wish I'd stayed in Tunbridge Wells. http://www.theonion.com/articles/massive-flow-of-bullshit-continues-to-gush-from-bp,17564/ Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site atwww.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. 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