Laurence Olivier Presents
by Laurence Olivier, Alan Bridges, June Howson, Michael Apted, Robert Knights
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alan Bates, Gail Harrison, Helen Mirren, Laurence Olivier, Malcolm McDowellDirector: Alan Bridges, June Howson, Laurence Olivier, Michael Apted, Robert Knights
Brand: Acorn
Writer: Eduardo De Filippo
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 509 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-12
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of Laurence Olivier Presents
Movie Review: CLASSIC PLAYS WITH SUPER-CLASSY CASTS
Summary: 5 Stars
5 late 1970's TV productions plus one bonus from 1984 makes this treasured collection of stage presentations a collector's item. All are 20th century theatre winners turned into TV productions for British viewers. Now these nostalgic and classic examples of some fine plays are preserved in a 20th century form for new fans of the 21st century to enjoy. It is similar to the 20th century archiving silent films for generations and generations to come. WELL DONE.
One of the 6 plays did not have Laurence Olivier in it's cast, but instead as producer. For another, Olivier was actor and producer. The plays have a certain amount of "play characteristics", such as minimal musical background, and more camera work following the actors than sudden view-bouncing, more common in contemporary TV and film. For some that's nostalgic. All 6 plays also included location shots, mostly of outdoor scenes, giving the play a combined television feel & stage presentation. Sets often resembled live-theatre stage sets rather than sets designed to look like on-location views in today's filming. For those sophisticated in theatre/stage performances, this is a plus, making one feel they have the expensive seats just on the outside of the orchestra pit.
If the title, LAURENCE OLIVIER PRESENTS, is not a star-endorsement for you enough to encourage this purchase (Olivier is arguably the largest actor in British 20th century entertainment history) then take a peek at only a part of his supporting cast.
Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, Maureen Stapleton, Jack Hedley, Alan Bates, Helen Mirren (Painted Lady), Malcolm McDowell, Pat Heywood, Rosalind Ayres, Donald Pleasence (Robin Hood), Joanne Woodward, Carrie Fisher, Joan Plowright (Bronte), Edward Woodward (Callan), Frank Finlay, Greta Scacchi, Roger Rees, and Toyah Willcox.
Some of these best-of-the-best cast members are no long living, making this also an historic preservation DVD set as well as entertaining.
The missing subtitles would have been nice in one Italian play with the fast dialogue, but not absolutely necessary, hardly worth a mention, unless you really are hearing impaired. I could follow the dialogue and hear fine. Other bonus material: facts on the plays themselves, the Olivier bio, & cast filmographies for each play, add to the historical significance of this play preservation DVD set. It lasts over 500 minutes.
The plays:
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF---What a cast in this American south story of love vs wealth.
THE COLLECTION---My least favorite of the 6 but it is about a desperate search for truth and trust.
HINDLE WAKES---Even without Olivier, this is a fantastic period play (1912) now timeless in its plot. One of the best for me. Olivier produced.
COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA---It all works for a dramatic performance of a powerful play presented on TV. Sets, love, lush, loss, and more.
SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY---Great set, wonderful Italian family situation, Olivier and wife (Plowright), delightful play, a winning combo.
THE EBONY TOWER---An old artist and his tantalizing models. Nudity involved in this love story/play.
I'm a bit slow at finding this treasure. I'm glad I own it. It's almost like being in the live audience.
Summary of Laurence Olivier Presents
The greatest actor of the 20th century presents five works by great 20th-century playwrights. Stars include Olivier, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, Maureen Stapleton, Alan Bates, Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Joanne Woodward, Carrie Fisher, Greta Scacchi, and Joan Plowright..The Plays
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. A rich plantation owner and his family come to grips with their greed, envy, and self-delusion.
The Collection by Harold Pinter. What did, or did not, take place in a Leeds Hotel ruffles the lives of four habitués of fashionable London.
Hindle Wakes by Stanley Houghton. An independent young mill worker refuses to bow to convention after an indiscretion with the boss?s son.
Come Back, Little Sheba by William Inge. Loss and regret bubble to the surface of a troubled marriage after a young boarder moves in.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday by Eduardo de Filippo. A monumental argument erupts, smolders, and subsides over a weekend in the life of a boisterous Italian family.
Bonus!
The Ebony Tower, the novella by John Fowles adapted by John Mortimer. A young artist studying the work of a great painter becomes intrigued by the elderly man?s female companions. Contains some nudity.
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