O'Toole's passing

[devifemme]

"I know I’m pushing myself too hard, but something has to be done today. Watching Peter O’Toole movies and sorting the laundry. Not exactly the best send off to one of the best, but there’s no alcohol in the house. Now Peter can join his drinking buddies Richard Burton and Richard Harris in the big pub in the sky."

From Janet at "yoochunsnoona

Comments

[ggary]

Until the news of his death reached me a few hours ago I had confidently expected him to live forever. It's hard to believe that he was 81. Everyone is talking about LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, but my favourite of his movies was MY FAVOURITE YEAR. It's a lovely, funny performance but he manages to give it depth and gravity. There's a lovely bit towards the end where the main character finds O'Toole's swashbuckling actor leaving his friends in the lurch. He recalls Swann's (O'Toole) heroic movie roles. The actor rails:

Swann: Those are movies, damn you!Look at me! I'm flesh and blood, life-size, no larger! I'm not that silly, God damned hero. I never was

Stone: To ME you were. Whoever you were in those movies, those silly goddam heroes meant a lot to me. What does it matter if it was an illusion? It worked. So don't tell me this is you life-size. I can't use life size. I need Alan Swanns as big as I can get them.

O'Toole was one of the last 'Stars', whose sometimes outrageous behaviour we excused because they lit up the world a bit. We don't do stars anymore, which is a shame.

[devifemme]

I thought I'd replied to your O'Toole piece last night, Gary -- but it seems not to be here. I THINK it was to the effect that "Stone" got the better lines. But mostly I applauded your thought that it's a shame we "don't do stars anymore..."