Sunday, December 15, 2013

Never to be Forgotten:
Peter O'Toole 1932-2013

Peter O'Toole, one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, has died at the age of 81. He is not best remembered for his work in genre films and TV, but that doesn't mean he was in any. On imdb.com I found Phantoms, Stardust (taken from a Neil Gaiman book, pictured here), Creator, Supergirl, Ray Bradbury Theater, High Spirits, Gulliver's Travels and Ratatouille.

In all honesty, I will remember him for Lawrence of Arabia, Lord Jim, What's New Pussycat?, The Lion In Winter, The Stunt Man, My Favorite Year, Venus and Conversations with Dean Spanley, only the last of which can even kinda sorta be counted as fantasy. Most agree his best work was on stage and most agree he threw years of good work away with his love of the bottle. For all that, he was hilarious in My Favorite Year, he was gorgeous in Lawrence of Arabia, he was gorgeous and hilarious in What's New, Pussycat? And to top all that off, he fought Katherine Hepburn to a draw in The Lion In Winter. I'm not sure any of her co-stars did any better, and that would include Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne. A movie star at the head of that class is a movie star indeed.

Best wishes to the friends and family of Peter O'Toole, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.


2 comments:

  1. The Lion in Winter is one of the films I watch at least once a year, usually at Christmas of course. It is so full of quotable lines. For this the last lines are appropriate:
    Henry: You know, I hope we never die.
    Eleanor: I hope so too.
    Henry: Do you think there's any chance of it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. As long as they air those films and we remember them, Hepburn and O'Toole won't ever die. A class act.

    ReplyDelete

Traveler! Have you news... FROM THE FUTURE?