The great Peter O'Toole

Posted by: Kevin-W on 15 December 2013

Has just died. What a terrible pity - a great character as well as a superb actor.

 

Very few of the old greats left now (Caine, Connery and a shrinking number of others), soon we'll be left with just method hacks like Bale and Day-Lewis, or creepy control freaks like Cruise.

Posted on: 15 December 2013 by Jasonf
Yes, a great shame..I really liked him.

Jason
Posted on: 15 December 2013 by Steve J

Although I'm sad he's died I'm surprised he lived to 81 given his hard drinking lifestyle. RIP.

Posted on: 15 December 2013 by MDS

One of the coolest of actors. RIP, Peter.  

I thought it something of a compliment when the android in Prometheus modelled himself on Peter's Lawrence of Arabia. 

Posted on: 15 December 2013 by Harry

81 is good going for most people. Sad he's gone but impressed with his longevity in relation to his lifestyle. Gives me a bit of hope, along with all the memories he has left behind.

Posted on: 16 December 2013 by Kevin-W

One of the very few survivors from Hollywood's Golden Age, Joan Fontaine, died yesterday aged 96.

 

BBC Obit here

 

By my reckoning, that just leaves her sister Olivia de Havilland (97, and the sole remaining cast member of "Gone With The Wind"), Kirk Douglas (97), Eli Wallach (98), Luise Rainer (103) and the sprightly Carla Laemmle (104) left.

Posted on: 16 December 2013 by BigH47

Sad but inevitable, always thought he knew how to enjoy life, so may be he shortened his a little. RIP.

Posted on: 16 December 2013 by Russ

Kevin-W: One thing we definitely agree on is this great actor.  His role as Lawrence aside, The Lion in Winter is one of my top 5 favorite films.  One question for the house: In the depths of my memory I recall seeing him in a film version of Hamlet.  And his rendition of the character sticks in my mind as the best I ever saw.  Yet I cannot find a reference to the film--just in the theater under the direction of Sir Laurence Olivier.  But I have never been to the UK.  So did I dream I saw the film--and his role?

 

Best regards,

 

Russ

Posted on: 16 December 2013 by joerand

Maybe you're dreaming now Russ and the forum doesn't really exist 

 

I have to say that when I heard he died I was kind of surprised that he had still been alive as I had not seen or heard about him in years.

 

My favorite O'Toole movie was "The Stunt Man" which I remember seeing with several friends my senior year of high school. 

Posted on: 17 December 2013 by JamieWednesday
Originally Posted by Russ:

  One question for the house: In the depths of my memory I recall seeing him in a film version of Hamlet.  And his rendition of the character sticks in my mind as the best I ever saw.  Yet I cannot find a reference to the film--just in the theater under the direction of Sir Laurence Olivier.  But I have never been to the UK.  So did I dream I saw the film--and his role?

 

Best regards,

 

Russ

Maybe you're thinking of Alan Swann in 'My Favourite Year'? A virtual biography...

Posted on: 17 December 2013 by Russ
One of my favorite scenes, among many, is when O'Toole walks away, having consigned Hepburn once again to prison after she has threatened to habe him assassinated.  Hepburn tooks up directly at the camera and says: "every family has its littlenups and downs."