Laurence Olivier

Alternative title: J’Accuse: Laurence Olivier
Synopsis: Television polemic. Russell Davies questions Laurence Olivier’s position as the pre-eminent Shakespearean actor, arguing that his performances are all show and no substance. This belief is compromised by using clips from films to illustrate his argument. Davies concentrates on OTHELLO (1965), a stage performance which the film version fails to capture.
Series: Without Walls
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Television
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Transmission details: 3 Mar 1992 (Channel: Channel Four)
Duration: 26 mins

Director: Jeff Morgan
Producer: Jeff Morgan
Contributor: Anthony Holden; Hermione Lee; Michael Bogdanov; Russell Davies; Snoo Wilson

Production type: Documentary/Educational/News
Subjects: Drama
Keywords: acting techniques; cinema; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Olivier, Laurence (1907-1989)

General: J’ACCUSE is a series within the WITHOUT WALLS slot where speakers challenge the status of revered figures in the arts.
Reviews: Luke McKernan notes in Walking Shadows: Shakespeare in the National Film and Television Archive (London: BFI, 1994). p.199 ‘It is sobering that Olivier may ultimately be judged thus, and not favourably, for performances suited to the tenor of their times’.

SHAKESPEARE