Laurence Olivier

See also: Olivier

Laurence Olivier is an actor, director, theater director, realizer and scenario writer English born the May 22nd 1907 with Dorking in the Surrey and deceased the July 11th 1989 with Steyning in the Sussex of the West.

Biography

Beginnings

Laurence Kerr Olivier is born the May 22nd 1907 in Dorking in the county from Surrey from Gerald Kerr Olivier, priest Anglican, and Agnes. He is registered with the St Edward' S School of Oxford, and on the occasion he plays of small roles in the plays of the school.

He enters to the Central School off Dramatic Art at the 17 years age then joined the Birmingham Repertory Company in 1926. He starts by making figuration in this company of theater then obtains increasingly important roles.

He evolves/moves thus with the theater, interprets Private Lives Noel Coward (1930), Hamlet and Macbeth in 1937, or Romeo and Juliette, alternating the roles of Romeo and Mercutio. But it also starts to turn to the cinema.

With the cinema

It turns in its first film shakespearien in 1936, As You Like It of Paul Czinner. It turns then in The Mask off Virtue , and it then meets Vivien Leigh with which it will turn in Fire Over England of Alexander Korda. A friendship will be born between the two actors and they will make two other films together ( 21 Days and That Hamilton Woman).

Laurence Olivier then interprets its first great role with the cinema, that of Heathcliff in the adaptation of the High of Hurlevent of William Wyler (1939). On turning, Wyler and Olivier do not get along on the interpretation of the actor who makes a point of preserving his theatrical techniques. Its choices prove to be the goods since it obtains its first nomination with the Oscar.

This success enables him to obtain other great roles, that of Maxim de Winter Rebecca of Alfred Hitchcock and that of Mr. Darcy in Orgueil and prejudged.

The second world war bursts then and Olivier and enlisted in the Air Force. It takes courses of piloting and serves 2 years. It is named lieutenant in the Fleet Air ARM but will never see the engagements.

Trilogy shakespearienne

It turns over then to the theater then it is approached by producers who wish to adapt some parts of Shakeaspeare to the cinema. Laurence Olivier thus tests herself with the realization, while remaining main actor. Its work will lead to three large film: Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955).

For Henry V, he does not think at the beginning of having the capacities to carry out a film, and he proposes it with various realizers. Vis-a-vis their refusal, it decides to be put behind the camera and leaves to turn to Ireland. After an animated turning (a horse having wounded it during a reconstitution of battle), the film leaves and has a great success. Named with the Oscar in the categories better film and better actor, Olivier receives finally a Oscar of honor (according to him, the academy did not want to give its two larger rewards to a foreigner).

He turns then Hamlet. It is a role which he knows very well since he interpreted it much with the theater, nevertheless, he shows himself less at ease in his interpretation. Obliged to reduce its film one duration lower than 2 hours has and half, Olivier must remove counterparts. At all events, the film is a success and Laurence Olivier obtains the Oscar of best film and that of the best actor.

Then the adaptation comes from Richard III. During turning, it is wounded by an arrow, but fortunately its principal scenes were already turned. Appreciated by the critic, the film will be a commercial and financial failure. The rights are quickly resold to the television channel NBC, and thus it will gain with the passing of years and of the diffusions a success of regard. Richard III is regarded today by much as one of his best performances.

During this period of realization, Olivier will do only few appearances in other films.

End of a career

Olivier becomes one of the founders of the Royal National Theater of the United Kingdom which it directs from 1962 to 1973. He also had founded and directed Chichester Festival Theater of 1962 to 1966.

In 1970, it is made Life peer and becomes Baron.

It also continues to play in film adaptations of plays, as in Othello (1965) or |The Three Sisters (1970).

It is then with a turning of its career and its life; struck by the consequences of a cancer of the prostate (as from 1967 it multiplies bronchitides, pneumonias, amnesias), it realizes that its roles up to now did not put it at the shelter of the need him and its family. As from the years 1970, it thus starts to multiply appearances with the cinema and on television at strictly financial ends.

Nevertheless, some of its appearances enable him to develop a new handset of actor, far from the romantic image of its preceding successes. One of interpretations more striking this end of a career will be that of Doctor Szell in Marathon Man of John Schlesinger.

Laurence Olivier dies of the continuations of her cancer in 1989 at the 82 years age. It is buried in the Abbaye of Westminster, in the Poets' Corner.

Catalog of films

Catalog of films (actor)

Catalog of films (realizer)

  • 1944 : Henry V ( The Chronicle history off King Henry the Fift with his battell At Agincourt in France ) according to Shakespeare
  • 1948: Hamlet according to Shakespeare
  • 1955: Richard III according to Shakespeare
  • 1957: the Prince and the dancer ( The Prince and the showgirl )

Rewards

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