Monday, February 1, 2010

THE FUTURIST!'s Top 5 Worst Olivier Film Accents


The Late Sir Laurence Olivier is considered one of the greatest actors of stage and screen. He has won numerous awards for his tour de force acting turns in many productions, including an Academy Award for his role as Hamlet. THE FUTURIST! found his performances in SLEUTH, MARATHON MAN, HENRY V, SPARTACUS and his beautiful understated role in REBECCA to be all memorable. However ... yes ... however, Sir Larry could instill the chill of complete cringe worthy tremors with some of his "acting". Terrible hammy mannerisms and forced accents that could make one wince and, yet, want to laugh in horror marked many of his later film performances. THE FUTURIST! will now list his favorite unfavored 5 .... which surprisingly are all from 1978 to 1980.

TOP 5 WORST SIR LAURENCE OLIVIER FILM ACCENTS

1. Cantor Rabinovitch in THE JAZZ SINGER (1980)
Possibly Jewish, Balkan, German, Swedish or Venusian

2. Prof. Abraham Van Helsing in DRACULA (1979)
Possibly German, Jewish, Czech, Irish and Elmo

3. Ezra Lieberman in THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL (1978)
Possibly German, Jewish or Alvin of the Chipmunks

4. Loren Hardeman in THE BETSY (1978)
Possibly Texan, Foghorn Leghorn or Yosemite Sam

5. Julius in A LITTLE ROMANCE (1979)
Definitely Pepe Le Pew and Jewish or German

4 comments:

Dara said...

Good idea for a blog! Surprising he made that many films so late in his career, let alone a top 5 of terrible accents!

Dennis Cozzalio said...

My own worst Larry accent would have to be the on he used as a French-Canadian logger in Powell and Pressburger's otherwise wonderful 49th Parallel. Check out the Criterion DVD and see if you don't agree. This, as John Cleese undoubtedly was inspired to say, is one outrrrrrr-ageous accent, even by the standards of this sometimes very silly English kkkkkkkkn-iggit!

THE FUTURIST! said...

Wow ... it is an honor to have Mr. Dennis Cozzalio commenting on this post. Great admirer of your blog, sir! Your passion for the comfort of film is a pleasure to read!! THE FUTURIST! is elated.

Dennis Cozzalio said...

Actually, Larry plays a trapper. Someone from the Pacific Northwest should never have blundered on that one!

My pleasure to be here, Futurist!