The Entertainer (1960)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Tony Richardson

Writers:

John Osborne (screenplay) and
Nigel Kneale (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 December 1960 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

As the applause grew fainter ... As the spotlight grew dimmer ... His women were younger!

Plot:

Archie Rice, an old-time British vaudeville performer sinking into final defeat, schemes to stay in show business.

Plot Keywords:

Vaudeville | Generation | Adultery | Failure | Family Relationships

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13

2:00 AM

TCM

Cast

Laurence Olivier	...	Archie Rice
Brenda De Banzie	...	Phoebe Rice
Roger Livesey	...	Billy Rice
Joan Plowright	...	Jean Rice
Alan Bates	...	Frank Rice
Daniel Massey	...	Graham
Albert Finney	...	Mick Rice
Shirley Anne Field	...	Tina Lapford
Thora Hird	...	Mrs. Ada Lapford
Miriam Karlin	...	Soubrette
Geoffrey Toone	...	Harold Hubbard
MacDonald Hobley	...	Himself - the TV star (as McDonald Hobley)
Anthony Oliver	...	Interviewer
Max Bacon	...	Charlie Klein
George Doonan	...	Eddie Trimmer
James Culliford	...	Cobber Carson (as James Cuillford)
Gilbert Davis	...	Brother Bill
Charles Gray	...	Columnist
Gwen Nelson
Hope Jackman	...	Morecambe Mother
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nigel Davenport	...	Theatre Manager (uncredited)
Angie Dean	...	Alhambra Sister (uncredited)
Debbie Dean	...	Alhambra Sister (uncredited)
Jo Linden	...	Gloria (uncredited)
Tony Longridge	...	Mr. Wilfrid Lapford (uncredited)
Roger Manvell	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Shirli Scott-James	...	Girl (uncredited)
Tony Selby	...	Teddy Boy (uncredited)
James Thornhill	...	Stage Door Keeper (uncredited)
Vicky Travers	...	Nude (uncredited)
Mercia Turner	...	Britannia (uncredited)
Constance Wells	...	Scots Singer (uncredited)
Hermon Wells	...	Scots Singer (uncredited)

Directed by
Tony Richardson

Writing credits
John Osborne		(screenplay) and
Nigel Kneale		(screenplay)
John Osborne		adaptation

Produced by
John Croydon	....	associate producer
Harry Saltzman	....	producer

Original Music by
John Addison

Cinematography by
Oswald Morris

Film Editing by
Alan Osbiston

Casting by
Maude Spector		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Ralph W. Brinton		(as Ralph Brinton)

Costume Design by
Jocelyn Rickards

Makeup Department
Bill Griffiths	....	hairdresser
Tony Sforzini	....	makeup artist

Production Management
R.L.M. Davidson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Stevenson	....	third assistant director
Peter Yates	....	assistant director
Roy Millichip	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ted Marshall	....	assistant art director
Basil Mannin	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Tony Woollard	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Chris Greenham	....	sound editor
Peter Handford	....	sound
Bob Jones	....	sound
Norman Bolland	....	sound maintenance (uncredited)
Des Edwards	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)
Ken Ritchie	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Denys N. Coop	....	camera operator (as Denys Coop)
Ginger Gemmel	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Ronnie Maasz	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Gillett	....	wardrobe (as Barbara Gillette)

Music Department
John Addison	....	conductor
William Blezard	....	music arranger: Chopin (uncredited)
Ronald Cass	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Honor Blair	....	stager
Maggie Shipway	....	continuity (as Margaret Shipway)
Maggie Unsworth	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Woodfall Film Productions

Distributors

• Bryanston Films (1960) (UK) (theatrical) (in association with)
• British Lion Film Corporation (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Continental Distributing (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Better Television Distribution (2006) (worldwide) (TV)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

96 min | USA:105 min (TCM print)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G (TV rating) | UK:PG | UK:X (original rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Woodfall Film Productions

Trivia:

John Osborne wrote his play "The Entertainer" specifically at the request of Laurence Olivier, who wanted the Angry Young Man of the British theater to create a vehicle for him, one of the figures of the British Establishment that Osborne was rebelling against. Olivier hoped that appearing in the Osborne play would make him relevant to a new generation of theater goers. It proved to be one of Olivier's greatest stage successes (The Colonial Theatre in Boston has a plaque on the outside wall commemorating Olivier's appearance there during the US tour of the play), while the film adapted from the play won him the sixth of his ten acting Academy Award nominations. His performance as Archie Rice, as well as his marriage to his young co-star Joan Plowright, one of the leading actresses of the new wave of British thespians, did keep Olivier contemporary with the new leaders of the British theater. Conversely, Olivier's generational contemporaries, including the actors John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson and the playwright Terence Rattigan, would become to seem stout and old-fashioned as they failed to keep up with the theatrical evolution. (Gielgud would counter with the role of Julian in Edward Albee's obscure "Tiny Alice" on Broadway in 1962, but outside of the classical repertoire, he and Richardson did not recover their cachet as actors in contemporary plays until the mid-1970s, in Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land".) Olivier would help shepherd the new generation of actors, directors and playwrights as the head of the National Theatre in the 1960s and early '70s.

Quotes:

Billy Rice: You were a pretty little thing. Not that looks are important - not even for a woman. You don't look at the mantelpiece when you poke the fire.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Horror of Party Beach (#9.17)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery

Olivier's greatest performance

This is the greatest performance by one of the greatest actors of all time, perhaps because this is the character he most closely identified with. Unfortunately a good quality video transfer is not easy to find, most are bad versions of a bad print. Bates and DeBanzie also give some of their best work in this sadly under seen classic.