Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole (1932-2013)

Subject: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 21, 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 03:09 PM

Just heard it on the radio. Here is a New York Times obituary.

Peter O'Toole, Star of 'Lawrence of Arabia,' Is Dead at 81

Peter O'Toole, an Irish bookmaker's son with a hell-raising streak whose magnetic performance in the 1962 epic film "Lawrence of Arabia" earned him overnight fame and put him on the road to becoming one of his generation's most accomplished and charismatic actors, died on Saturday in London. He was 81.

His daughter Kate O'Toole said in a statement that he had been ill for some time.

A blond, blue-eyed six-footer, Mr. O'Toole had the dashing good looks and high spirits befitting a leading man, and he did not disappoint in "Lawrence," David Lean's wide-screen, almost-four-hour homage to T.E. Lawrence, the daring British soldier and adventurer who led an Arab rebellion against the Turks in the Middle East during World War I.

The performance brought Mr. O'Toole the first of eight Academy Award nominations, a flood of film offers and a string of artistic successes in the 1960s and early '70s. In the theater — he was a classically trained actor — he played an anguished, angular tramp in Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" and a memorably battered title character in Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya."

In film, he twice played a robust King Henry II, first opposite Richard Burton in "Becket," then with Katharine Hepburn as his queen in "The Lion in Winter." Both earned Oscar nominations for Best Actor, as did his repressed, decaying schoolmaster in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" and the crazed 14th Earl of Gurney in "The Ruling Class."

Less successful was his Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha," Arthur Hiller's 1972 adaptation of the Broadway musical, but it emphasized that his specialty was increasingly becoming the outsider or misfit: dreamy, romantic, turbulent, damaged, or even mad, but usually larger than life.

Mr. O'Toole threw himself wholeheartedly into what he called "bravura acting," courting and sometimes deserving the accusation that he became over-theatrical, mannered, even hammy. His lanky, loose-jointed build; his blue eyes; his long, lantern-jawed face; his oddly languorous sexual charm; and the eccentric loops and whoops of his voice tended to reinforce the impression of power and extravagance.

Mr. Burton called him "the most original actor to come out of Britain since the war," with "something odd, mystical and deeply disturbing" in his work.

The rest can be read by following the link.

SRS

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: fat B****rd
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 03:13 PM

Lawrence of Arabia, great, but I also liked him in Lord Jim, What's New Pussycat and quite a few others.
RIP Mr. O'Toole.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Don Firth
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 03:28 PM

Really liked him in all of the movies I saw him in. I particularly liked his portrayal of Henry II in the aforementioned movies. He and Katharine Hepburn were especially compelling in "The Lion in Winter."

So passes another legendary actor. . . .

RIP, Mr. O'Toole. And thank you!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Elmore
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 03:36 PM

I enjoyed him in "Lion in Winter" as well. More recently, I appreciated his performance in a low budget flick called "Venus." I hope he had a happy life.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 03:44 PM

he will be sadly missed. such a great actor
RIP Peter and thanks for all the great memories

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: redhorse
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 04:34 PM

First Shakespeare play I ever saw was O'Toole as Shylock opposite Dorothy Tutin as Portia at Stratford.
Might as well start with the best!

Great character, great actor, great loss.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Firecat
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 05:16 PM

RIP.

For me, the best role he played was that of Old Casanova in the 2005 Russell T Davies miniseries "Casanova". The final scenes in that never fail to bring a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: MartinRyan
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 05:35 PM

Even made a (proxy) appearance on Mudcat in the context of"Carrickfergus" !

RIP

Regards

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Jim McLean
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 06:32 PM

I had a drink with him and Dominic Behan once. He kept his folding money down his sock! He referred to Brendan Behan's comment that an Anglo Irishman was a Protestant on a horse and said you can't call me that. I said, no, you're a Catholic on a camel which, fortunately, he thought was very funny. He was great company.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 06:42 PM

I only saw him once on stage in the title role in "Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell". I was impressed with his acting, though I didn't care much for the play itself. On film, I never saw anything he didn't carry off successfully.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Bugsy
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 07:19 PM

A great actor.

I saw him when, I was about 14 years old, playing Hamlet at the Old Vic. I think it was his first major acting role.

The review in the paper said, he may not have been the Best Hamlet but he was surely the Loudest!

I particularly remember a quote of his on Parkinson, regarding excercise. It went along the lines of . "The only excercise I take part in is following the hearses of friends of mine who excercised"

Vale Peter.


Bugsy

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Lighter
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 07:34 PM

Go here. Now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF0qr4q0mnM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 08:00 PM

I enjoyed him in every film in which I saw him. Not mentioned here yet was My Favorite Year which I also enjoyed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 08:30 PM

RIP and thanks fer being just a cool guy.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: GUEST,michaelr
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 08:42 PM

"The Ruling Class" is a classic (O'Toole referred to it as "a comedy with tragic relief"), and "The Stunt Man" has one of the best performances of the "middle-aged" part of his career, along with "The Last Emperor" and "My Favorite Year". He was good even in the silly "King Ralph".

But to my mind, the crowning achievement of his film career has to be "The Lion in Winter". His work opposite Katherine Hepburn is genius. RIP.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 10:12 PM

Saw him on stage in London. Early1980' s.   A comedy and title I forgot.

He stumbled over a cigarette stand on set.

He appeared drunk. Not part of the script.

It was not until the cab driver asked, "Was he 'stewed' again?" It became apparent his "drinking problem" was all part of his "act" and he was milking it for a long run.


Sincerely,
Gargoyle

pathetic

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 06:15 AM

Chantey Lass, you're so right. 'My Favourite Year' was a real treat and remains one of my favourite films. Goodbye, Thank you, and R.I.P, Peter O'Tooloe.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 06:30 AM

Favourite Peter O'Toole story:
He one met a couple in a pub off Drury Lane and told them he was going to see a production of Richard III in a theatre around the corner and had a couple of complimentary tickets; would they care to join him.
As the curtain rose he whispered to his companions, "the opening "Now is the winter of our discontent" speech is magnificent, just listen to the way I do it...... Oh shit!!!"
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 11:49 AM

Gargoyle - from your description, I'd say the play you saw was "Jeffrey Bernard is unwell" as mentioned in Dave MacKenzie's post yesterday.

Jeffrey Bernard was a well-known (notorious) British journalist and played by Peter O'Toole in the play. As Wikipedia says of Bernard, "His lifestyle had an inevitable effect on his health and reliability, and the magazine often had to post the notice "Jeffrey Bernard is unwell" in place of his column."

Kitty

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 11:58 AM

Great, great actor. RIP.

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole Dec 2013
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 04:13 PM

RIP another fine one gone

he always gave a good performance and the one DVD of his that's in my collection is Rock My World... just a fun romp with a great cast

O'Toole doing the goofy robo walk is just a rip

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole (1932-2013)
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 Dec 13 - 04:01 AM

Very fine actor indeed; and a fine vintage -- he was born just a couple of months after me.

But can I [along with my late wife] be the only person in the entire world to have found Lawrence Of Arabia the most boring & longwinded film ever to be so near-universally revered? Tried to watch it to the end without dozing off several times, just to try and see what all the fuss was about; but never succeeded in getting right thru it.

~M~

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole (1932-2013)
From: catspaw49
Date: 17 Dec 13 - 09:26 AM

Great actor....loved him in everything. Strong character with a yen for life and all it offered.

Plus.....and no one mentioned this.........He had a double phallic name.


Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole (1932-2013)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Dec 13 - 02:34 AM

Lawrence of Arabia a legendary film of subliminal avertising.

Drink COCA COLA was spliced into single frames of desert landscapes. Extra salt was added to the popcorn. Theatre ambient temperature was upped a few degrees.

Sales of beverages soared at intermission.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Obit: Actor Peter O'Toole (1932-2013)
From: GUEST,Ed T
Date: 18 Dec 13 - 05:48 AM

One of O'Toole's movies that I enjoyed, (that often gets overlooked) is the comedy The Stunt Man (1980).I believe he received an Academy Award nomination for his part in this movie. To me, the multi-layered "cult movie" was possibly the last good movie part O'Toole acted in - though he had a brilliant career previously. RIP