MovieChat Forums > Jamaica Inn (1939) Discussion > Charles Laughton is amazing

Charles Laughton is amazing





I only have 4 or 5 movies that he appears in but he is the most memorable aspect of each of them.
I continue to be more and more impressed with him each time I see him and I'd support any claim he belongs among the top 20 film actors of all time.

Some of his scenes with O'Hara toward the end...there is nothing like that today.

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Well thinkkam-2, you are correct in stating that Laughton was/is one of the all time greats.

Having said this, Jamaïca Inn is not one of his greatest performances.
There are moments of acting genius but his performance is somewhat uneven and too self-conscious at times.
From the start he dove into character exploring every detail from a false nose to a 'special walk'.

This performance was not in synch with the movie and he literary outacted everyone involved. But the outacting wasn't always positive.
Sometimes it felt like watching two movies at the same time.

I'm wondering what other movies you've seen of this great actor?!

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Laughton is the greatest actors of all time! How he manages to bulid a character is awe inspiring, and when watching him you can't take your eyes off of him.

He is great in Jamaica Inn, but I agree that he has done even better performances eg Captain Bligh, Henry V111, Ruggles, Rembrant, This is My Land, Witness For The Prosecution, Hobson's Choice, Les Miserables... God the man is AMAZING, I love him!

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I second that!



Laughton was able to creat a handful of definitive performances such as Quasimodo, Bligh, Rembrandt and (to a lesser extent) Henry VIII, Claudius and Nero.

His creation of 'Night of the Hunter' is another projection of his immense talent and intelligence.


Brilliant biography on Laughton by Simon Callow, highly recommended.

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Hi PatCro,

Yes, I'm reading Simon Callow's biography on Laughton at the moment - it's a great read!

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Fantastic actor and great movie. "Witness for the prosecution" is my favorite movie from his filmo. "Jamaica Inn" is really good too.
8/10

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I can well imagine him in the role of Quasimodo, Bligh, Henry VIII and Nero. I only thank the powers that I can still get some of these very old black and white films in Singapore. I can't help but feel we've lost something over the years from that era: a certain innocence surely, but also, a level of acting and dramatization that is seldom paralleled today.

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It was all in his powerful demeanor which made Laughton the stand out performer in Jamaica Inn. He played the part with such ease that he was excellent as the villian.

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".

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I felt he hammed it up a tad bit.

Its that man again!!

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I've never minded Laughton hamming it up and didn't do so here, either; even when he's not great, he's at least entertaining. Much preferred to the bland stiffness of Robert Newton here (and O'Hara wasn't always that terribly convincing, either).



"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

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My two favorite performances:

Charles Laughton in "Les Miserables" and Charles Laughton in "Mutiny on the Bounty".

If you're not taking any steps forward, you're not moving at all.

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I love him in this, hams it up a little but he's always a joy to watch. There's many of his considered better performances I've yet to see!

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