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Richard Widmark plays a role that made a star of Kenneth Williams!

posted 11 years ago by donaldking
7 replies | jump to latest

I wonder whether Otto Preminger ever saw Kenneth Williams' famous appearance as the Dauphin in the West End a few years before 1957. Not knowing the play, I was pleasantly surprised to see Richard Widmark playing a rather effeminate coward (and surrounded by the cream of 1950's British acting talent). I was also wondering if Williams ever saw the Preminger film - the 1993 edition of his diaries lack any of the expected acid remarks about it.)

[–] Marlburian 11 years ago

I thought Widmark was excellent, playing very effectively against type. Usually he played tough military commanders and Westerners though, as with his Dauphin role, some of the characters had troubled pysches.

[–] Carl-LaFong 11 years ago

I hated his performance.

Looks bobbins.

[–] Jamal-Nazreddin 10 years ago

^

Yes it was completely jarring. Just as jarring as that ill-voiced American teenager playing a French teenager.

A mess of a film.

[–] phillipsdan83 10 years ago

I saw some of this and Widmark is about as out of place as his future THE ALAMO director/costar/nemesis John Wayne was in THE CONQUEROR and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD.

[–] Jamal-Nazreddin 10 years ago

The most irritating thing about this mess of a film is that so much of the screen is taken up by these talentless hacks while the truly talented craftsmen such as Gielgud and Walbrook are given short shrift in supporting roles.

[–] phillipsdan83 10 years ago

It's not that Widmark was a talentless hack...it's just that he's about a convincing here as Gielgud or Sir Ralph Richardson would have been as Tommy Udo, Jim Bowie, or Madigan. He was simply miscast. Jean Seberg had never acted before.

[–] bradford-1 9 years ago

I'm getting a great image of J. Gielgud in a slouch fedora, black shirt and white tie. "I say, old squint!"
May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?