MovieChat Forums > Wake in Fright (1971) Discussion > Donald Pleasance

Donald Pleasance

posted 15 years ago by quert8-1
9 replies | jump to latest

He owns this movie, he looks like hes enjoying it. Best alcoholic performance i have seen in ages. When he goes ape *beep* on the verandah when the others are fighting was fantastic. How did he not get an oscar nod for this? The alco hiding out in a town where booze is the main currency lol. The dream sequence where he has the two up coins on his eyes lol. Sitting outside the two up game writing down the stats and getting paid in beer lol. When he is passed out on the floor of his shack with John lol. This is true acting.

[–] Mincom 15 years ago

He was a legend.

Bugger off Cockroaches

[–] Xcalat3 14 years ago

Brilliant stuff form Mr. Pleasance!

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] MrBigglesworth999 14 years ago

He is also about the only English (or indeed American)actor who was able to replicate an Aussie accent successfully.
The only other actor who comes close is Michael Caine at the end of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels".
Unfortunately, in other movies, English & American actors' attempts at Aussie accents are just caricatures.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Skutter-2 14 years ago

He was great. And as another poster mentioned above he actually does probably the best Australian accent I've ever heard from a non-Australian. Normally actors from the UK, or the US especially, are awful at it but he could actually pass for an Australian.

[–] talia77 14 years ago

Donald P. was the best. Rest in Peace.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Reverend-Flasher 13 years ago

Pleasance was always a terrific actor, yet whatever the role, it never looked like he was acting. He had such a subtle way of actually being the characters he was portraying. I don't know how he did it so effortlessly. Particularly fine examples are "Wake In Fright", alongside "Soldier Blue" and "Dr. Crippen".

There's also the menace of Blofeld in "You Only Live Twice", the pathos of "The Great Escape" and of course the consistency of Dr. Loomis in the "Halloween" series.

A brilliant genius actor.

In memory of Sam Peckinpah

[–] Woodyanders 8 years ago

Donald Pleasance was simply amazing as the sleazy and depraved Doc Tyson.

I've been chasing grace/ But grace ain't easy to find