The Entertainer (1960)

“[to unresponsive audience] Don’t clap too loudly, it’s a very old building. ” – Archie Rice

Number of Times Seen – 1 (27 May 2018)

Brief Synopsis – An aging stage entertainer who is no longer as popular as he once was tries to find ways to once again become famous.

My Take on it – This is another film that I had never heard of before seeing that Laurence Olivier was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for this role.

He does a nice job with the role and gives an interesting portrayal of a once popular actor who now was to have the public rediscover his fame.

The fact that he is constantly having affairs and money problems wok against him and end up dragging him deeper and deeper away from the kind of life he yearns to have once again.

The issues with his family doesn’t help at all because he cares little about them which makes the strain on them even harder.

The story itself is an interesting look at the failings of a man who once was popular but unfortunately, it doesn’t manage to keep things interesting long enough because there are too many boring scenes that we must get through before seeing the few good ones.

Bottom Line – Olivier does a nice job as a once popular entertainer trying to get by once the fame begins to fade. His affairs and the slow disintegration of his family life drags him deeper and deeper away from the life he loves and does all he can to try and reclimb the ladder to success. The story itself has too many ups and downs and it doesn’t manage to stay interesting the entire time which is a shame.

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – According to the April 21, 1958, edition of “Time Magazine”, as an addendum to its cover story on Alec Guinness, in 1957 Laurence Olivier turned down a Hollywood offer of $250,000 for one motion picture. Instead of making the movie and pocketing the cash (worth approximately $1.7 million in 2005 dollars), Olivier preferred to take on the role of Archie Rice in John Osborne’s “The Entertainer” (a role written specifically for him) at the princely sum of £45 per week (worth $126 in 1957 dollars at the contemporaneous exchange rate, or $856 in 2005 dollars). (From IMDB)

Rating – BAFTA Worthy (5/10)

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