Natalie Wood was a good actress and Robert Wagner was not bad at acting at all. ( see A Kiss Before Dying)But they could not touch Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman in the 1958 version of CAT. Still the best version of all.
Mr. Muthing, I know it was a filmed play but it still cannot touch the movie. And yes Villago I have not forgotten Burl Ives! He makes the movie! Still the best Big Daddy of them all and I have seen a lot of actors play Big Daddy!. The last one I saw was James Earl Jones on Broadway and before him Ned Beatty also on Broadway and both of them were at the top of their game, but they could not make me forget Burl lves' Big Daddy!
Surprisingly, Olivier is just not "big" enough, in any way for the role. He does not dominate the proceedings sufficiently to understand why everyone else is so eager to please him, so intimidated by him, nor so respectful of him. In truth, he comes off as something of a bore. Maureen Stapleton, on the other hand, is truly marvelous and deeply touching in her devotion to holding her marriage and her family together. The enormous cuts that were made in the famous film's screenplay are vindicated by this terribly talky, and dramatically diffuse script.
I feel like Sir Larry just added the looks, accent, and voice to the character. But has no feelings at all. He just yells without any expressions or feelings. And Wagner sucks
And another thing: Where are the screens? The '57 movie had wide screened doors leading onto the gallery. Down here, nobody ever leaves a door or window open, even momentarily, without screens.
Wagner has Brick completely wrong. He's angry all the time. That's not Brick. He gets angry when Skipper becomes part of the conversation, but for the most part, he's just distant. Natalie Wood and Laurence Olivier, however, are much better as Maggie and Big Daddy however, light years above Lange and Rip Torn in the 80s remake.
And Maureen Stapleton is good as Big Mama, though Kim Stanley is also good in the 80s remake. Very pitiful. I'm playing Brick at the local theater. My second run, I did the role in college 8 years ago.
This casting is appropriate since Wagner was /is in the closet , and the character is repressed . Wagner and the Butler, the real razor. For divorce #1.
Natalie Wood was wonderful in this; Robert Wagner not so much. I would have liked to see Warren Beatty in the part of Brick, that would've been fascinating, especially with Natalie Wood. Well, Wood and Wagner were married at the time, of course, so I guess that's why he got this role.
unbelievable!! like a high school production.
Natalie Wood looks absolutely spectacular in that red dress! I had forgotten how pretty she was.
The wait for Olivier's first appearance through the first two and a half parts of this is nothing short of grueling.
They gotta get the 11 secret herbs and spices out of Big Daddy before he croaks!
Wow Olivier as Big Daddy! Awesome!
Natalie Wood was a good actress and Robert Wagner was not bad at acting at all. ( see A Kiss Before Dying)But they could not touch Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman in the 1958 version of CAT. Still the best version of all.
voicegirl555 THIS IS A FILMED PLAY, it's not a movie.
voicegirl555 Sweetheart, you are forgetting the stellar performance by Burl Ives as Big Daddy.
Natalie Wood is really good in this.
Mr. Muthing, I know it was a filmed play but it still cannot touch the movie. And yes Villago I have not forgotten Burl Ives! He makes the movie! Still the best Big Daddy of them all and I have seen a lot of actors play Big Daddy!. The last one I saw was James Earl Jones on Broadway and before him Ned Beatty also on Broadway and both of them were at the top of their game, but they could not make me forget Burl lves' Big Daddy!
So right re; Berl Ives!
big daddy looks like colonel sanders. lol.
Surprisingly, Olivier is just not "big" enough, in any way for the role. He does not dominate the proceedings sufficiently to understand why everyone else is so eager to please him, so intimidated by him, nor so respectful of him. In truth, he comes off as something of a bore. Maureen Stapleton, on the other hand, is truly marvelous and deeply touching in her devotion to holding her marriage and her family together. The enormous cuts that were made in the famous film's screenplay are vindicated by this terribly talky, and dramatically diffuse script.
Thanks for sharing this. I wanted to see how this version compares to the Elizabeth Taylor/Paul Newman and Jessica Lange/Tommy Lee Jones versions.
i like this scene, just like the 1959 version
I feel like Sir Larry just added the looks, accent, and voice to the character. But has no feelings at all. He just yells without any expressions or feelings. And Wagner sucks
true...sadly, too true
And another thing: Where are the screens? The '57 movie had wide screened doors leading onto the gallery. Down here, nobody ever leaves a door or window open, even momentarily, without screens.
Wow
Is Wagner even attempting a Southern accent?
Wagner has Brick completely wrong. He's angry all the time. That's not Brick. He gets angry when Skipper becomes part of the conversation, but for the most part, he's just distant. Natalie Wood and Laurence Olivier, however, are much better as Maggie and Big Daddy however, light years above Lange and Rip Torn in the 80s remake.
And Maureen Stapleton is good as Big Mama, though Kim Stanley is also good in the 80s remake. Very pitiful. I'm playing Brick at the local theater. My second run, I did the role in college 8 years ago.
How embarrassing. Wood and Wagner are over their Hollywood heads and it shows.
jerico641 Hahaha I really lol'd.
I like WAGNER & WOOD but IMO, the two were too old by then for the roles.
yes sadly both too old and it hurts the production, especially Wagner,
Olivier is a great actor, but not in this.
So true, sadly...
This casting is appropriate since Wagner was /is in the closet , and the character is repressed . Wagner and the Butler, the real razor. For divorce #1.
Natalie Wood was wonderful in this; Robert Wagner not so much. I would have liked to see Warren Beatty in the part of Brick, that would've been fascinating, especially with Natalie Wood. Well, Wood and Wagner were married at the time, of course, so I guess that's why he got this role.
Wood and Wagner are way overparted here. This plays like student actors in an acting class, complete with clumsy blocking. The little girl is awful.
terrible
Natalie Wood was so overrated. I mean, was she ever convincing in ANYTHING??
you're wrong
No she was good
i don't like natalie wood. she just bores me :\
That’s disrespectful
Then you must not watch all Natalie Wood movies because she was the queen of cool 😎 over Hollywood