Widmark Moment

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"I can still see Widmark turning the pages of the script, and his voice was so frightening. He was not repeating his most famous role [i.e., Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death], but you knew that evil son of a bitch was somehow still lurking, still inside him, ready and willing to kill you but, more than that, anxious to put you in agony." -- William Goldman recalling a moment in '75 or thereabouts when Richard Widmark read for the part of Szell in front of Goldman and John Schlesinger, at a time when it wasn't 100% certain that Laurence Olivier would be able to play the part.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 7, 2008 at 9:25 AM

comment #1

vansmith says ...

goldman tells a great story, no, goldman tells a story great.

Posted by vansmith at April 7, 2008 9:41 AM

comment #2

Edward says ...

Laurence Olivier is fantastic in the role, but I think Widmark would also have been excellent. He'd certainly bring different shadings to the character. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall to hear what was said after Widmark left.

Posted by Edward at April 7, 2008 9:42 AM

comment #3

CinemaPhreek says ...

You gotta love it - Wells will defend throwing out spoilers willy-nilly to fucking death, yet assumes that most of us remember the ex-Nazi's name in MARATHON MAN?

Shit, I've seen the movie and read ADVENTURES IN THE SCREEN TRADE twice but I couldn't come up with Szell to save my life if I had to.

Posted by CinemaPhreek at April 7, 2008 10:54 AM

comment #4

BurmaShave says ...

Most of us could. Consider yourself lucky? As indelible as Olivier was, I would have loved to have seen Widmark do it. Probably would have been his Oscar role. And for those of you who have indeed read ADVENTURES IN THE SCREEN TRADE, I doubt he'd have taken as much shit from Hoffman.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 7, 2008 11:13 AM

comment #5

Edward says ...

Maybe Widmark would have just slapped Hoffman. "Use this asshole." SMACK.

Actor's need to use whatever works for them. I was playing Mordred in Camelot and went up to the actor playing Arthur and asked hime to slap me. SMACK. Really worked for me that performance. The rest of the cast thought we had personal issues.

Posted by Edward at April 7, 2008 3:14 PM

comment #6