Who played the best Hamlet?

[Chichiri]

Poll question: Who played the best Hamlet?

[Bucky]

1. Mario Cuomo

Most stage Hamlets are way way too old. Case in point: Derek Jacoby, Kenneth Brannaugh. Most Hamlets look older than their mothers.

[CanuckAmok]

27. Bwah haa haa!

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Olivier! But do not forget Guinness, either!

Or Gielgud!

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. And I saw Randall Duk Kim play a fantastic Hamlet

[Chichiri]

4. Incidentally, is the Brannagh film version available on DVD?

I havent' been able to find it.

[NV Whino]

50. I don't think so

I've been looking for it, too. I have it on VHS, but can't play VHS any more.

[Left Is Write]

5. Anybody but Mel Gibson.

But I'm voting for Olivier.

[jobycom]

53. Come on, not anyone?

Keanu Reeves certainly had to have been worse.

Actually, I thought Mel did a respectable job--he should have, since he's basically acted like he was playing Hamlet in every film he's ever done. I was telling someone about his portrayal of Hamlet once, and I mentioned the scene where he screams out "I am in Hell!" They reminded me that was from "The Bounty."

[PassingFair]

6. Easy Peasy!

Lawrence Harvey in "The Magic Christian"

I was gob-smacked.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Olivier!

That man could not do a bad acting job if his life depended on it..

:kick:

[Aristus]

9. Oh?

You didn't see "The Betsy", did you, CalPeg?

He phoned it in, and the connection was pretty bad.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Ah, my dear Aristus...

You caught me...I didn't see "The Betsey." Oh well, I knew I was taking a chance on this one...

And I got caught!

But there's nobody I'd rather get caught by... :blush:

[Aristus]

12. I caught you, huh?

I guess you're not playing 'hard to get' anymore. B-)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. Who, me? Are you talking to me?

Are you calling me *um* easy?

Hmmm...guess again, my dear Aristus...:evilgrin:

[Aristus]

14. No, you're not easy, CalPeg.

You're definitely designed for ages 16 and up. B-)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. Well, I do hope you're over age 16!

:rofl:

I can really be outrageous when I want to, can't I?

[Aristus]

16. Yep. By 20 years or so.

I'm 36, babe. :P

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. Ah, just a kid....

My god...I have a daughter who is older than you are...

Maybe I'd better not flirt with you anymore... :blush:

[Aristus]

19. Flirt with me all you want, honey.

I like older women. B-) (My wife is 45! :-) )

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. ROFLMAO!

OK....You asked for it! Flirt bombs awaaaayyyy....!

:loveya:

[mitchum]

24. "I haff no son!"

So, you're one of the lucky ones who never saw "The Jazz Singer"? :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

28. You are correct...

I NEVER saw "The Jazz Singer."

Guess I didn't miss much, huh?

Oh well, you win some, and you lose some....:rofl:

[BigMcLargehuge]

36. oh god my mom tortured me with that movie as a child

... She was a big Neil fan.

[Deep13]

42. Yeah, it was on HBO or something every 15 minutes in the '80s.

I'm still in therapy TOO-day!

[NV Whino]

52. I was fortunate enough to see Sir (in those days) Laurence

in person. Saw him in The Master Builder (not one of my favorite plays, but I couldn't get tickets to Othello) in Scotland. Totally amazing! The minute the man walked on stage before he said a word, he had the entire audience in his hand.

[Jade Fox]

8. Gibson--it's the only performance of his...

that I can think of that I like.

[Deep13]

43. Gibson? Here's how it went.

Hamlet Sr.: I am thy father's spirit!

Horatio: Do not go with him my Lord!

Hamlet Jr.: Two days ago I saw a vee-ickle that could 'aul that tanker. You wanna git outtah here, you talk tah me.

[KamaAina]

11. Where is the love for Keanu Reeves?

He played Hamlet in Toronto once. The review: "Mr. Reeves said all the words in the correct order." Ouch.

[Flaxbee]

18. Oooooolivier!

Laurence Olivier was fantastic. And damn, the man was beautiful, too.

But I'd really like to see Campbell Scott play Hamlet. Anyone see "Roger Dodger"? He was great in it - an ass, but great.

[WCGreen]

20. I did....

It was back in 1971 or 1972, I can;t remember the date....

But it was Junior High, I was the understudy for Steve Campshlutz, the resident "Olivier", more like livid hair, if you get my drift....

So his Ophelia, Doris Wadsworth, who some may remember as the girl who developed into a full blown C cup by the time she was in 8th grade, told me to do something with Steve, he had such bad breath there WAS NO WAY she could go on stage with him....

So I paid off Nelson H'lucky, who was majoring in Maffia 101, to put the hurt on old Steve Campshultz, knowing full well that I, playing Rosencrantz, would get the part by default....

So Steve shows up one day, in the school swimming pool, with a broken leg......

Well, the rest, as we all know, is history...

I went on to a glorious career in Stage and Screen while Steve, well he ended up chasing ambulances for a PI firm in Chilocothe Ohio....

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. Oh REALLY?

This sounds like a very tall tale, my dear Chris....

Especially the last part...glorious career in Stage and Screen?


Hmmm...maybe Google is my friend? :shrug:


You sure do spin the great stories, though...Must be the gift of the Irish gab...

:hug:

[WCGreen]

25. It's all true....

You can look it up......

But my stage name was Burt Convey

[CaliforniaPeggy]

26. I still think you're kidding me...

But I have no good way to prove it...

I'll check though...if only to keep you honest!

If you could only see my silly grin....:rofl:

[PassingFair]

30. LOL

How dare you disrespect the dead Burt Convey!

[mitchum]

23. Bobby Flanagan in the 5th grade...the fuckin' kid killed!

Killed, I tell ya!

[Robeson]

29. Derek Jacobi....

...was a great performance.

[derby378]

37. Thank you!

Why isn't his name one of the poll choices? Damn.

[Robeson]

47. Especially since the OP has Jacobi's picture in it, performing the role...

...you'd think his name would be there, too!

[Chichiri]

58. That's my fault.

I thought it was Brannagh in the picture, for some reason.

[jobycom]

44. Damn! It took 29 posts to remember him? That's my vote, too.

[Robeson]

48. Here's an interesting break-down of some who've played the role...

... http://www.madbeast.com/greatest_hamlets.htm

[Shakespeare]

61. Second that. And....

....Patrick Stewart was an outstanding Claudius in that same BBC production. Absolutely the most interesting film interpretation of Hamlet I've ever seen (not counting the whacked-out Russian film version several years ago).

[wildhorses]

31. I voted for Kenneth Branaugh

but I think Mel did a credible performance and I have yet to see Oliver's...:blush:
on edit: confused Kevin with Kenneth for a half a second (brain fart)

[DelawareValleyDem]

32. John Gielgud

Allegedy, Gielgud once saw Burton perfom Hamlet and made this comment to him.

"I'll come back and see it when you're better."

[Deep13]

33. Max Schell, in the MST version.

Notorious K-I-N-G.

I like him--NOT!

Here's a good skull, a good starter skull.

Why don't you cramlet?

[dr.zoidberg]

35. Yes!

Hamlet: To sleep...
Servo: SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!
(Mike and Crow startled)
Hamlet: (whispering)To sleep...
Servo: (whispering)sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!
That exchange kills me every time.

[displacedtexan]

34. The worst Hamlet: Dame Judith Anderson (on the stage)

What can I say? It' was the 70's. Back when directors were stuck in "let's put the stage villains in Nazi uniforms" mode.

Dame Judith was a day older than God, too, when she played Hamlet.

It was just plain weird.

[jackelope72]

38. Sir Ian McKellen

No, wait...that was Macbeth.

Never mind.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

39. Definitely not Kenneth "I really love myself!" Branaugh.

Olivier for me, thanks!

[Deep13]

41. Yah, know I like Branaugh's except for one thing.

When the actors arrive there is a discussion among Hamlet, Pelonious and the actor. My understanding from the written play and from other performances is that both Pelonious and Hamlet were quipping humerously about the actor's performance. In the Branaugh film, however, it is more live Hamlet is ripping on Pelonious and the remarks in that context did not make any sense.

[bikebloke]

40. Haven't seen Olivier's

I have Olivier's Hamlet on VHS. A freebie someone gave me. Just never got around to viewing it. I reckon I ought to haul the VCR out of the closet and give it a whirl. I liked Branagh's version and am waiting for a DVD version.

Speaking of Branagh; wasn't he supposed to film MacBeth. He'd have to do better than Polanski's, which was good.

[chaska]

45. Olivier was way too old for the role.

[NV Whino]

51. Can't argue that he was too old,

but that doesn't diminish his performance.

Edit; argh... my keyboard spelled wrong again.

[Felix Mala]

57. Would like to see Olivier's Hamlet, his Lear was exquisite.

[NV Whino]

59. The Hamlet is on DVD

I think I got it at Amazon.

[gizmonic]

46. Quick question: is the picture in the OP Derek Jacobi?

If so, then he has my vote.

Cuz he's awesome...nuff sed.:headbang:

[gardenista]

54. It sure looks like him to me.

And he's got my vote, too.

[NV Whino]

49. Gotta vote for Lord Olivier, but

Brannagh based his performance (and look) on Olivier's. Both great films.

[CBGLuthier]

55. Austin Pendleton, from the 15 minute Hamlet

Rare and hard to find a copy of but Austin Pendleton made a great, if slightly too old, Hamlet in the film adaptation of The 15 Minute Hamlet.

[Felix Mala]

56. I gotta say, I enjoyed Mel's version over Brannaugh's. Here's a song,

a natty little ditty to remember Hamlet by:

Oor Hamlet
(aka The Three-Minute Hamlet)
Words by : Adam McNaughton
Tune of : The Mason's Apron

There was a king nodding in his garden all alane,
When his brother in his ear poured a little bit of henbane,
Stole his brother's crown and his money and his widow,
But the dead king walked and got his son and said, "Now listen kiddo,
I've been killed and it's your duty to take revenge on Claudius,
Kill him quick and clean and tell the nation what a fraud he is."
The kid says, "Right I'll do it, but I'll have to play it crafty,
So that no will suspect me I'll kid on that I'm a dafty."

So for all except Horatio, and he counts him as a friend,
Hamlet, that's the kid, he kids on he's 'round the bend,
And because he's not yet willing for obligatory killing,
He tries to make his uncle think he's tuppence off a shilling.
Takes a rise out of Polonius, treats poor Ophelia vile,
Tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that Denmark's blooded bile,
Then a troupe of traveling actors local seven eighty four,
Arrive to do a special one-night gig in Elsinore.

Hamlet, Hamlet, acting balmy,
Hamlet, Hamlet, loves his mommy,
Hamlet, Hamlet, hesitating,
He wonders if the ghost's a fake,
And that is why he's waiting.

So Hamlet wrote a scene for the players to enact,
So Horatio and he could see if Claudius cracked,
The play was called "The Mousetrap" (not the one that's running now),
And sure enough the king walked out before the scene was through.
So Hamlet's got the proof his uncle gave his dad the dose,
The only problem being now that Claudius knows he knows,
So while Hamlet tells his mother her new husband's not a fit man,
Uncle Claude takes out a contract with the English king as hit man.

Then when Hamlet killed Polonius, and the corpus was delecti,
Was the king's excuse to send him for an English hempen necktie,
With Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to make quite sure he got there,
But Hamlet jumped the boat and put the finger straight on that pair.
When Laertes heard his dad's killed in the bedroom in the arras,
He came running back to Elsinore tout-suite hot-foot from Paris.
When Ophelia heard her dad's killed by the man she was to marry,
After saying it with flowers, she committed hari-kari.

Hamlet, Hamlet, no messin'
Hamlet, Hamlet, learned his lesson
Hamlet, Hamlet, Yorick's crust
Convinced him all men good or bad,
At last must come to dust.

Then Laertes lost his cool and was demanding retribution,
The king said keep your head and I'll supply you a solution.
So the king arranged a swordfight for the interested parties,
With a blunted sword for Hamlet and a sharp sword for Laertes.
And to make double sure (the old belt-and-braces line),
He fixed up a poisoned sword-tip and a poisoned cup of wine.
The poisoned sword got Hamlet, but Laertes went and fluffed it,
Because he stabbed himself and he confessed before he snuffed it.

Then Hamlet's mommy drank the wine and as her face turned blue,
Hamlet said, "I think this king's a baddie through and through."
"Incestuous, murderous, damned Dane," he said, to be precise,
Then made up for hesitating once, by killing Claudius twice.
He stabbed him with his knife and forced the wine between his lips
He said, "The rest is silence," and he cashed in all his chips.
They fired a volley over him that shook the topmost rafter,
And Fortinbras, knee deep in Danes, lived happily ever after.

Hamlet, Hamlet, end of story
Hamlet, Hamlet, very gory
Hamlet, Hamlet, I'm on my way
And if you think that was confusing,
You should read the bloody play.

[Hand]

60. (Sigh)...No... no... no...

The correct answer is Nicol Williamson. Gad... must I do EVERYTHING around here?
:nuke:

[Chichiri]

64. Apparently.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

62. Bob Denver

In the episode of "Gilligan's Island" when Phil Silvers was on a Harold Hecubah.

[TroubleMan]

63. Laurence Olivier

nt