David Lean Centenary

[Marky B]

This Tuesday 25 March,sees the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of Britain's greatest visionaries in film,Sir David Lean. Starting with dual controls on In Which We Serve with Sir Noel Coward,he branched out on his own to make such classics as Brief Encounter,This Happy Breed,Great Expectations,Oliver Twist,Hobson's Choice and then went into the blockbuster league with Bridge On The River Kwai,Lawrence of Arabia,Dr Zhivago,Ryan's Daughter and A Passage To India. He had been working on film versions of the Bounty and up to his death was working on a film adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Nostromo.

He was by all accounts a strict disciplinarian and perfectionist,who oft fell out with his actors (Sir Alec Guinness being one of them),but if it was those qualities that honed him to be one of our best (IMHO,THE best) British director,then they were not wasted.

On the Terry Wogan Show in the 80's he cited Lawrence of Arabia as being his favourite film. Butchered after its initial release,it was lovingly restored by Robert Harris with help by the two US directors Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg - Sir David chipped in too. Both Scorsese and Spielberg rate Lean as being influential in their film work.

LOA is my personal favourite too,but I understand some preferred his more initimate films,and I have no argument over that,as Hobson's Choice is a brilliant crafted comedy of no wasted talent.

A salute to Sir David Lean.
Ta Ta
Marky B

[stevie boy]

Originally Posted by Marky B This Tuesday 25 March,sees the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of Britain's greatest visionaries in film,Sir David Lean. Starting with dual controls on In Which We Serve with Sir Noel Coward,he branched out on his own to make such classics as Brief Encounter,This Happy Breed,Great Expectations,Oliver Twist,Hobson's Choice and then went into the blockbuster league with Bridge On The River Kwai,Lawrence of Arabia,Dr Zhivago,Ryan's Daughter and A Passage To India. He had been working on film versions of the Bounty and up to his death was working on a film adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Nostromo. He was by all accounts a strict disciplinarian and perfectionist,who oft fell out with his actors (Sir Alec Guinness being one of them),but if it was those qualities that honed him to be one of our best (IMHO,THE best) British director,then they were not wasted. On the Terry Wogan Show in the 80's he cited Lawrence of Arabia as being his favourite film. Butchered after its initial release,it was lovingly restored by Robert Harris with help by the two US directors Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg - Sir David chipped in too. Both Scorsese and Spielberg rate Lean as being influential in their film work. LOA is my personal favourite too,but I understand some preferred his more initimate films,and I have no argument over that,as Hobson's Choice is a brilliant crafted comedy of no wasted talent. A salute to Sir David Lean. Ta Ta Marky B

apologies in advance, but I thought that David Lean was highly overated and went downhill after working with Noel Coward, sorry guys

[CaptainWaggett]

Article in today's Observer about the Carnforth Brief Encounter industry

There is now something of a Brief Encounter mini-industry at Carnforth, what with the famous clock, the visitors' centre and the delightful refreshment room - a replica of the set, which was itself a copy of the original. This week business promises to be brisk, which will delight new proprietors Andrew Coates and Helen Dytham - who, despite being locals in search of a tea room to run, last year turned up to view the country's most iconic tea room, which was on the market, without having the faintest idea of its existence. 'I sent a text to Andrew saying "Have you heard of Brief Encounter?" and he said, "No,"' said Helen. They are up to speed now,

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett Article in today's Observer about the Carnforth Brief Encounter industry

That's like the people who took over the Western isles Hotel on Mull without having heard of I Know Where I'm Going! - they soon learnt about it

Steve

[Buffalo_Chuck]

I'm never sure what "over rated" means. That he can't direct big spectaculars? That they're no good? That he can't do little films about little people like HOBSONS or BRIEF? That he's directed a wide range of films in both stature, time and cast?

I don't understand what over-rated means. He has done all of those films, yes? Some are good, some aren't, but there aren't too many directors who can cite such a broad range of stories, casts, locations and time-periods, and in such a relatively scant number of films.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Buffalo_Chuck I'm never sure what "over rated" means.

Over rated is usually more about what people have said about someone (how they are rated) rather than any specific details of what they have done, and that someone thinks that those ratings aren't deserved.

Someone can do not very much but be praised to the skies for it (be highly rated). But other people might think that praise isn't deserved and so think that they are over rated

Steve

[stevie boy]

Originally Posted by Buffalo_Chuck I'm never sure what "over rated" means. That he can't direct big spectaculars? That they're no good? That he can't do little films about little people like HOBSONS or BRIEF? That he's directed a wide range of films in both stature, time and cast? I don't understand what over-rated means. He has done all of those films, yes? Some are good, some aren't, but there aren't too many directors who can cite such a broad range of stories, casts, locations and time-periods, and in such a relatively scant number of films.

Hi Buffalo, in my opinion Lean is not the God that he is made out to be. Yes he made some good films but nothing that would be in a top ten of all time. This Happy Breed and Brief Encounter were both very good,BUT, I do not think that he improved as he got older. He also seemed to be an arrogant director who believed all the publicity about himself. He made nothing on the level of the Third Man or A Matter of Life and Death, In my opinion. Out of Carol Reed and Michael Powell , Lean is in third place By a distance.

[stevie boy]

In fact he would not be in my list of top directors.

[Buffalo_Chuck]

Originally Posted by stevie boy Lean is in third place by a distance.

Yes, obviously an over-rated director, I see what you mean.

[stevie boy]

Originally Posted by Buffalo_Chuck Yes, obviously an over-rated director, I see what you mean.

only my opinion though

[Lady Skelton]

Lean sometimes cited his favourite among his own films as Summer Madness, the ravishing Venice-set romance starring Katharine Hepburn. And it is a beauty. THE best film about a holiday romance ever!
The Passionate Friends is also a goodie, if only for the fabulous Claude Rains.

[wellpip]

I thought his movies were great. He was also a very intelligent and interesting man to listen to being interviewed. I was not to keen on A Passage to India (1984) for some reson it just lacked something for me. I read somewhere he was planning to do Treasure island, I would have loved to see that.

My Favs.

• Ryan's Daughter (1970)
• Doctor Zhivago (1965)
• Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
• The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
• Summertime (1955)
• Hobson's Choice (1954)
• Oliver Twist (1948)
• This Happy Breed (1947)
• Brief Encounter (1946)
• Great Expectations (1946)
• Blithe Spirit (1945)
• In Which We Serve (1942)

[Freddy]

David Lean is one of my favourite directors, with Lawrence being at the top of my list though as Lady Skelton says Summer Madness is very good.
This being his centenary year there were going to be showings of a selection of his films on the big screens throughout the year, does anyone have anymore news of this.

Much thanks

Freddy

[Buffalo_Chuck]

I was trying to run queries on the IMDB database and kept getting "Directors 32,128" which is the same number that results when "Actor" is queried. It's probably a indexing-limit.

But if there are 32,128 directors and someone's in, say, the Top 3, that's not too bad. Top 10. Top 100. Top 1,000 isn't too shabby either, numerically speaking.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Buffalo_Chuck I was trying to run queries on the IMDB database and kept getting "Directors 32,128" which is the same number that results when "Actor" is queried. It's probably a indexing-limit. But if there are 32,128 directors and someone's in, say, the Top 3, that's not too bad. Top 10. Top 100. Top 1,000 isn't too shabby either, numerically speaking.

The IMDb Statistics Page says that they have entries for:
2,587,441 people
908,549 actors
540,467 actresses
144,087 directors

How did you get the result "Directors 32,128"?
If it was 32,767 that would make more sense as an indexing limit as that's (2^15 - 1) which is the limit for a signed, 15 bit number.

Note that they still list him primarily as an editor because he has more credits as an editor than as a director

I don't think they do a top 10, or top anything, by profession

Steve