No whooping, no howling. No twat of a host butting in, laughing hysterically at anything said. Just a host and an audience listening to the guest.

@ahlishaholloway233

3 жыл бұрын

Let's be honest, you're talking about Fallon.

@beingsshepherd

3 жыл бұрын

No applauding success and name-drops.

@hyllaf

3 жыл бұрын

Well said

@perrycomeau2627

2 жыл бұрын

A spirit of a general toward king comes from a Moor.

@perrycomeau2627

2 жыл бұрын

@@ahlishaholloway233 Police would be pleased to contact you about Fallon. He may have a secret devise shoved up an orifice of his.

As an American is it a joy to hear the words of the greatest writer in the English language spoken in perfect English by a proper Englishman.

Olvier spoke for non stop over 3 straight minutes without being interrupted Humans have lost their ability to even do that in modern times

@douglasstaggs6796

Жыл бұрын

HOWARD STERN DRIVES ME BONKERS.

@amazon5031

Жыл бұрын

Nowadays it is all flashy, skin deep presentation without any substance. So someone like Trump was elected. People have become zombies.

@stevesmodelbuilds5473

10 ай бұрын

It's because today, most people don't have an attention span of more than 2 minutes, and have no desire to learn anything. "It's of civic interest..." That's why no one cares -- most today only care about themselves...

@TheRealGnolti

8 ай бұрын

Great observation. One possible explanation is cultural, i.e., that at the time this was recorded, there was still a basic but widespread respect for accomplished artists, so media people had no problem--considered it a pleasure, even --just to let them talk. I'm not sure there is as much respect for such figures today, or what they have to say, because the "theatre" Olivier is talking about is now subsumed under the broad category of :entertainment."

@alonzogarbanzo

8 ай бұрын

For a lesson in how to interview intelligently, probingly and respectfully---all three attributes to the "n"th degree---watch almost any Dick Cavett interview.

Slips into the sonnet without altering his voice, demeanour or physicality and yet becomes the sonnet. Super human qualities of a super hero.

@TheraBear1991

3 ай бұрын

Dame Judi dench has this same quality and it is incredible.

When a host would let the quest talk without butting in.

@kennikuhlmann-clark9860

4 жыл бұрын

That's also when QUESTS were able to speak..... I can almost here Laurence Oliver say: 'What is your quest?!' (in a Monty Python voice)

@Isleofskye

4 жыл бұрын

Always let the quest have his say...

@jakezywek6852

4 жыл бұрын

the Quest should always be allowed to speak.

@Isleofskye

4 жыл бұрын

My Guest has always been to find a Host who let the Quests speak and finally , I have found one and my guest is over ....!

@solobano570

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers to eternal quest!

I will forever remember his wonderfull voice from the Series " The World at War " which used to be show on a Sunday in the UK .

How enjoyable it is to hear a person speak without requiring the incessant stammering, the "uhs", "ums", "you knows" , to express a thought.

@alonzogarbanzo

8 ай бұрын

well yeah like, I mean he goes "Shakespeare" and I'm like all "as if", knowmsayn?

@politecat4236

7 ай бұрын

​@@alonzogarbanzohunny his performance had me SHOOOK! I was like yassss slay son!

Just beautiful. No grandstanding, no histrionics, perfect pace. (But of course; we're watching the greatest actor of the age). Delivered in that matchless voice. And that sweet, slightly feline smile....

He recites it perfectly because he understands it so well.

Wow! He just jumped into it and let go in a snap. The sincerity, the charm. When Oliver recites Shakespeare it’s the only time I understand it.

@SpaceCattttt

4 жыл бұрын

No, you don't. You think you understand it, but your mind is deluded by cognitive illusions. Nobody understands Shakespeare. 'Tis not the way of the soliloquy to impart wisdom, you see?

@PapiSorrels

4 жыл бұрын

teppolundgren The tartness of your words SOURS the ripest grapes. @@

@kamuelalee

4 жыл бұрын

I only understand it too when Olivier is uttering those famous phrases...especially in movies like Richard III. Genius.

@17donhol

4 жыл бұрын

@@SpaceCattttt be quiet u big fucking blow hard...How do u know what he knows or doesnt know.... SHADDUP.!!!!!

@alistairgordon2479

2 жыл бұрын

@@PapiSorrels 0

Just watching this now, March 2024 - I am mesmerised. This man was Shakespeare personified.

How we miss this type of talk

There is no way this man was unaware of his own genius, and STILL he remained humble. Class act.

@jadezee6316

3 жыл бұрын

if you think Olivier was a humble man...you must also believe in santa claus

@forkyyyy7842

3 жыл бұрын

@@jadezee6316 was he hard to deal with ?

@MS-zu8ds

3 жыл бұрын

I think he was very aware of his genius or he couldn't have employed it. Humble to an extent, but able to blend into the background. Difficult, aren't we all at times?

@johnjim6793

2 жыл бұрын

In my youth, the first piece I saw of Sir Laurence Olivier was "Spartacus". There are (few) stretches in that movie where he is over-acting in a way that is almost unwatchable today - much too theatrical, and giving the impression of a big star not kept under control by a young director (who happened to be a certain Stanley Kubrick). This clouded my picture of this great actor for a couple of years, I have to confess. By the time, I saw other work and some interviews by him, and I got a much more positive impression. His genius has always been undoubted. I would certainly not call him arrogant or out of touch, but also not escpecially humble.

@jadezee6316

2 жыл бұрын

@@forkyyyy7842 yes..he could be hard to deal with....but he was also a very nasty man to many other actors and DID question their ability to their face....etc... sorry i never saw your question before

Look at what we used to be. This is enlightened humanity being presented here. Beautiful in its prose, and delivery. As beautiful as a piece of symphony music. How far we have fallen in only 40 years. God let us return to this kind of society.

His eloquence would leave many today scratching their heads in puzzlement. Genius.

@mjames4709

4 жыл бұрын

Tony Michaels and this is why his final resting place is Westminster Abbey.

@EK-yp8ip

4 жыл бұрын

English, well spoken is a beautiful language, it can be so expressive and magical. Why wouldn’t anyone not want to explore and master it ?

@seanpadraigobrien1260

4 жыл бұрын

Linguistics has become very regressive indeed.

@paulbrimble8204

3 жыл бұрын

A gentle man

@jonathanclarke281

3 жыл бұрын

'today'? I clearly remember the early 90s, 30 years ago and it was exactly the same! 'like like like', etc! You'd have to go back to the early 80s and before to get any sense of intellectual understanding.

The general dumbing down of society is painfully apparent when you watch these 70's talk shows

@andrewtucker94

3 жыл бұрын

@Michael Moores Anti-vaccine propaganda is a great example of the idiocy scattered to the four winds by the internet, well done.

@MegaAtomium

3 жыл бұрын

I could NOT agree more. Dick Cavett was simply the BEST talk show host.

@leedobson

3 жыл бұрын

@@MegaAtomium being British I've only discovered him through youtube, but yes...an intelligent, witty host

@pilroberts6185

3 жыл бұрын

Our schools once educated children, now they are indoctrination factories producing stupid little automatons...

@andrewtucker94

3 жыл бұрын

@@pilroberts6185 If you thought that were true, then which generation's lazy oversight and political decisions are responsible? Because it isn't mine.

This guy is just on a different level than everyone else...

When Olivier acts, even here with this "recitation", something utterly mysterious and enrapturing happens. He holds the audience, the room, the very air around him absolutely transfixed. One feels almost as if hypnotized, so powerful and inescapable is his ability to capture one's very consciousness. He truly was the greatest actor of all time.

@jubalcalif9100

5 жыл бұрын

Amen to that ! Thank you for a very insightful & thoughtful comment !

@photo161

5 жыл бұрын

@@jubalcalif9100 --And thank you or your generous acknowledgment.

@jubalcalif9100

5 жыл бұрын

@@photo161 You are or course completely & utterly welcome !! CHEERS !! :-)

@tjcassidy2694

4 жыл бұрын

Kudos to the director for dousing the lights behind him.

@aaronmccutcheon

4 жыл бұрын

Sir Laurence Olivier and Maria Calas are my favorites... Daniel Day Lewis is pretty great as well.

When Sir Laurence recited the sonnet from Shakespeare, i found myself in a flood of silent tears, So beautiful, so perfect, so immediate...divine Shakespeare with a man that could always bring him to life...

@olliefoxx7165

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly. To remember the lines is impressive to me but he knew they meant. He added humanity to the recitation and breathed life into the words.

@Anicius_

2 жыл бұрын

@@olliefoxx7165 Shakespeare criticized exaggerated acting in hamlet. I read him slowly and he flows naturally

@olliefoxx7165

2 жыл бұрын

@@Anicius_ Did the language flow easily at first read or did you have to study the lines for awhile?

@Anicius_

2 жыл бұрын

@@olliefoxx7165 it took me some time..

@sillyboy2223

2 жыл бұрын

Lol alright then

Doesn't it drive you crazy that once upon a time there were talk shows as erudite and informed as this one? In the blather of nudge-and-wink showbiz gossip talk shows, nothing like this exists anymore.

@PatrickKelly-lz3pv

4 жыл бұрын

they have been replaced by Ellen, can you imagine her interviewing Laurence Olivier, she would have some one jump out of a box to scare him and then make him play a game, her audience would scream and shout every time she raised a eye brow.

@elta6241

4 жыл бұрын

It’s depressing to think this has all gone.

@jmaycock

4 жыл бұрын

Yes. We have to turn to podcasts for interviewers that don’t interrupt.

@jrbleau

4 жыл бұрын

In fairness, Cavett was recognized for this even back then. Carson was also great, though in a more upbeat way, belying the great amount of reading and research he did. I grant you that today's "interviewers" aren't good.

@nicholasreid1836

4 жыл бұрын

@Nenethegreat W Thanks for your comment. Actually it's not up to me because I'm not American and have never lived in America - but you're correct in noting that there was trash back then too.

The voice of "The World At War". Transfixed me as a young man.

@johnrandall125

4 жыл бұрын

That brilliant record of WW2, which stands the test of time even today, would be a lesser thing had Olivier not narrated it.

@hawaiisidecar

3 жыл бұрын

I remember it on PBS.

@tayspuddy

3 жыл бұрын

Indeed!! as it did I. His recitation of the poem 'SON' by the Russian poet Pavel Antolkolsky still brings me to tears, almost 50 years later.

@tayspuddy

3 жыл бұрын

@kirby waite I 'must mean' or 'surely mean' Read the poem.

@mikewheeleractor

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, his narration of WW2 was brilliant and his tone of voice and emotion was specific to the footage being shown. I am preparing an audition to play this great man and I am terrified.

before he started talking about Shakespeare you could truly hear the passion in his voice about Theatre. and as a big lover of theatre That hit me hard in a good way.

As someone wading into the ocean of Shakespeare for the first time there is no better navigator then Sir Lawrence. Bravo.

Lord! His eloquence!

Seriously could listen to him talk and articulate ideas FOREVER. A true treasure of class

@moondawg3693

3 ай бұрын

He could read the phone book and I'd be happy.

A man who had what Burton and Welles and Niven also had - elegance. Class.

We need a Dick Cavett for these times we're in now. Intelligent, thoughtful interviews

This is indeed one of the most memorable and everlasting Sonnet by Shakespeare on everlasting Love. Sir Lawrence Olivier has recited it Beautifully. ✨🌠

Wow!!... Sir Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare is superb... as was all his acting... Dick Cavett's not bad either. In fact, Cavett was the wittiest interviewer ever on American TV screens.

Lovely to hear English language being spoken so wonderfully unlike today, different times and what a gentleman, class act❤

@moondawg3693

3 ай бұрын

There is goodness and greatness still in this world, but you won't find it on the 6 o'clock news. Look for it and be open to it and you will see it.

Both Olivier and Burton could read the phone book!

@hyllaf

3 жыл бұрын

And hopkins

@eileenkr507

2 жыл бұрын

So true! Burton's voice gives me chills to this day. Greatest voice ever.

Olivier displays a humility that few actors who posses little to no talent today have. Pure class is something sorely lacking in the film/theatre industry.

@jubalcalif9100

5 жыл бұрын

Well said and well put !! :-)

@mrgainz7252

4 жыл бұрын

Very true indeed.

@OmarTorrez

4 жыл бұрын

YOU believe that "pure class is sorely lacking" only in the film/theatre industry? It is my impression that this is a much wider phenomenon, permeating ALL professions. This is certainly my experience.

@olliefoxx7165

4 жыл бұрын

@@OmarTorrez yes, sadly it's true

@lee-annebarrett366

2 жыл бұрын

The ego and arrogance and rudeness today in actors is mind boggling. Most have little talent when you see and hear people like Sir Laurence Olivier. Compare him with Alex Baldwin.

From an Irishman, what a beautiful exponent of the English language, he was unique and perhaps the greatest actor. Great interview by Mr Cavett

3 жыл бұрын

I do disagree. Paul Scofield was the greatest. Plus, Michael Redgrave in the Browning Version is unequalled.

@22grena

2 жыл бұрын

Why ‘from an Irishman’?

@Paulco67

2 жыл бұрын

@@22grena The Irish are masters of the English language though it not be their native tongue.

@iriscollins7583

Жыл бұрын

@@Paulco67 There are not many Irish speak the Gaelic nowadays, sadly.

How, with such glories of the human spirit on display, have we sunk to the egotism and crassness of this current age.

@HonoredGeneral

4 жыл бұрын

Sadly....

@windhoek-land8339

3 жыл бұрын

apacheeeee

@kevinbray2603

3 жыл бұрын

mirandas speech in the temprst is the most beautiful of a great genius

He is a true expert of his craft. It's like the difference between a good singer and a great singer. A great singer is relaxed and absorbed by the song, taking their time and just doing it out of obsession. Olivier is 1 of the few true greats of acting.

@moondawg3693

3 ай бұрын

Oyyyyy Veyyy !!!

The Lord of the Stage himself, the legendary and great SIR LAURENCE OLIVIER. What a great blessing to see and hear him recite a Shakespeare Sonnet with such class and grace. A true master of Shakespearean Art.

I have said it before and I will say it again , he is the greatest actor that ever lived hands down! RIP Sir Laurence

@michaelthomas-hq2fd

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed. Fortunate to have seen Sir Laurence as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and as The Captain in Strinberg's The Dance of Death at the Old Vic. Unquestionably, an electric presence on stage but also generous to his fellow actors. The English-speaking theatre will not see his like again.

@jasonhurd4379

4 жыл бұрын

@Adam Brown Not greater than Thespis or Richard Burbage, surely...🤔

@ds1868

4 жыл бұрын

Lord Olivier. The title of this clip is wrong.

@timmo491

4 жыл бұрын

Ralph Richardson for me.

@WilliamViets

4 жыл бұрын

Gielgud was remarkable as well. Check out their supporting roles in Brideshead

Brilliant move by the director to lower the stage lights, and light Sir Larry with a single spotlight at the 5:01 mark. Nicely done!!

@moondawg3693

3 ай бұрын

The was a planned event, do you actually believe that it "just happened" ?

@paulpitt52

2 ай бұрын

@@moondawg3693 no I don’t. What part of my comment didn’t you understand? I acknowledged the director’s skill and expertise in setting the scene.

No one can say "years" like Sir Laurence...what a genius....

One of the greatest actors ever.

@Isleofskye

4 жыл бұрын

Number 1 Emily...:)

You can tell he loved that recital the tears were scarcely hidden.

Even through informal conversation Olivier could bring such eloquence to the English language.

Sir Olivier was without doubt, the greatest actor of the 20th century. I cannot listen to him speak without getting chills. A master of the spoken English word, I doubt there will ever be another. Richard the III is truly dead. I have heard no man speak to Act I, Scene I as well as he.

I could listen to Sir Laurence Olivier all day. What a talented man he was.

Damn, he's smooth!

The only time I've actually clapped watching a video.

The coolest man ever. That was lovely.

I am happy, and quite a bit proud, that growing up I was exposed to and to some degree witnessed the likes of Olivier, Gielgud, Richard Burton, Ralph Richardson, Paul Scofield, Peter O'Toole, Brando, Peter Ustinov etc. Those were indeed glory days. Today's generation is so much poorer and uninspired for its lack of such legends.

@paylmoffat3409

2 жыл бұрын

Well put. Well put indeed.

@pada5992

2 жыл бұрын

Well put. Thanks for the namedropping. I will dive into those.

@pada5992

2 жыл бұрын

I sure hope someone will post a list of somewhat equivalent names of today's generation here.

@paylmoffat3409

2 жыл бұрын

@@pada5992 Brando’s Napoleon shook people to their boots. Greatest single stage performance before and since. Up there with greatest.

@ongbruhlol

Жыл бұрын

Day Lewis, Brad Pitt, Timothee Chalamet, Russell Crowe, James Gandolfini, Christian Bale, Ed Norton, Denzel Washington, Ben Affleck, Mel Gibson, Gary Oldman would all like a word

I could listen to Sir Laurence Olivier for hours

There is much to appreciated in the written words, spoken well. And who better to speak them, than Lawrence Olivier, that Prince of the dramatic art. You hear him once and keep beghing for more....

He just... says it! There's no 'performance', he just breathes the stuff out as if he's just sitting having an ordinary conversation. How the heck does he do it???

@mikkisen8092

3 жыл бұрын

upper class upbringing

@andyholt6643

2 жыл бұрын

His delivery is incredible, the best actor. And the presenter is showcasing the person they're interviewing. It's not about the interviewer at all! So different nowadays

A man of brillance. And very dignified.

Oh Lord, my heart melted when he recited the sonnet. To be spoken to, in these words, in this manner!

@peterknight2860

Жыл бұрын

Bravo Bea! in just twenty words you have given here a beautiful heart-warming comment so worthy of both men.

Wow. I knew not this sonnet, and could not claim to follow all of the allegories and nuances, yet upon its close I am left weeping. What magic.

It’s the eyes as much as the voice!

The consummate gentleman. Such soft-spoken humility, too.

The most charming, eloquent, something aritocratic about him, the greatest actor that has ever lived

Love how near the beginning of the recital (5:02) the lights dim so all focus in on Olivier ...

Gosh, those were the days when conversations were calm, polite, with words well-spoken. It's a delight to hear this again. I remember radio conversations, interviews, in the years of my childhood, where the use of common sense and respect was honoured. The fifties.

@peterknight2860

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, Marian - I grew up in England in the fifties. Only a small 9inch TV screen black & white , only one station BBC and no commercial breaks. Heaven !

The English language is truly beautiful especially when spoken by such a craftsman .

"The theatre is the initial glamoriser of thought." Who else can talk so smoothly and eloquently! I enjoyed how beautifully he explained the importance of theatre in society.

The way he described the role and importance of art had me spellbound. Couldn't agree more. The great Sir Laurence Olivier...

@jackflash743

3 жыл бұрын

actally it was lord olivier

Two of the best doing what they did.

Olivier just presented the most impassioned and eloquent case for theatre in culture off the cuff I have ever heard. And tops it off with an impromptu sonnet. Incredibly difficult to even read out a sonnet and make it sound natural - I always stumble at least twice and he just made it look easy.

3:33 Wow this is a great quote! He’s incredibly well spoken

Imagine the whooping and hollering on a modern USA talk show RIGHT in the middle of that oration!!

@perrin6

4 жыл бұрын

Uurrgh!

@wiseonwords

3 жыл бұрын

Paddy Pup - That's so true!

I don't know what to say. Amazing. His recitation is amazing. He brings to life a language that is often difficult for most people to understand. Bravo.

With three films as actor/director - “Henry V,” “Hamlet,” and “Richard III” - Lord Olivier helped make Shakespeare accessible to a wide audience. So just to hear him do it off-the-cuff is a real treat! Truly a man of great talent, stature, and humility. A class act, as others have said here. And thank you, Dick Cavett, for bringing us such great interviews!

My mother named me Olivia, after she watched Lawrence Olivier’s rendition of Hamlet. And I’m going into acting. He’s always been such an inspiration to me. I hope to be of his caliber one day.

@loulou007eddie2

4 жыл бұрын

Good luck, or should I say don't break a leg.

@douglasmilton2805

4 жыл бұрын

A noble ambition Olivia - I look forward to the day when I can say 'Olivia Hawthorne ? Oh she's famous now, but I remember her back in the KZread days!' Good luck.

@hypolyxa7207

3 жыл бұрын

Best of luck to you, Olivia. Stay humble. And remember not to compare yourself to your peers but rather yourself of yesterday.

@Josh_J9

2 жыл бұрын

Dont aim as high as this you'll be disappointed when you dont get this big, Lawrence was a one off. one of the greatest ever

@amazon5031

Жыл бұрын

Wish you the best of luck! He certsinly is a great inspiration!!

Damn, what a man.

I saw Lord Olivier on stage several times, including his Othello, but what astounded me was when he played a very minor part in an obscure Restoration comedy, and still seemed to dominate the whole stage with his charismatic presence.

He gave an unbelievable speech at the Academy awards

Wow love that sonnet

The greatest actor who ever walked this earth. A brilliant performer with a legendary voice.

He recited my favourite sonnet. I love sir Lawrence Olivier. I'm an ardent admirer of his. And I adore Dick Cavett as well

Love listening to Him. Such a handsome gentleman.

The greatest classical actor to ever tread the boards. A genius.

One of my best friend's weddings is coming up next year and if I am to speak I have now found the perfect way to convey in words what their love projects to all around them. A marriage of true minds.

What a beautiful voice, such a talent!!!!!!!😁🇬🇧

Gorgeous man reciting gorgeous wordsmithery. Bliss!

The most beautiful recitation of Shakespeare, ever. What grace and class.

Mere mortal words could not even begin to attempt to describe the absolute brilliance of Sir Laurence Olivier...I shall not even try......"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger." -

We are so lucky that he lived into the video age!

Olivier does not have the oratory voice of Gielgud.. but there is something about his articulation that captures you attention like a hostage while sending you imagination somewhere far away and beautiful.. A True star in every sense of the word

I first saw Olivier in Spartacus when I was 15. Even in competition with Peter Ustinov and Charles Laughton, I was knocked out by his grandeur, his grace, his sheer brilliance. When he says in one scene, "No, I will not violate Rome at the moment of possessing her," it was for me the apex of film acting. I've admired him ever since.

The 21st Love is the preschool century. Words like culture, education, courtesy and university have become unknown or meaningless❤️

SIr Lawrence was the greatest actor of all time in the world. From an Indian

Truly a genius of unparrelled proportion. The words roll of his tounge like silk.

Hypnotic in its resonance and quietly powerful in his delivery...i could listen to his voice all day and never tire of it..

This man, Brando, Burton, Gielgud, the young Welles......what incredible talents.

We have the talking heads and in your face actors in love with themselves today. This was an actor dedicated to his trade. I don't have to say anymore....

Lord Olivier is superbly eloquent about the importance of the theatre.

Dear Lord....I need more of this.....😍!!!!

@nataliacaetano6326

5 жыл бұрын

@tintinesk5 I would appreciate...I guess...😄

I'm having a little wander thru the small beautiful forest of Laurence Olivier videos here on youtube. He really is an astonishing performer, & such a charming & generous storyteller.

How lucky we were to have Laurence Olivier in our lives .... unequaled in my opinion as a classic actor ..the complete ease with which he recites the beautiful sonnet is wonderful ...how refreshing also to see a talk show host allow his guest to speak uninterrupted and to engage in intelligent conversation . Oh for a return to a bit of class and culture on television

Ah, Larry, my favourite actor ever! I cried when he passed.

Recites a sonnet at the drop of a hat 🎩 His favorite no less!! ❤🎉

This is the English language beautifully spoken. I could listen to him all day long 😊

For a second he was repulsed by the applause. What a humble actor.

It would be hard for me to say; "we'll be right back after this message", with a straight face, after such an iconic delivery, but the world was already then so commercialized that it probably didn't seem strange.