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      The Entertainer

      1960, Drama, 1h 37m

      14 Reviews 1,000+ Ratings

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      The Entertainer  Photos

      The Entertainer (1960) The Entertainer (1960) The Entertainer (1960) The Entertainer (1960) The Entertainer (1960)

      Movie Info

      London schoolteacher Jean Rice (Joan Plowright) returns to her seaside resort hometown at a time of personal crisis. Her father, Archie (Laurence Olivier), is a star on the music hall circuit, but, in the television age, that old-fashioned entertainment is dying out. His second wife, Phoebe (Brenda De Banzie), is openly contemptuous of her husband's many affairs, and his son, Mick (Albert Finney), is a soldier fighting in the Suez. Despite Archie's unflagging optimism, tragic events unfold.

      • Genre: Drama

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Tony Richardson

      • Producer: Harry Saltzman

      • Writer: Nigel Kneale, John Osborne, John Osborne

      • Release Date (Theaters):  original

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Criterion Collection, Continental Distributing Inc.

      • Production Co: Woodfall Film Productions

      • Sound Mix: Stereo, Mono

      • Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

      Cast & Crew

      Critic Reviews for The Entertainer

      Audience Reviews for The Entertainer

      • Mar 31, 2018

        A standout entry, with early performances by nearly unrecognizable Joan Plowright, Albert Finney and Alan Bates, this concerns not only the gradual decline of one seedy and narcissistic performer (Larry Olivier chewing scenery with abandon), but also of an entertainment style (the English music hall) and perhaps of England herself, seen from the guts outward. A glorious kitchen sink production, grime-y and livid.

        kevin w Super Reviewer
      • Dec 10, 2011

        The Entertainer is slice of history, and is an ably presented filming of the John Osborne play. Though the story's political allegory is now old and faded itself - Archie Rice/Lawerence Olivier's pathetic floundering music hall and career, which stands in for a fading, bankrupt post-WWII Britain ,what remains is still worth seeing. This is a kitchen sink family drama with terrific seedy English seaside and sleazy theater atmosphere. Tony Richardson's early career showed great promise, and this film is a beautiful example of his talents. It contains Sir Larry's most heartfelt and naturalistic peformance on film and it's too bad that he didn't have more of these type of interior, heartfelt performances on film, the grandiose Shakespearan dramas aside. The cast includes a who's who of future British film stars,as Archie's three grown kids - Alan Bates, Albert FInney and Joan Plowright, all in their first film appearances. Robert Livsey and Brenda de Banzie as Archie's elegant music hall dad and his second wife, an alcoholic, are also wonderful. For a Canadian, it's amusing that the panacea for the family's problems is to make a new life in Toronto, something that Archie resists till the end of the film after a whole load of tragedy has beaten him down. Without the contemporary relevance of 1960, this is just a very good family drama with a top notch British cast, but no world shaking groundbreaker. The DVD transfer is crisp and looks fantastic.

        Super Reviewer
      • Jan 22, 2009

        If you only know Olivier from dignified Shakespearian performances prepare yourself for an epiphany of colossal proportion.

        Super Reviewer
      • Apr 04, 2007

        Wow, tough audience @ the Flixster. Give the poor guy a break.

        Super Reviewer

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