This is my entry in the Reel Infatuation Blogathon, hosted by Silver Screenings and Front and Frock. Click here for more crush-worthy posts (but hold on to your hearts).
Upon his knees he sank, pale as smooth, sculptured stone -
John Keats, The Eve of St. Agnes
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| Oh, Healthcliff! |
I'm a child of the 60's, so all things British stirred my adolescent heart and mind. The Beatles, Hayley Mills, Carnaby Street, Slicker lip gloss and Twiggy, to name a few, fueled my imagination and longings. So, it was only natural that, one night while thinking I should see the local station's airing of Wuthering Heights, I should fall madly, deeply, hopelessly in love with the British hunk playing that devil, Healthcliff.
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| Oh, Mr. Darcy! |
For those of you who don't remember life before Google, a girl had to to really be motivated to follow up on her classic movie star crush (especially if concerned a 30 year old movie and a star no longer considered "hot.").
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| Oh, Maxim! |
Thanks to my local library and the trusty card catalog, I studied Mr. Olivier's filmography and patiently waited for Pride and Prejudice, Rebecca, Henry V and That Hamilton Woman to appear on TV.
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| Oh, Admiral Nelson! |
I scoured the TV Guide every week looking for his films. Sometimes, they aired in the middle of the night. Luckily, I had a small portable TV in my room that allowed me my private early morning thrills in peace without disturbing the whole family.
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| Oh, King! |
I wasn't even jealous when I learned that he was once half of the world's most beautiful and glamorous couple in the 1930's and 1940's. He and Vivien were sublime together.
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| Larry and Viv: the golden couple |
Along the line, I managed to stumble upon 1952's Carrie (like Wuthering Heights, directed by William Wyler), and it was then that my crush evolved into something more: my heart was broken by the beauty of his performance. The sadness and desperation of his portrayal of the ruinous autumnal love of George Hurstwood is something I can never forget and is one of my all-time favorite film performances.
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| Oh, Mr. Hurstwood, you gave all for love |
Reel infatuations come and go (the memories of some still make me cringe - what was I thinking?), but I can't help but congratulate myself on the very good taste I displayed on this particularly massive crush.
7 comments:
Oh yes, Lawrence Olivier is definitely crush-worthy! I can only imagine how patient you had to be as a teenager to trudge down to the library to look up Larry's info or – worse – wait for one of his movies to be aired on TV! That is a dedicated fan. People today just don't realize the lengths a gal had to go to back then, right?
Thanks for joining the blogathon, and for bringing Mr Olivier to the party! :)
The heart breaks for Hurstwood, Olivier's finest performance.
Thanks, Ruth. It sure was an effort, but also a discovery. And thanks for hosting. I must get to all of the other crushes. Can my heart stand it??
I so agree, CW. He is unforgettable in a seldom-seen film.
He was good in almost anything (yes, even THE BETSY). I recently watched him again in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, in which he made an excellent Darcy.
You have a very good taste, indeed! Larry is amazing and very handsome... and I think I'll send you a little something on Facebook so you can swoon ;)
Kisses!
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