"Lawrence of Arabia - 50th Anniversary Reprint" Topic

Just back from the Glasgow Film Theatre where I saw – alongside a packed house – the 50th anniversary reprint of Lawrence of Arabia.

I'm pleased to report that they kept the overture and intermission intact.

I had forgotten a favourite line – said by O'Toole as he and his young Arab protege enter the British Officer's Bar after a traumatic journey across the desert.

Arab Bartender: This is a bar for British Officers!
O'Toole: That's alright, we're not particular.

Went to see it in mid-November when it played in Winnipeg. Awesome seeing this as it should be, on the big screen. 4th time I have seen it in a theatre and hope I am around for the 60th anniversary screening. Too bad none of the grand movie palaces are left here as I first saw it in the Odeon Theatre (built 1907) which was a suitable setting for such an epic film.

Lawrence of Arabia has always been one of my favorite films. Many of my friends could not understand why I liked it so much. They felt it was overly long and boring, and without enough actions scenes to redeem it. I felt however that it is one of those rare films that is sheer magic. There was more story conveyed with facial expression, than in scores of other movies with volumes of written dialog.

Cheers.
GeorgeD

Peter O'Toole's greatest role in a masterpiece by David Lean.

Mad Mike, I love those old-time movie theatres. We have one called the Patio in Chicago, Illinois and another called the Byrd in Richmond, Virginia. In both cases heroic efforts have been made to keep them running with the same format, large screen and elegance, but it's an ongoing struggle.

It's one of my favorites, although it plays a bit loose with the history. For instance, early on it makes as though Lawrence is a neophyte to the desert when he falls off his camel and his guide is telling him when he can drink. In fact, Lawrence had been knocking about that region for a number of years. He spent a lot of time in the desert assisting a British archeologist, who in turn was actually spying on Turkish defenses for the British Army. The two of them had made a detailed study of the port of Aquaba (which did NOT have 12" guns).

Still, a really great movie.

I thought it did a marvelous job of portraying the difficulty of getting anything done with all the politics, on both sides of the British/Arab divide.

@ Tumbleweed: With much effort 2 of our old movie palaces are now open to the public again. The Odeon is now the Burton Cummings Theatre as a live venue, and the Metropolitan Theatre is now a multi-use dining and entertainment facility (just opened,haven't been there yet). Although the modern theatre has comfy seats and better audio most feel like sitting inside a giant cardboard box.

It almost makes me want to move to Winnipeg! We used to do a lot of fishing in the Rainy Lakes area and one year we drove up there. As a 16 year old I bought my first sport coat in a thrift store in Winnipeg.

Of course, if I did that I would have to learn the words to "Oh Canada."

Tumbleweed, come to Austin, as we still have our old theater downtown.

@ Tumbleweed: No need to learn the lyrics to O Canada! They changed them a number of years ago and everyone who was already out of school has been mystified ever since. You have already made your first step to being a Winnipegger by shopping at a thrift store as we have a reputation for being cheap, umm, I mean frugal.

Austin is also a very nice town.

I think everyone is going to be a little more frugal from now on.

Anyway, back to the subject. Another cool line from the movie: "He likes your lemonade."