ClassicMovies_fan_chick Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Seeing on how TCM has shown a couple of Peter Ustinov's films. Which films of his are your favorites? 'Quo Vadis' is one of my favorites. Captures his serious and humorous side, which he's known for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasterryjr Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Peter Ustinov was great in Quo Vadis. I really liked seeing him show his writing skills along with his acting chops in "Hot Millions". I thought Mr. Ustinov was magnificent in "Topkapi". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CinemaInternational Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Chronologically (either films he had a main part in or just a brief cameo) Quo Vadis (1951) We're No Angels (1955) The Sundowners (1960) Topkapi (1964) Hot millions (1968) The Great Muppet Caper (1981, just a 20 second cameo, but I like the film a lot) Lorenzo's Oil (1992) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 He had a nice role -- and a strange American accent -- in the futuristic film "Logan's Run" (1976). He played an old man who lived with his numerous cats in what used to be the U.S. Capitol building. His performance actually drew my attention away from Jenny Agutter, which was no mean feat! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Spartacus is my favorite movie that he appeared in, and he was very good in it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CinemaInternational Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Just now, jakeem said: He had a nice role -- and a strange American accent -- in the futuristic film "Logan's Run" (1976). He played an old man who lived with his numerous cats in what used to be the U.S. Capitol building. His performance actually drew my attention away from Jenny Agutter, which was no mean feat! He was very good in his role there, and although I get that it airs a lot on TCM, I kind of feel its a bit undervalued. It holds up pretty well, and Michael York and Jenny Agutter sell it well. Yes, I too had a crush on her. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr6666 Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Ustinov Directed & Starred in Billy Budd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 I liked his run as Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot -- particularly in "Death on the Nile" (1978). And let's not forget the supporting cast of that film: Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven, George Kennedy, Jack Warden, Jane Birkin, Lois Chiles and Olivia Hussey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 My favorite Peter Ustinov film and my favorite all-time epic of the ancient world: Peter Ustinov as Kaptah in The Egyptian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CinemaInternational Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Just now, jakeem said: I liked his run as Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot -- particularly in "Death on the Nile" (1978). And let's not forget the supporting cast of that film: Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven, George Kennedy, Jack Warden, Jane Birkin, Lois Chiles and Olivia Hussey. Shoot, forgot about that one. Its a marvelous film, and the cast is wonderful, with Peter, David Niven, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, and Maggie Smith all being standouts..... but then Angela Lansbury goes all in and steals it all from all of them with a sublime performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 1 hour ago, jakeem said: I liked his run as Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot -- particularly in "Death on the Nile" (1978). And let's not forget the supporting cast of that film: Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven, George Kennedy, Jack Warden, Jane Birkin, Lois Chiles and Olivia Hussey. I'm not fond of Ustinov's "cute" Poirot--compared to Albert Finney or David Suchet--but he seemed to have a lot more fun in the more tongue-in-cheek Evil Under the Sun (1982), with almost the same cast. 2 hours ago, jakeem said: He had a nice role -- and a strange American accent -- in the futuristic film "Logan's Run" (1976). He played an old man who lived with his numerous cats in what used to be the U.S. Capitol building. His performance actually drew my attention away from Jenny Agutter, which was no mean feat! I can't understand why people couldn't figure out "WTH is that 'Cats' musical about?" when it came out, since the Old Man was my first introduction to T.S. Eliot's Practical Cats. And since Charlie Chan & the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981) is better left unmentioned, I'll pick a more suitable example of a wonderfully earnest, sporting and professional Ustinov performance in an otherwise criminally goofy/moronic movie: Disney's Blackbeard's Ghost (1968) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cigarjoe Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 Spartacus, and Logan's Run, for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 I liked Ustinov in a variety of various roles. And movies. But...... I DAMNED sure could say that even HIS greatness couldn't save that movie the other night. It was mistitled to boot! It SHOULD have been called HOT MESS ! Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papyrusbeetle Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 gotta go DEATH ON THE NILE and SPARTACUS. Batiatus: "There I was, better than a millionaire in the morning and a penniless refugee by nightfall with nothing but these rags and my poor flesh to call of my own. All because of Crassus decides to break his journey at Capua with a couple of capricious, over-painted nymphs! These two daughters of Venus had to taunt the gladiators, force them to fight to the death and before I knew what had happened, *revolution* on my hands!" .............................................................. Love you, Peter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LonesomePolecat Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 Love Peter Ustinov -- the creative line readings he gives, the character moments he finds. I love him in BLACKBEARD'S GHOST just for this reason: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 Pulled out my 3 cassette box of the '77 TV "epic" JESUS OF NAZARETH over the weekend in which Ustinov made an excellent King Herod. Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 On 4/17/2019 at 6:54 PM, Swithin said: My favorite Peter Ustinov film and my favorite all-time epic of the ancient world: Peter Ustinov as Kaptah in The Egyptian I like it too, much underappreciated. I love it when kaptah says to merite... "offer him more than she can."... just before she whacks him with her broom. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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