• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

Interesting. It's so interesting to try to imagine what a different choice of casting might have resulted in -- with lots of movies.
 
You are not kidding. Imagine Bette Davis (and I do love B.D.) as Scarlett O'Hara! I have one word for that scenario! NEVER!!!
 
Jumping in here a bit late adding my 2 cents. I could see Olivier as Humbert and I think Betty Davis would have been fabulous as Scarlett. Have you seen Jezebel, starring Betty Davis? She was fantastic in that film. Go out right this moment and rent it. That was a direct order. :D
 
raffaellabella said:
Jumping in here a bit late adding my 2 cents. I could see Olivier as Humbert and I think Betty Davis would have been fabulous as Scarlett. Have you seen Jezebel, starring Betty Davis? She was fantastic in that film. Go out right this moment and rent it. That was a direct order. :D
Click to expand...
Hi Raffaellabella,
It's never too late around here. :) And I think we like direct orders on good movies to see. The good ones are definitely worth it! Olivier as Humbert sounds like a lock to me, the much bigger problem is a 12-year old Lolita (who looks her lack of age). That would definitely give the film, and Humbert, a different appearance if it could be shown and make his behavior much more bizarre or sinister. And Bette Davis? There is definitely food for thought and for viewing! Oddly, I haven't seen many of her movies, and not Jezebel. Plus I would love an excuse to also see GWTW again for comparison.
Always glad to hear from a movie buff,
Hang around!
peder
 
raffaellabella said:
Jumping in here a bit late adding my 2 cents. I could see Olivier as Humbert and I think Betty Davis would have been fabulous as Scarlett. Have you seen Jezebel, starring Betty Davis? She was fantastic in that film. Go out right this moment and rent it. That was a direct order. :D
Click to expand...
Hi raffaellabella!
Bette Davis has always been one of my favorite actresses, but after she was a bit older. Which is a switch from what most might say I suppose. I've only seen parts of Jezebel, so its not really fair for me to comment so until I do see it (and thanks for the suggestion!), I'll hold up on an opinion. Its just Viv Leigh is so ingrained in me as Scarlett, even down to Mitchell's physical description, that I can't imagine anyone else in the role. One of my favorite movies of all time was All About Eve! That and Old Aquaintances, oh, then of course Now Voyager....but Davis was a bit older in all of those. Thats really the age I appreciate her the best I suppose.
Anyway, stay and set a spell. :D
 
raffaellabella said:
Jumping in here a bit late adding my 2 cents. I could see Olivier as Humbert and I think Betty Davis would have been fabulous as Scarlett. Have you seen Jezebel, starring Betty Davis? She was fantastic in that film. Go out right this moment and rent it. That was a direct order. :D
Click to expand...


olivier.jpg


Humbert Humbert? Yes. he could have played the part, and played it well, I think. He probably wouldn't have been as funny as Mason was.
 
davis.jpg


I dunno. I think Bette was just too Bette -- even when she was age appropriate for the Scarlett role. In my opinion she always had to play some version of Bette Davis. With that mouth and those eyes it would have been hard for her to pretend to be anybody else!
 
One more thing about Davis and then I'll hush up because this is a Nabokov thread.

I think Betty Davis acting got worse as she got older because of her personal problems, but some of her earlier films were wonderful. Of Human Bondage was excellent and she pushed for her character to actually look sick (for a scene) in a time when female leads died with a full face of makeup and Little Foxes is another great film of hers.

And with that I take my leave because the only book I've read of Nabokov's was Lolita.
 
raffaellabella said:
One more thing about Davis and then I'll hush up because this is a Nabokov thread.

I think Betty Davis acting got worse as she got older because of her personal problems, but some of her earlier films were wonderful. Of Human Bondage was excellent and she pushed for her character to actually look sick (for a scene) in a time when female leads died with a full face of makeup and Little Foxes is another great film of hers.

And with that I take my leave because the only book I've read of Nabokov's was Lolita.
Click to expand...

As if anybody here has ever stuck to the subject for more than two seconds. :rolleyes: Moi being the worst offender. :eek:
 
pontalba said:
James Mason was the first choice to play Humbert Humbert, but.....well I'll let Corliss tell you..p.32 Yay! and Phew! Oh Yeaaahhhh! :cool:
Click to expand...

niven.jpg



Hmmmm...... Yup, that's Niven. He's a maybe. But he's not Mason.
 
raffaellabella said:
And with that I take my leave because the only book I've read of Nabokov's was Lolita.
Click to expand...
Well R.
Please pardon my saying, but having read Lolita is a strange reason for leaving. :D :D :D
Please feel free to stay. In fact, please feel free to read another Nabokov -- we have left a few on the shelves somewhere, I think....... I'm pretty sure,....maybe. :rolleyes:
Peder
 
StillILearn said:
As if anybody here has ever stuck to the subject for more than two seconds. :rolleyes: Moi being the worst offender. :eek:
Click to expand...
Hah! Too true!

Or should I say...Who Us??? /very innocently/ :rolleyes: ;) :cool: :eek:
 
Peder said:
Well R.
Please pardon my saying, but having read Lolita is a strange reason for leaving. :D :D :D
Please feel free to stay. In fact, please feel free to read another Nabokov -- we have left a few on the shelves somewhere, I think....... I'm pretty sure,....maybe. :rolleyes:
Peder
Click to expand...
Well, I'll have to check, but its entirely possible.
:p
 
Peder said:
Well R.
Please pardon my saying, but having read Lolita is a strange reason for leaving. :D :D :D
Please feel free to stay. In fact, please feel free to read another Nabokov -- we have left a few on the shelves somewhere, I think....... I'm pretty sure,....maybe. :rolleyes:
Peder
Click to expand...

R, you gotta stick around to enjoy Peder's sense of humor, if nothing else! The Real Life of Sebastian Knight is excellent. Any Nabokov is better than no Nobokov at all, but it seems to me that some of his books are more accessable than some of the others, if ya know what I mean.

Keep VN on your TBR list, and keep these threads in mind. Nobody human can keep up with the Whiz Kids here, so don't apologize for that! :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top