What could have been with Terence Stamp

Do you ever watch a film and think 'I wish so-and-so had been in this'? Or maybe you're favourite actor/actress was originally cast in a film and was then re-cast? Ah, what could have been!
I find myself thinking about this a lot in relation to Terence Stamp-rightly or wrongly I seem to want him in everything!
But here are three films he was almost in, and I really wish he had been!

1. Blow-Up (1966)

Stamp was originally cast in this famous sixties film, but for reasons unknown, Antonioni re-cast his role with David Hemmings instead. Hemmings does a good job in the film but the entire time I was watching it I couldn't help but think what Stamp would have brought to the role. To make matters worse Hemmings is a kind of not-so-good-looking version of Terence Stamp! (ha!)

2. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

Whilst watching this film for the first time I kept thinking over and over that I wished Terence Stamp had played Montag, but I tried to remind myself that I want him in everything, so that was ridiculous. But then I watched the bonus features on my DVD and discovered that Stamp had originally been cast as Montag! Allegedly he put forward Julie Christie for a part and then dropped out because she ended up playing a dual role and he felt he'd be overshadowed! I felt that Montag's gradual change of heart would have been better portrayed by Stamp, since he really is the master of emotions with no dialogue (see Blue, Far From the Madding Crowd and The Mind of Mr Soames).

3. James Bond

Did you know Stamp was asked to play the famous spy when Sean Connery announced his retirement from the role? He met with directors and said he was willing to do the role, but suggested in order for the audience to get used to him not being Connery, he should wear a disguise for at least half of the film. Apparently this idea was not met with approval and he was never called back. Instead they chose Roger Moore. It's generally agreed upon that when Moore took over the Bond role the films took a turn for the worst (or at least a turn for the silly!) So imagine a young Terence Stamp instead! He probably would have made the films more believable and gritty but instead I'll just have to content myself by watching him in my favourite spy flick Modesty Blaise!!

 Do you have any actors/actresses you wish had been cast in certain films? Let me know in the comments!
And I mean really who wouldn't want this face in everything?

Term of Trial (1962)

 Kindhearted, but alcoholic school teacher Graham Weir,  has a criminal record for refusing to fight in the war and consequently has been unable to move up in the world. His wife (Simone Signoret) resents their lack of money and is bitter about her life. He agrees to tutor one of his students, Shirley Taylor (Sarah Miles), despite his wife's misgivings about the girls intentions. After a school trip to Paris Shirley admits her love to Graham, but when she is rejected she accuses him of assault.

The film also stars Terence Stamp (!!) as the naughty Mitchell who terrorises everyone. Weir and Shirley develop a friendship, based on her infatuation for him, and his affection for her-as something of a substitute for the child he was unable to have. Sometimes his actions are somewhat cringe worthy in light of the audiences knowledge of Shirley's feelings. The film also subtly critiques the role of parents in their children's lives. Shirley is ashamed of her family, and Mitchell's father obviously encourages violence. Weir wants to make a difference in the children's lives, but his own unhappy life make him oblivious to what is really going on before his eyes.

Olivier's performance is understated yet tragic. He ardently believes in justice and truth yet is put down by everyone around him. Miles as Shirley is torn between childish and adult emotions. The ending of the film is surprising, and somewhat frustrating. After an impassioned speech for his innocence Weir succeeds in getting Shirley to admit her own guilt, however upon his return home he finds his wife about to leave him. She tells him he is a coward and in a desperate attempt to continue their relationship Weir lies. He tells her he did sleep with Shirley. Using this technique he does win her back, however it is a blatant contradiction of all he has said and done during the rest of the film. Despite his wife's cruelty towards him he sacrifices his own moral standards to keep her. It does make the audience question his strength-Perhaps he is as weak as his wife states?

3.5/5

Happy Birthday Terence Stamp!

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to this guy! A great favourite of mine, Terence Stamp turns 78 today. I hope he's having a good one!

Summer Reading Challenge: Double Feature

Double Feature is the third in a series of autobiographies by Terence Stamp (and the last in chronological order). It deals with his life in the sixties, his growing fame after his film debut, Billy Budd, his relationship with model Jean Shrimpton and his experiments with drugs and mysticism.

The book is sectioned into three parts which Stamp labels as, It Begins, The Great Middle and An End and a Beginning. But they could also be classified as 'Before Jean', 'With Jean' and 'After Jean'. Their relationship is at the heart of the book. There is an element of coldness to Jean that even Stamp couldn't hide with his loving words. He always seemed to love her more than she loved him. Stamp describes the relationship beautifully though and she was very much the love of his life.

"She would sleep in my arms like a creature from an ancient forest. Turning in the night I would stir, her perfume reaching into my subconscious, and I'd become aware of our breath in unison. If I traced the outline of her delicate shoulder with the inside of my wrist I didn't know where her skin ended and mine began; often, in that dark closeness the layer of separation between us would dissolve and I would be her" p. 140

"Mornings, I would drive us down Fountain to Gower, kiss goodbye and wait for her long-fingered wave as she cornered on to Sunset. After work I could hardly wait to get out of costume and run across the street to the little parking lot where she would be waiting in the car, head lowered over a magazine, her hair tumbling about her face. As I neared she would look up, and every day I gasped at the perfection of her" p. 134

Following their separation Stamp suffered a breakdown and in his depression turned to marijuana to ease his sadness. He formed close friendships with the cast of Blue and also began looking at different forms of mysticism, eventually deciding to travel to India, where he was to spend time in an ashram. Essentially however much of Stamp's searching in the final part of the book is because of Jean, and the hole she left within him which he continually tried to fill throughout his life. Stamp is honest and sensitive and never tries to cover up his own flaws and failings. What was supposed to be the best time of his life was also the worst.

"sometime around three or four a.m. I woke up, realised I was on my own in our bed and felt inconsolable. I searched my dressing-room for the only article of hers I possessed, the famous lavender jumper with the snag on the shoulder…I found the sweater, now paper-thin, rolled it into a ball and held it beside me on the pillow. In the blackness, that moment when the spirit is at its lowest ebb, I inhaled the faint memory, imagining her astral body lying beside me. In the morning I was ashamed and buried the woolly at the bottom of my chest of drawers, but neither it nor I was allowed to sleep in peace" p. 291


Stamp touches briefly on all the films he starred in during the sixties (except for Poor Cow). His initial nerves in Billy Budd, the tense atmosphere on the set of Far from the Madding Crowd, the difficulties faced on Modesty Blaise and his unique experiences with the Italian directors, Fellini and Pasolini. Stamp worked with some of the most famous actors of the day including, Peter Ustinov, Laurence Olivier, Monica Vitti, Julie Christie, Peter Finch and Karl Malden. As well as directors such as William Wyler, John Schlesinger and Ken Loach.

Stamp's story is often heartbreaking but it is a fascinating look at the era and a wonderful yet also tragic  love story between two of the biggest stars of the decade. Stamp's attempts to rebuild his life are sometimes painful to read and I think his friend Peggy Lipton described him best when she asked,
"You're the lost boy, aren't you?" p. 236
Yet he remains likeable and sweet and I think the final word should be given to him:
"Sometimes, driving aimlessly, even asleep in dream, I find myself taking the turn off Sunset Boulevard heading south on San Diego freeway, towards L.A Airport, on my way to meet the flight that brought her to me. With a start, I realise it's only a play of shadows falling on the mind, and ashes of memory dry in my mouth. I feel the chasm open in my chest. It is there, the heart concealed within the heart, an emptiness inside me that mourns, that seeps darkness into my daily existence. I grope towards the ache I've buried alive which constantly smoulders, in the hope of sealing up the ancient state, but it won't forget the moment it glowed and longs to be rekindled. To be warm. To come home. The very own dark star that leads me on, that takes me to far-flung dusty corners. Watching. Listening." p. 336

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Summer Reading Challenge

I'm excited to say this year I have signed up to take part in Out of the Past's 2016 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge. The aim is to read 6 classic film books before September 15. (However I must admit that it will sadly be Winter in my part of the world!)

The six books I have chosen are:

1. Bendigo Art Gallery & Twentieth Century Fox Present Marilyn Monroe: This is the book that accompanied the exhibition held at the Bendigo Art gallery, its a quick read, but has some interesting reflections on Marilyn's life and career.
2. Double Feature by Terence Stamp: Having read both 'Stamp Album' and 'Coming Attractions' this was next on my list! This is the third autobiography written by Stamp and deals with his life and career in the sixties, particularly his relationship with Jean Shrimpton. Having read and enjoyed his other books I am looking forward to this one!
3. By Myself and Then Some by Lauren Bacall: I have heard good things about Bacall's autobiography, and I am really looking forward to learning more about her life.
4. From Shane to Kill Bill-Rethinking the Western by Patrick McGee: Westerns are my favourite film genre and I think they are often misrepresented and sidelined in modern film analysis, so I am hoping this book might shed some new light on this often complex genre.
5. Natalie Wood by Rebecca Sullivan: This is a new book (and I'm hoping it arrives on my doorstep before September!) From the blurb it sounds fantastic, Sullivan aims to highlight how Natalie was often the face of the changing mores of the fifties and sixties and how her films shifted the way females were viewed.
6. The Hustler by Walter Tevis: I'm looking forward to seeing how the book compares with the classic film (and if it can live up to Paul Newman's epic-ness!)

                                                       (Not seen-Natalie Wood)

If anyone else is interested in taking part in the challenge all the details can be found at Out of the Past's blog.
Happy Reading!

Billy Budd (1962)

"There are many ways to lie, Mr Claggart, but there is only one way to tell the truth"

Billy Budd (Terence Stamp) is a young merchant seaman who is requisitioned by a man of war ship. Billy is optimistic and kind to everyone, and with his simple ways he is able to win over the rest of the crew. All except Master at Arms, Claggart (Robert Ryan). Claggart is cruel and bitter, he enjoys torturing the men, all of whom live in fear of him. Billy attempts to win Claggart over, and almost succeeds, but alarmed by Billy's kindness Claggart becomes determined to punish him.

Peter Ustinov directed and starred in the film and it was Stamp's first major film role. He was nominated for an academy award for best supporting actor for his role as the titular character. The film is a battle between good and evil, with Claggart becoming more tormented as the film moves on. Stamp described Billy as 'an angel' and there is certainly an angelic, almost otherworldly, presence to him. Billy is truthful, cheerful and unfailingly kind. He doesn't really believe that people can be evil, and stammers when he becomes anxious, admitting he cannot always find the words to say what he wishes.

Claggart unfairly accuses Billy of mutiny, Billy is unable to form words in his defence.  Pushed beyond endurance, (and perhaps coming to the realisation that Claggart is evil), Billy strikes and accidentally kills him. The Captain (Ustinov) is torn between his duty to the law, and the knowledge that Billy was justified in his actions. The film raises moral questions-what constitutes good and evil? Can killing ever be justified? The Captain spends most of the film knowing that Claggart is no good and is despised by the men, however believing Claggart to be good at keeping law and order, the Captain does nothing to hinder Claggart's maliciousness. Billy is put on trial and is found not guilty by three members of the court, the fourth, the Captain, whilst wanting Billy to go free, believes he must hang because it is their duty to keep the law. Fore-tellingly at the beginning of the film Billy is taken from a ship called the 'Rights of Man'. As a viewer the officers dedication to the rules and laws of the army is frustrating, they kill Billy despite not wanting too, the 'rules' are more important than their humanity. Yet Billy's strange peace and lack of resentment towards them means that they will be forever haunted by what they have done. Billy may not live but his spirit leaves an undeniable mark on those who have known and wronged him.
Perhaps the irony is that Billy is too good for the world.

Ustinov searched all over for a young unknown who could play Billy Budd. Stamp thought he was not angelic enough to play Billy and upon his interview with Ustinov was so overcome he was unable to speak. Ustinov was delighted as he knew Stamp would be able to portray Billy's inability to speak in times of distress. The film also co-stars Melvyn Douglas and David McCallum. 

4/5

Blue (1968)

Blue/Azul (Terence Stamp) has been raised by Mexican bandits after the murder of his parents when he was five years old. The bandit leader raises him as one of his own and Blue takes part in their murdering and pillaging. When the bandits decide to raid a town on the American side of the river Blue is confronted by his past. After rescuing the daughter of the local doctor from one of the bandits, Blue is taken in by them, and tries to renounce his past.

Upon it's release Blue was panned by the critics, and most hold the same view today, and I really do not understand why! I loved it!

Like most films made in the mid 60s Blue is something of a revisionist Western. It has a darker thread running through it than the majority of Westerns, and has more complex characters, Blue is definitely an anti-hero, who goes through a complex redemption during the course of the film. It is also grittier and more realistic than some Westerns (for example, the injured tend to be really injured and are unable to go on fighting spectacularly!).

Directed by Silvio Narizzano and with a cast that includes Karl Malden and Joanna Pettet Blue is a thought provoking film. Visually it is quite beautiful, although alas my dodgy screen caps don't really do it justice!

Pettet's character, Joanne, is a major catalyst not just for the general plot line, but also for Blue himself. As a character she breaks down some of the traditional boundaries put on women in Western films. She is strong, caring, forgiving, and with a great sense of justice. She is able to look past what other people see and find good. 

Blue is generally silent, his actions speak louder than his words. Stamp doesn't speak until about 40 minutes into the film but his face portrays his thoughts. As he is further confronted by the settlers way of life Blue begins to remember things. The scene in which he bashes away at the piano is the first moment he lets his guard down and it becomes evident that there is something more to him than just a lawless bandit. Upon his initial arrival at the farm he is almost mute, and it is hard to know if this is through spite, or because he simply finds it hard to speak his thoughts. After all he speaks little with the bandits. When he wishes to stay with Joanne and her father, he is unable to tell them, he simply begins ploughing their field, and Joanne comes to the realisation that this is his way of talking. As he and Joanne fall for each other, he opens up more, he reveals his past and it becomes evident that the death's of his parents still impact him. And there seems to be a lost element to Blue, one that belongs neither to the settlers or the Mexicans, after all he admits that Blue is not even his real name, and it remains unknown if he remembers his real name or not. In his final confrontations with his bandit father, and even through his love for Joanne, Blue is constantly torn between the two warring parts of himself, the past and the present, and throughout the film he is in a constant struggle between wanting to change and believing he is not able to change. I thought Stamp did a wonderful job of portraying Blue, roguish and tender at the same time. 

Blue is an underrated gem of a film and I wish more people could appreciate it! 

4/5

Modesty Blaise (1966)

Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) is a thief/spy who becomes involved in a complicated jewel heist. Hired by the British secret service and aided by her friend Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) Modesty must outwit master criminal Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) and return the diamonds to Middle Eastern sheik Abu Tahir (Clive Revill).

On the one hand this film doesn't make much sense, on the other hand it's so colourful and so sixties, that it doesn't really matter!
The film is full of funky fashions, and ever changing hairstyles, Bogarde's mansion is bizarrely colourful, filled with patterns that make your head spin. The music is also incredibly catchy (and reminded me of the theme to the Natalie Wood film, Penelope).

There is a plot and it does revolve around the jewels, but it frequently goes off track and there are many moments that don't seem to fit into the rest of the film. As a spy spoof it does have some laugh out loud moments (I must admit the end when Modesty and Garvin are rescued on the beach was my favourite!). There are even some moments of random song, a goldfish in a wine glass and a scene which made me think Garvin was a robot (but he's not….)

The film was based on a comic book series of the same name which featured Modesty as a female version of James Bond (the film apparently bears little resemblance to the comics). It was the first of only two English language films that Vitti made.
It may not be the best film ever made, but it certainly is oddly enjoyable!

3.5/5