Emlyn Williams Tribute
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- čas přidán 10. 03. 2007
- Emlyn Williams is one of those character actors you've probably seen, but he hides himself so well behind the characters he plays, if you're like me, you might never have thought to find out his name. But if you've seen Alfred Hitchcock's 1939 film "Jamaica Inn," I'll bet you remember the scene-stealing "dirty little blackguard" Harry the Pedlar. Since no one else seems to have done one yet, I felt he deserved a fan video commemorating his long and varied career. I wracked my brain for weeks trying to come up with a song to go with the clips (which as you know if you've ever done one of these videos, is the often hardest part!). But then my favorite group, The Who, came to the rescue yet a second time (this being my second video) with their classic "Behind Blue Eyes." Since Williams has played so many unsavory characters, the lyrics "No one knows what it's like to be the bad man ..." seemed really fitting ... but, hmm, "blue eyes"? That might not be your first impression of him after seeing Harry or some of his other "darker" roles, but take a closer look.
I first "discovered" Emlyn Williams through the films of another great actor, Robert Newton, who continues to influence pop culture through his definitive performances as Long John Silver and Blackbeard in the 1950s. He and Williams were pitted against each other in four different films, so you'll see lots of them duking it out together here. Some other classic stars you may recognize are Michael Redgrave (who also appeared in "David Copperfield" with Williams), Deborah Kerr (which whom he made three films), Maureen O'Hara, Edith Evans (who co-starred with him in Richard Burton's first film, "The Last Days of Dolwyn," which Williams wrote, directed, and starred in), Bette Davis, Gary Merrill, Robert Taylor, Leslie Banks (who beat Williams's record and made six films with Robert Newton), Enid Stamp-Taylor, Evelyn Laye, Finlay Currie, Donald Calthrop, Robert Morley, Wendy Hiller (who was also in "David Copperfield"), and Charles Laughton (who was in both "I, Claudius" and "Jamaica Inn" with him).
Unfortunately, due to the constraints of trying to fit the visuals to the lyrics once I'd chosen the song (and its length, of course), there was no way to include anywhere near as many clips/films as I wanted to highlight (maybe I should make a Part 2 ... if I can think of another song!), but I hope this little montage will give you a taste of his work and get you interested in seeing more of it. (I also cheated and tacked on a couple of funny scenes at the end that didn't fit the music but were too good to leave out.)
Besides making over 2000 appearances worldwide in his original one-man Dickens show, Williams was also an acclaimed playwright (e.g., "The Corn Is Green" and "Night Must Fall") and the author of two fascinating autobiographies, a novel ("Headlong," on which the film "King Ralph" was loosely based), and an acclaimed non-fiction investigation into the infamous Moors Murders of the 1960s entitled "Beyond Belief." Check him out if you haven't "already done so"! :-)
Trivia: See if you can spot what I'm convinced are the inspirations for both Francis Dollarhyde's "apotheosis" scene in the film "Red Dragon" and Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction"--minus the need for censorship, of course. - Zábava
He was my granddaddy, so sweet of you to make this ♥
I am related to Emlyn, thanks for posting he was a real character, I remember visiting him in Hawarden in my childhood.
Yes, Williams was fascinated by the darker psychopathic & criminal sides of human nature. His best plays often deal with these. He himself frequently played the villain. In 1937 - as shown in glimpses here - he portrayed Emperor Caligula in the uncompleted film 'I, Claudius'; the surviving footage (also featuring Charles Laughton & Robert Newton) shows Williams giving a stunning performance.
Years later he worked with Alfred Hitchcock.
... And, yes, he had blue eyes!
He was a great actor and I like his plays. And I consider him handsome.
lovely actor. and my dear he is your granddaddy love and peace.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I recently watched the film Last Days of Dolwyn(1949)...only film directed by Williams...He co-wrote script and starred as the villain. The film was an outstanding melodrama with a clever semi-political script and dialogue. The montage and dark scenes were reminiscent of Welles and it a great shame he was not given opportunity to direct again
A really great video, mooncove! I have to admit that this is one actor that has completely escaped my notice, but I'll see if I can get my hands on one of his films.
I like the song - the way the 1970s rock music is juxtaposed with old movie clips - it shouldn't work, but it does. And you're right - the song can be the most difficult part in making a video, but you excelled with that, which makes your video all the better for it.
I consider him even bolder for having revealed his attraction to men in his 1961 autobiography; even if he did not come out and say the words, "I am gay." And he was always close friends with John Geilgud even during the time of his arrest. But he also makes it clear that he was attracted to women as well, and, in reading a bio of John Gielgud, I got the impression that, being bi (married with children), he was somewhat excluded from full membership in that "club." I do love his candor.
@mooncove Thank you!!! My memory is better than I thought- I last saw that film about 40 years ago and loved it!!
Thank you for this, its a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man. The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" fits perfectly too! x
Thanks for your comment. I really enjoyed making it. So glad you like it!
I'm related to him he's my great great grandmothers cousen
Very cool! Hope you liked the video. You haven't by any chance seen the material he'd written for his THIRD autobiography that his son donated to the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth, by any chance, have you? Or know of any recording of him delivering the speech at the national Eisteddfod in ... 1953, I think it was? I wish we could've heard him speaking Welsh in a film somewhere, but he wrote, acted in, directed, and cast himself as the villain--the only Welshman with an English accent!--in 'The Last Days of Dolwyn'! It was his first autobiography, 'George,' in which he shared some of the Welsh language in the beginning and described what sounded like such an idyllic location to grow up in, apart from having to walk--or bike--something like four miles each way to school and back every day, that got me interested in learning Welsh! (The Northern dialect, of course!) I just love a Welsh accent as well.
love to see the whole film of last days of dolwyn...please up load it
great tribute to a fine character actor, thanks!
It was lots of fun King. Thanks Luis
Brilliant
@jamesjeffreypaul True ... maybe for my next tribute! But don't you love the way he replies to Robert Newton's surly curse with that stoic, "Thank you, Mr. Brodie"? Cracks me up every time. If you have a turntable, you can probably still buy his Dickens and Dylan Thomas LPs on eBay pretty cheap. I only wish I could find a recording of him performing Thomas's Fern Hill--or anything in Welsh!
Yes, he was famous for his Dickens readings, among other things, as stated in the video description. But for the record, he was bisexual, according to his two fairly detailed autobiographies. ("Of course"? Is there some obvious connection between doing readings from Dickens and being gay that I'm missing?)
@coralarch Yes, it was. :)
@byrolinda We must be related, Emlyn was my Gran's first cousin
Was the first bit taken from "Hatter's castle"?
Yes! I just loved the way Brodie is so nasty and how calm, cool, and collected Emlyn is, as if Brodie'd paid him a compliment. Although his character is a villain too. I take it you've seen it? (Sorry, I'm just getting around to exploring all the new dashboard features on CZcams 11 years later and seeing all the comments and questions I never answered!)
If my memory serves me, Emlyn Williams was famous for his readings from Dickens. Simon Callow also did this sort of thing. Both gay of course
None, what-so-ever. He was an interesting (now almost forgotten) stage and screen actor. In view of the multitude of gay actor greats of the 20th century, this must be considered a badge-of-honour, although it must have been played down by him in his autobiography, as even in the 70's, gays had not long been de-crimialised
I like your video clip and have rated it as awesome. Please check out my latest one on some 1930's movie star tobacco cards, including Robert Taylor, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Johnny Davis, Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Joan Crawford...