Dir: Tony Richardson | Cast: Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, Brenda de Banzie | Uk Drama
Joan Plowright (1929-2025) had many fine hours on the stage and screen but one particularly tender role sees her playing Laurence Olivier’s daughter in this tragicomedy
The Entertainer had Laurence Olivier in the title role, reprising his stage role from the Royal Court, co-written by John Osborne from his own play.
There is nothing heroic about Olivier’s Archie Rice: he is a bankrupt womaniser, exploiting his long suffering wife Phoebe (de Banzie) and using Tina Lapford (Field) – who came second in the Miss Britain contest – and her wealthy family to prolong his stage career.
Not even the death of his son in the Suez conflict can deter him from his vain pursuit of a long dead career. Using his father – who dies on stage – for his own advantage, Archie sinks deeper and deeper. There is a poignant scene with his film daughter Jean (Plowright), whom he asks: “What would think, if I married a woman your age?” and Jean answers exasperated “Oh. Daddy”.
After his divorce from Vivien Leigh, Olivier would marry Plowright and she would continue a glittering career well into her seventies. Shot partly at Margate, this is a bleak portrait of show business, shot in brilliant black and white by the great Oswald Morris (Moby Dick, A Farewell to Arms).
JOAN PLOWRIGHT 1929-2025