Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2011)

Sam Spiegel who began his career as 'Sam P Eagle' reverted to his birth name and produced some of the greatest films of the 50's: The African Queen, The Wild One, Bridge On The River Kwai and Suddenly Last Summer. Spiegel's greatest triumph would come with this film in a new decade the 1960's. Columbia Pictures gave Spiegel's great discretion as he worked from London under his Horizon Film's banner. Stars like Brando, Hepburn, Bogart, Taylor, Clift, were in Speigel's films. Taking the story of T E Lawrence, Sam Spiegel once again joined forces with His great collaborator on The Bridge on River Kawi David Lean and together they made in my assessment the finest film of all time "Lawrence Of Arabia".
Casting Peter O Toole after Marlon Brando declined the role, Lean and Spiegel created a worldwide star and to me O'Toole's Lawrence is the finest performance I have ever seen from an male star. (Gloria Swanson's Sunset Blvd gets my vote as best femme performance). O Toole while nominated lost the Oscar to Gregory Peck. (Jack Lemmon's searing Days of Wine And Roses was also nominated)
Maurice Jarre created a memorable score, one of the best if not best ever. David Lean assembled a cast of Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quinn and in a star making performance, Omar Sharif.
One cannot praise this film enough, including the magical photography in the desert, and the performance of a lifetime from Peter O Toole.
I consider this the finest film I have ever seen
Williwaw