Daphne Laureola

Description

Winner "Best Play of the Year" in 1949, DAPHNE LAUREOLA was a great hit in post-War London when first staged there by Sir Laurence Olivier, in a production which starred Dame Edith Evans. Re-visited here in a production from 1977, starring Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright, DAPHNE LAUREOLA is a witty and surprising tale of romantic idealism and faltering desire. In a Soho restaurant, a diverse group of people gather for dinner. Four partygoers celebrating a birthday, a bitter couple snapping over supper, an elderly working class businessman, and Ernest, a young Polish emigre. Dining separately, they find their evening disturbed by an extraordinary woman, Lady Pitts, who talks aloud and sings even louder while knocking back double brandies and handing out invitations to tea at the home of her husband Sir Joseph. The impact of her appearance on their evening and in particular on the impressionable Ernest, becomes the subject of this extraordinary production. For the young man, she is Beatrice to his Dante; Daphne, to his Apollo. But for Lady Pitts, the situation may be something entirely different, as will be revealed in DAPHNE LAUREOLA.

Customer Reviews:

See it for Olivier.......2004-06-07

This was among the play-to-TV movies presented by Sir Laurence in the late 1970's. I thought it was pretty good, although Joan Plowright seemed rather stiff. I don't know if it's what the play called for, but I thought she came off rather...stiff. I've seen her in other movies and was surprised. Maybe it's the character or the direction, but watching her Lady Pitts going on and on in a drunken state became boring after a while.

Still, the young actor who plays Ernest is good to watch and Olivier, although in a minor part, steals the show. I don't want to give the plot away, but he very believably fools the audience (well, maybe I'm just gullible) when on the screen.

DVD:

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