MovieChat Forums > Murder on the Orient Express (1974) Discussion > Which is your most/least favorite perfor...

Which is your most/least favorite performance?

posted 17 years ago by rrb
33 replies | jump to latest

<<SPOILERS>>

Forgive me if this has already been done--I didn't see it on the most recent 2 pages of posts.

My #1 is Vanessa Redgrave--brilliant, sexy, projecting so much energy & intelligence even in her quiet moments.

#2: Gielgud. So droll and polished. Impeccable timing. A model comic performance foreshadowing his Oscar-winning turn as Hobson in "Arthur".

#3: Wendy Hiller. Only she could be so wildly over the top as that ancient Russian princess and get away with it. Her reading of "I can think of no other reason, Madame" makes me think how marvellous she'd have been as Lady Bracknell.

And a salute to the overlooked Richard Widmark. In limited screen time he made me completely believe he was a domineering American businessman, who turned out to be a heinous murderer.

Least favorite: Bacall. I was very aware she was Bacall acting like the crass Mrs. Hubbard. She didn't lose herself in the characters as the others did. And I couldn't see her as the great actress Linda Arden. They should gotten Davis or Hepburn. Either would've done a star turns as Mrs. Hubbard, and you'd've bought the revelation about her really being "the greatest tragic actress of her day."

What are your choices?

[–] dbreheney 11 years ago

Wendy Hiller! Her jab at Bacall is priceless, then how moved she was at the toast at the end.

[–] andremarshna2003 11 years ago

Faves
Martin Balsam always good .
Colin Blakely a class act.
John Gielgud first rate.
Least Faves
Albert Finney too young and way over the top.
Anthony Perkins another out of contol performer.
Wendy Hillier too bad for words.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Eric-62-2 10 years ago

Time I don't think has been kind to Finney's performance. It was probably the best realization of Poirot on-screen at the time, but since then as others have done it better (John Moffat, who has a bit part in the film was an outstanding Poirot on radio) it now makes the weaknesses of Finney stand out more.

I also felt Richard Widmark's performance was too restrained and frankly too "nice" if you can believe it. Widmark doesn't do an effective job of communicating a disagreeable personality that hints at a sordid past. This makes for a bad moment when Poirot turns down Ratchett's offer. In the book, Poirot rejects the offer because he has a sixth sense about Ratchett. "Forgive me for being personal, but I do not like your face." That line is gone here and Finney is rejecting the offer just out of an arrogant, "Don't waste my time with your boring case." and Widmark has not been showing an overbearing aggressive, dislikable demeanor. Widmark should have channeled just a little bit of his most famous role to pull it off.

[–] Jamal-Nazreddin 10 years ago

I do like Wendy Hiller but I wish Marlene Dietrich had been given the role as had been originally suggested.

[–] greenbudgie 10 years ago

Ingrid Bergman and John Gielgud were comical. Gielgud in a quiet way. I didn't think that either of those two would ever make me laugh. But they came across the best for me. I think that I have to agree with Lauren Bacall wasn't quite right for the part. Although I do usually like her performances.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] rrb_1 10 years ago

It's great fun to return to this thread occasionally and read others' posts.

One actor I overlooked in my OP was Cassel. His work is also first-rate: real, honest...and subtle - he never seems to be acting, he just is. His reaction to first seeing Ratchett is one you miss on initial viewing. But seeing it again, you notice an expression of hate float across his face for all of a second, then return to its prior professional gaze. Superb work.

[–] asc85 9 years ago

It's interesting how varied the responses are to this question, but...

Favorite Performances:
Albert Finney
Anthony Perkins

Least Favorite Performances:
Vanessa Redgrave
Michael York
Jacqueline Bisset (with the exception of that laugh that they play in the trailer)