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The PERFORMANCE Issue

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30s FRANKENSTEIN (1931)

30s FRANKENSTEIN (1931) Actor: BORIS KARLOFF (left) Character: Frankenstein’s Monster Bonus fact: Despite his exotic name, Karloff was born in Honor Oak in south-east London THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) Actor: MELVILLE COOPER Character: The Sheriff of Nottingham IF YOU WANT SOMEONE TO GIVE A LUCID SPEECH, IN A GOOD SUIT AND A SUPERIOR (OR AT LEAST EXPENSIVE) EDUCATION ALONG THE WAY – AND THEN EFFORTLESSLY KILL SOMEONE, MAYBE DISCREETLY – IT’S BEST TO ASK A BRIT As Sir Ben Kingsley, no stranger to villainous roles – perhaps most famously for his incredible performance as ex-pat criminal Don Logan in Sexy Beast – considers: “My formative years were with Shakespeare and his villains are extraordinary. They’re so richly layered that a British actor finds it almost impossible to play a two-dimensional villain, if he’s explored our wonderful Shakespearian heritage.” The early horror films cemented the trend in Hollywood. Karloff didn’t say much as Frankenstein’s monster in James Whale’s 1931 film, but the sheer presence of this mysterious European interloper was enough to mark him out as difficult and strange. Later on, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were perfect as Count Dracula, the aristocrat with a penchant for bloodsucking and a fear of daylight. Lee carried over his well-honed villainy into the James Bond series, memorably playing Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun. Interestingly, the Bond series, being British to the core, is one area where directors often looked elsewhere for their villains – presumably because 007 himself was educated at Eton. That said, Donald Pleasence, Steven Berkoff and Jonathan Pryce have all served their time as Bond baddies, even if they weren’t actually playing British. Many of these folk have played out-and-out evil characters. But there’s another, more endearing brand of British screen villain that’s endured for decades: the loveable rogue. The intentions of these characters might be question- able – but you would still be happy to spend an evening with them. Think of Michael Caine in The Italian Job. He’s a thief that pulls off an incredible heist. But is his crime really so bad? And look at those great suits and that unquestionable style. It helps us to forgive him – to like him even. Then there’s Bob Hoskins in The Long Good Friday. His character, Harry Shand, is a Cockney villain, but he’s nowhere near as bad as the IRA or the American mafia, who he finds himself sandwiched between in an attempt to make a quick fortune from the redevelopment of a decidedly grimy 1970s London Docklands. He’s plucky and mischievous, not nasty. Things turned really nasty in the modern era. The fantasy and sci-fi blockbuster era that began in 1977 with the release of Star Wars blasted the trend for British villains into another stratosphere. George Lucas cast beefy Bristol lad Dave Prowse – previously seen as a creepy body-builder in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange – as Luke Skywalker’s ultimate nemesis, Darth Vader. Yet he didn’t go so far as using his voice. For that, he turned to the deep American tones of James Earl Jones. Maybe Lucas was aware of how Vader, in the end, finally renounces his evil ways – and for that – only an American would do. Still, it’s the one truly iconic villainous role that the Brits missed out on. Lucas wasn’t so equivocal when casting Darth Vader’s wrinkle-faced, terrifying boss, the Emperor Palatine though. For that, he picked Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid, a man of the British theatre, and one of the most terrifying presences in all cinema. PHOTOGRAPHY: UNIVERSAL, FILM FAVORITES,(2), POPPERFOTO, UNITED ARTISTS, ARCHIVE PHOTOS/ GETTY IMAGES 36 j THE PERFORMANCE ISSUE

CULTURE 40s SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1943) Actor: LIONEL ATWILL Character: Professor Moriarty THE WICKED LADY (1945) Actor: MARGARET LOCKWOOD Character: Barbara Worth Bonus fact: The film was one of the biggest box office successes of its time (18.4 million viewers) but had to be extensively re-shot due to low-cut women’s dresses showing too much cleavage for the tastes of the US censors of the time 50s THE LADYKILLERS (1955) Actor: ALEC GUINNESS (left) Character: Professor Marcus DRACULA – HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) Actor: CHRISTOPHER LEE Character: Dracula Bonus fact: The first in the series of Hammer Horror films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula 60s THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) Actor: ANGELA LANSBURY (below) Character: Mrs Iselin THE JUNGLE BOOK (1967) Voice: GEORGE SANDERS Character: Shere Khan YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967) Actor: DONALD PLEASANCE Character: Blofeld THE ITALIAN JOB (1969) Actor: MICHAEL CAINE (far right) haracter: Charlie Croker Bonus fact: The line “You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” by Caine was voted the favourite film one-liner in a 2003 poll of 1000 film fans. Beyond a lot of Mini cars, it also features two Jaguar E-Types THE PERFORMANCE ISSUE j 37

 

JAGUAR MAGAZINE

 

Jaguar Magazine celebrates creativity in all its forms, with exclusive features that inspire sensory excitement, from beautiful design to cutting-edge technology.

In this issue, we explore the art of creativity from the Brazilian masters who devised the graceful art of Capoeira, to the Irish artists mixing new culture with old. You will also discover the creative line that links Victorian wallpaper to the iPhone. While the multi-talented actor and performer, Riz Ahmed, explains why it is the right time to reveal his true self to the world.

© JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED 2020

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