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Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Oct 5, 2020 16:34:57 GMT
 Donald Pleasence (1919-1995) was born on this day, October 5th in 1919, in Nottinghamshire, England. He was well known for playing villains in the first half of his career, but became a beloved horror hero icon by playing Dr. Sam Loomis in several Halloween movies.  
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Post by Anonymous Andy on Oct 5, 2020 17:58:09 GMT
Excellent thread. Donald Pleasence is one of those actors whom if I see he is in the cast of a certain film, my immediate answer is "Yes, let's watch this right now."
So many good performances, but one of my favorites is his oddball drunk from Circus of Horrors who gets into it with a bear.
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Post by James on Oct 5, 2020 17:59:55 GMT
Fan fucking tastic actor.
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Post by Ass_E9 on Oct 5, 2020 19:35:24 GMT
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Post by seahawksraawk00 on Oct 5, 2020 19:41:48 GMT
Never knew he was a conscientious objector growing up, before changing his mind after the German bombing of London. And he enlisted as a RAF bomber, and flew over 60 raids against the Axis powers. On 31 August 1944 Lancaster NE112, in which he was a crew member, was shot down during an attack upon Agenville,and he was captured and imprisoned in the German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft I, where he produced and acted in plays. He was discharged from the R.A.F. in 1946. The guy took on Nazis, real "evil". That's a badass in my book!
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Post by theravenking on Oct 5, 2020 19:45:32 GMT
One of my favourite actors. I always admired actors like him or Herbert Lom who were consummate professionals and no matter how lousy the movie or how small the part they always gave their best.
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Post by Prime etc. on Oct 5, 2020 20:33:52 GMT
Yeah Herbert Lom! He was also great in comedy.
Like Pleasence, he gave the material his best.
Pleasence was very good at the dramatic death scream--I think in Circus of Horrors he was killed by a bear (costume) and in Fantastic Voyage he screams away his life as an amoeba eats him, and then in the Mutations he does likewise as a plant monster attacks him.
In the same film he also gives the plot to Jurassic Park.
"we can clone dinosaurs from their DNA."
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Post by masterofallgoons on Oct 5, 2020 21:03:26 GMT
One of my favourite actors. I always admired actors like him or Herbert Lom who were consummate professionals and no matter how lousy the movie or how small the part they always gave their best. And Pleasance gave a professional effort through heavy intoxication, according to Danielle Harris, at least. Sad to imagine the end of his life going that way, but by all accounts he was still kind and always professional. |
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Post by wmcclain on Oct 6, 2020 17:06:31 GMT
Never knew he was a conscientious objector growing up, before changing his mind after the German bombing of London. And he enlisted as a RAF bomber, and flew over 60 raids against the Axis powers. On 31 August 1944 Lancaster NE112, in which he was a crew member, was shot down during an attack upon Agenville,and he was captured and imprisoned in the German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft I, where he produced and acted in plays. He was discharged from the R.A.F. in 1946. The guy took on Nazis, real "evil". That's a badass in my book! There are a lot of great stories in the commentary tracks to the Criterion Blu-ray of THE GREAT ESCAPE. The light plane that Pleasence and James Garner steal was just a bit of junk on the ground, but they did need to start the engine for that scene. Teams of burly techs and stunt men wore themselves out cranking the prop and director Sturges was advised: "We don't think it's possible". Pleasence stepped up, cranked it and it started the first time. Stepped back quickly, fumbled blindly into the cockpit, plane lurches forward. Cut, one take, print it. Sturges to crew: "Exactly what was the problem?"
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Post by BATouttaheck on Oct 6, 2020 17:13:35 GMT
I saw him on Broadway in a Pinter play. Had NO idea what they meant BUT he was so incredibly watchable !   1961 He was on stage in the same play in 1991  |
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Post by petrolino on Oct 14, 2020 5:38:34 GMT
I saw him on Broadway in a Pinter play. Had NO idea what they meant BUT he was so incredibly watchable ! 1961 He was on stage in the same play in 1991
Alan Bates, Malcolm McDowell and Robert Shaw all held Donald Pleasence in the highest regard, if only for his interpretation of the volatilve menace filterted through characteristic pauses and mundane situations in the stage work of Harold Pinter.
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