Peter O'Toole was born on the 2nd of August 1932 in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England.
He was an Actor who had a celebrated career on stage and screen for almost 60 years.
Peter O'Toole started his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London in the 1950's by the end of the decade he had begun working in theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic and with the English Stage Company. He played the title role in Hamlet in the National Theatre's first production in 1963.
O'Toole was a consummate thespian when it came to acting but he quickly garnered a reputation as a "hellraiser" enjoying a party lifestyle when he wasn't treading the boards.
O'Toole made his "Screen" debut in,
"The Castiglioni Brothers" (1958)
This film is based on Alberto Colantuoni’s play of the same name. This is a comedy about Four heirs in a wealthy family, while waiting to see who gets the inheritance, squabble over a missing lottery ticket. This film doesn't seem to have a poster and the fact it is a play set in a couple of rooms I think this may have been a play filmed for television.
So his actual feature film debut was in,
"Kidnapped" (1960) an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novel.
O'Toole plays Robin Macgregor in this tale of adventure in the Highlands where,
The young David Balfour is Kidnapped and cheated out of his inheritance, Falls in with a Jacobite adventurer, Alan Breck Stewart. Falsely accused of murder, they must flee and evade the redcoats. O'Toole went on to feature in...
"The Savage Innocents" (1960)
A film very much "of its time" with a Mexican-American actor playing an Indigenous Yupik/Inuit man and it has the word savage in the title... moving on!
In 1960 O'Toole played the role of Captain Monty Finch in.
"The Day They Robbed the Bank of England"
London at the turn of the century. Three men are on a mission from the IRA to steal all the gold in the vaults of the Bank of England. Norgate, their leader, discovers the bank’s weak spot: an old forgotten sewer straight under the vaults.
So having trained at RADA, gained a reputation as a fine shakespearean actor and appearing in non lead roles in four films the 29 year old Peter O'Toole was about to land a role that would not only launch his film career but would go on to be his definitive film performance in the minds of film fans for generations to come.
English filmmaker David Lean was making an epic period biopic and had cast a virtually unknown actor in the lead role a man by the name of Albert Finney.
Principal photography had begun on this costly production and then after two days of filming David Lean fired Finney from the film. The cause of his dismissal remains unknown to this day. Lean offered the role to Marlon Brando who passed and Lean was considering Anthony Perkins or Montgomery Clift for the role but it was Peter O'Toole who landed the role of
T. E. Lawrence in the seminal classic "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962)
(This is the first time I have been able to do this and I'm pretty chuffed)
About six months ago I covered Lawrence of Arabia in my three part series covering the career of David Lean so here is a link to part two of that blog series where you can read about the Lawrence of Arabia production.
O'Toole was nominated for an Academy award for his performance in the film but did not win on the night losing to Gregory Peck for his performance in "To Kill a Mockingbird" not winning Oscars he is nominated for is a theme throughout O'Toole's career.
In this blog I tend not to write about people's private lives and marriages and such I tend to focus on people's work BUT with O'Toole I will briefly cover some stuff because it would be wrong not to with Peter...
It is believed that O'Toole had over 1000 lovers in his life including Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, Jayne Mansfield, Anita Ekberg, Barbara Steele and he had an eight year affair with Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth's sister) He also claimed to have an appetite for sex orgies.
He was a prolific consumer of alcohol and was known to socialise with actors such as Richard Harris, Richard Burton, Oliver Reed and football star George Best. O'Toole would say things like ""I did quite enjoy the days when one went for a beer at one's local in Paris and woke up on the Island of Corsica," O'Toole claimed he was drunk so long he never heard about JFK's assassination until the mid 1980's. Alcohol abuse and addiction is not funny but here is a video of O'toole and Harris telling stories of their escapades.
Peter O'Toole continued acting in films until he retired in 2012 at the age of 80.
He was nominated for 8 Academy awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role throughout his career and won none of them.
In 2002 The Academy honoured him with an Academy Honorary Award for his entire body of work and his lifelong contribution to film. On the night it was presented to him by Meryl Streep.
O'Toole was the recipient of numerous nominations and awards over the years.
In the 1980's He was offered a knighthood but rejected it in objection to the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's policies.
He won four Golden Globe Awards, one BAFTA Award for Best British Actor for Lawrence of Arabia.
He appeared in over 90 feature films in his career so I am not going to go through them all but here are his top 5 films (In my opinion) This also doubles as my recommendations.
Number 5.
The Ruling Class (1972)
Directed by Peter Medak, Written by Peter Barnes,
Based on the 1968 play "The Ruling Class" by Peter Barnes, Produced by Jules Buck & Jack Hawkins, Music by John Cameron, Cinematography by Ken Hodges, Edited by Ray Lovejoy, Starring Peter O'Toole, Alastair Sim, Arthur Lowe, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Michael Bryant, Graham Crowden,
Nigel Green, William Mervyn, Carolyn Seymour &
James Villiers.
When the Earl of Gurney dies in a cross-dressing accident, his schizophrenic son, Jack (Peter O'Toole), inherits the Gurney estate. Jack is not the average nobleman; he sings and dances across the estate and thinks he is Jesus reincarnated. Believing that Jack is mentally unfit to own the estate, the Gurney family plots to steal Jack's inheritance. As their outrageous schemes fail, the family strives to cure Jack of his bizarre behavior, with disastrous results.
I saw this film for the first time recently and it is wonderfully bonkers very much "of its time" with its handling of and language around mental illness but it is nothing to get upset about.
O'Toole was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for this performance but he lost to Marlon Brando for his performance in The Godfather which he declined.
The Ruling Class (1972)
Is rated 3.7/5 on Letterboxd, 7.2/10 on IMDb and 77% on Rotten Tomatoes
You can watch this film by streaming it on Prime Video included with your subscription.
Number 4.
Becket (1964)
Directed by Peter Glenville, Written by Edward Anhalt, Based on "Becket" the 1959 stage play by Jean Anouilh, Produced by Hal B. Wallis,
Music by Laurence Rosenthal, Cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth, Edited by Anne V. Coates, Starring Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole & John Gielgud.
Debauched King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) installs his longtime court facilitator Thomas Becket (Richard Burton) as the Archbishop of Canterbury, assuming that his old friend will be a compliant and loyal lackey in the King's ongoing battles with the church. But Becket unexpectedly finds his true calling on the ecclesiastical side, and aligns himself against the king's selfish wishes, causing a rift and an eventual showdown not only between the two men, but also the institutions they represent.
This film is an acting tour de force with three British legends O'Toole, Burton & Gielgud.
Becket won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and Peter O'Toole was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for this performance but he lost to Rex Harrison for his performace in "My Fair Lady" (1964).
Becket (1964) is rated 3.8/5 on Letterboxd, 7.8 on IMDb & 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It is NOT AVAILABLE TO STREAM OR RENT ONLINE. (not everything is on streaming)
It is also currently out of print on physical media so if you want to see it you can get a used DVD on Ebay for between £5-£10.
Number 3.
How to Steal a Million (1966)
Directed by William Wyler, Screenplay by Harry Kurnitz, Based on "Venus Rising"
1962 story in "Practise to Deceive"
by George Bradshaw, Produced by Fred Kohlmar, Music by John Williams,
Cinematography by Charles Lang, Edited by Robert Swink, Starring Audrey Hepburn,
Peter O'Toole, Eli Wallach, Hugh Griffith &
Charles Boyer.
Charles Bonnet expresses his passion for art by forging masterpieces and selling them at a hefty profit. The trouble starts when his reproduction of a prized sculpture winds up in a famous Paris museum. If experts determine that it is inauthentic, Bonnet's reputation will be tarnished. That's why his fetching daughter, Nicole, hires a cat burglar Simon Dermott (Peter O'Toole) to steal the sculpture back before it's too late.
A late 60's kitschy American heist comedy that teams up O'Toole with screen legend Audrey Hepburn the film is silly but deeply charming and well worth a watch.
How to Steal a Million (1966)
is rated 3.8/5 on Letterboxd, 7.5/10 IMDb and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film is not on any streaming service. but you can rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV
for £3.49.
Number 2.
The Lion in Winter (1968)
Directed by Anthony Harvey, Screenplay by James Goldman, Based on "The Lion in Winter" the 1966 play by James Goldman,
Produced by Martin Poll, Music by John Barry, Cinematography by Douglas Slocombe, Edited by John Bloom, Starring
Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Merrow, John Castle, Timothy Dalton,
Anthony Hopkins, Nigel Stock & Nigel Terry.
Set at Christmas 1183, King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) is planning to announce his successor to the throne. The jockeying for the crown, though, is complex. Henry has three sons and wants his boy Prince John to take over. Henry's wife, Queen Eleanor, has other ideas. She believes their son Prince Richard should be king. As the family and various schemers gather for the holiday, each tries to make the indecisive king choose their option.
They don't make films like this anymore an intense, fierce, personal drama with a literate script and powerhouse performances by Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn a very youthful 31 year old Anthony Hopkins and future bond Timothy Dalton who was 22 when he appeared in this in this.
O'Toole was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance but he lost to Cliff Robertson for his performance in "Charly" (1968).
The Lion in Winter (1968)
is rated 4/5 on Letterboxd, 7.9/10 IMDb and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
You can stream this film on ITVX with a subscription.
Or you can rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV for £3.49.
Number 1.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Directed by David Lean, Screenplay by
Robert Bolt & Michael Wilson, Based on "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by T. E. Lawrence
Produced by Sam Spiegel, Music by Maurice Jarre, Cinematography by Freddie A. Young,
Edited by Anne V. Coates, Starring Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, José Ferrer, Jack Hawkins,
Anthony Quayle & Claude Rains.
Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in their fight against the Turks. With the aid of native Sherif Ali, Lawrence rebels against the orders of his superior officer and strikes out on a daring camel journey across the harsh desert to attack a well-guarded Turkish port.
No surprise that Lawrence of Arabia (1962) is number one! It is one of the best films ever made. A true cinematic epic clocking in at 222 min it is ranked the 22nd most influential film amongst film directors and the 133 best film ever by critics in the 2022 Sight & Sound poll.
is rated 4.4/5 on Letterboxd, 8.3/10 IMDb and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
You can rent this film on Prime Video for £2.49 or Apple TV for £3.49
You can buy this classic on Blu-Ray from HMV
Here are some honorable mentions from O'Toole's career.
1. The Stunt Man (1980)
On the run from the police, Cameron crashes the set of a Hollywood war movie. When he inadvertently causes a stunt man's death, the film's manipulative director, Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole), decides to shelter Cameron from the cops if he steps in as the daredevil's replacement. Though the arrangement seems like a good deal, it soon becomes a perilous position, with the situation only complicated when Cameron falls for the movie's lead actress.
2. Murphy’s War (1971)
An Irish seaman vows to settle the score with a U-boat that sank his ship off the Venezuelan coast. The sole survivor after the German sub has strafed the sea with machine-gun fire, he takes refuge in a mission and then discovers that the U-boat is still in hiding up river.
3. Ratatouille (2007)
Remy dreams of becoming a great chef, despite being a rat in a definitely rodent-phobic profession. He moves to Paris to follow his dream, and with the help of hapless garbage boy Linguini he puts his culinary skills to the test in the kitchen but he has to stay in hiding at the same time, with hilarious consequences. Remy eventually gets the chance to prove his culinary abilities to the great food critic Anton Ego who is voiced by Peter O'Toole... but is the food good?
Here are some dishonorable mentions! At the end of the day O'Toole was a working actor who needed to work and he really did manage to appear in some stinkers! Here are just three.
1. Caligula (1979) Directed by softcore porn director Tinto Brass and funded by the guy who owned Penthouse magazine this film is terrible, In a way it is so bad it's good... but it is more an experience a film you can watch the same way you stare at a car wreck.
This film is loaded with acting talent with Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole & Helen Mirren but the film is a mess.
2. Supergirl (1984) Directed by Jeannot Szwarc the man who brought us "Jaws 2" (1978) and "Santa Claus: The Movie" (1985) Supergirl is a very cheap and badly written film to cash in on the success and goodwill around the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. A ridiculous plot involving Superman’s cousin coming to Earth looking for a "powerful orb" and ends up battling a wicked witch. O'toole plays a wizard called Zaltar!
3. High Spirits (1988) OK full transparency! I had this film on VHS taped off TV when I was a kid and I watched it many times but really... It is not a good film. It was made as a Steve Guttenberg "vehicle" to build his career off the back of the huge success of "3 Men and a Baby" (1987) High Spirits is a supernatural farce comedy that was actually written and directed by Neil Jordan who made truly great films such as "The Crying Game" (1992), "Mona Lisa" (1986) and "The Company of Wolves" (1984) In High Spirits Peter O'Toole plays Peter Plunkett an old Irish aristocrat who owns a ramshackle castle that is now a very unpopular hotel and in an attempt to drum up some business he pays to advertise in America and claims the castle is really haunted Plunket intends to fake huntings for his guests but real ghosts appear and then hijinx ensues.
Peter O'Toole passed away on the 14th of December 2013 at the Wellington Hospital in St John's Wood, London, at the age of 81 of stomach cancer.
His funeral was held at Golders Green Crematorium in London on the 21st of December 2013, where his body was cremated in a wicker coffin.
His ashes were then transported to the west of Ireland.
He has a memorial plaque in St Paul's, the Actors' Church in Covent Garden, London.
