Roger Smith

"The Entertainer" captures what is arguably the single finest lead acting role in a film--ever. That is a huge statement, but one that I am happy to debate with adherents of the finest screen performances by Orson Welles, Marlon Brando or Jack Nicholson. There is an old show-biz saying to the effect that "Tragedy is easy, comedy is hard." Well, doing BOTH at the same time, as Laurence Olivier did when portraying the fading music hall star Archie Rice, is to me on a cinematic plain reached by few others and exceeded by none. For those adherents of the screen artistry of Jack Lemmon (I am NOT one), please see the deservedly-obscure TV movie version of "The Entertainer" starring the over-acting Mr. Lemmon. I rest my case.