Discuss Laurence Olivier's Polaroid Advert

Fabu!

At the time the camera was cool as hell and cost a fortune - so Olivier in the commercial seemed appropriate.

The manner in which he says "camera" makes it seems like he was referring to a Velazquez painting, an object of precious craftsmanship.

That was intentional R3. The original SX-70 was made of stainless steel and leather, and the collapsible mechanics were extraordinary — so in an era of plastic Polaroid cameras the craftsmanship was a huge marketing point.

Lawrence Olivier stopped by the office the other day. He said I was the brightest and most vivacious worker he's seen in the office for years! I told my friend Tony about it at the coffee shop.

Go to 4:17 in the link.

[quote] Master thespian Laurence Olivier once deemed the cinema was beneath him

That's an ignorant thing to say. Do you have ANY link for that assertion?

Ugly......inside and out.

[quote] taking the great Vivien Leigh away from movies during her peak years.

1. It was Selznick whose contract barred Vivien from starring in 'Henry V'.

2. Vivien starred in two of Britain's biggest movies in '45 and '48.

Uglier than Danny Kaye?

R7 I can tell you're speaking from the prism of your own ignorance and bitterness.

R2, It listed at $100.00, hardly a fortune.

In the 70s, $100 was equivalent to like $700 today, R11.

He was magnificent in A Little Romance!

[quote] Then later he decided he needed cash for his kids with Joan Plowright

The impetuous, passionate Larry married in haste to escape Vivien's farrago.

But he was obliged to 'repent at leisure' but he did fulfil his paternal duties.

OP has stumbled upon a gem here. I find this commercial to be charming and elegant. Life seemed simpler back then. Leisure suits. Oldsmobiles. Kojak. Things actually made sense. Modern life with all its sophistication and choices can be so draining.

R12, More like $500. December of 1975, I purchased three to give as Christmas presents at $100 each.

Nice humblebrag, R16. Ooo, you were a big shot investment banker, handing out $500 cameras at Christmas like candy canes. Let me guess: now you’ve retired to sunny Florida and spend your days galavanting around in a Rolls Royce golf cart?

Is this a camera I see before me?

^ Larry may have 'chewed the scenery' if the part required it. But he was quite versatile.

I smell a jealous bitch at R17.

Olivier demanded that the Polaroid commercials never air in the UK.

“The company first sold the SX-70 in Miami, Florida in late 1972, and began selling it nationally in fall 1973. Although the high cost of $180[3] for the camera and $6.90 for each film pack of ten pictures ($1,166 and $45, respectively, adjusted for inflation[4]) limited demand,” -Wikipedia

It was marketed at people who bought Kodak Instamatics and the like, which sold at the time for $20 - $50. Even at $100 it was expensive for what it was -a consumer grade camera.

$100 in 1973 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $651.15 today, an increase of $551.15 over 49 years.

Not at wholesale prices . . .

Laurence Olivier was signed to that Polaroid deal while basking in glow of film "Sleuth" which was a huge success.

"Polaroid’s eagerness to sign Olivier was so intense that the company agreed to his demands: a $350,000 fee (which was unprecedented for an actor in television commercials), the promise not to broadcast the commercials on British television (lest anyone think he was slumming) and the budget-raising expense of filming in Paris (where his earnings would not be subject to Britain’s harsh tax laws)."

Overall both the ad campaign and camera itself were not the success everyone foretold.

Larry Olivier was stiff, formal and stuffy which totally went against grain of Polaroid cameras. There was supposed to be an element of fun and excitement watching pictures develop before your eyes and so forth.

Sadly also for Polaroid US economy entered an economic recession. As such people just weren't into spending what was a huge sum on many things including that Polaroid camera.

In end some heads rolled, Larry Olivier never did another series of television adverts, but took roles in several films that were far beneath his talent but paid well enough.

To be fair Larry Olivier wasn't that only star actor from golden era of films, or stage that did adverts. By 1970's media was full of them hawking all sorts of products. For many it brought in very much needed income.

End of studio system, changing tastes in films, and in turn ushered in a totally new breed of actors meant many older ones were left scrambling to make a living.

Then consider even in golden age of Hollywood days British actors weren't paid lavishly, well not compared to Americans anyway. The earned decent living no doubt, but many came over to USA for film deals that paid far better.

For record Liv Ullmann, and Christopher Plummer also did ad spots for Polaroid.

He lost his dignity. He was a fine actor for a period, then got very hammy. Sleuth was his last good role, and it wasn't that great. I wish I could have seen him in the theater.

How did he prepare for this role

The same way he prepared for EVERY role - he put on a putty nose and spit a lot.

[quote]Life seemed simpler back then...Things actually made sense.

In 1973? Like hell they did.

Caught Sleuth on television last year, thought it was quite good.