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Re: Sue Lyons LOLITA
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 9:40 AM
Subject: Re: Sue Lyons LOLITA
I must disagree with Paul Howlett regarding Sue Lyons. I think she is the absolutely perfect American nymphet -- and post-nymphet. I had no idea Lolita was filmed in England! I can understand VN's objections to the film, but none of them are mine. I think it wonderful, probably Kubrick's best. The opening credits alone are worth the price of admission.
Carolyn
> Paul Howlett
> Tuesday August 5, 2003
> The Guardian
>
> Lolita
> (Stanley Kubrick, 1961)
> 9pm, TCM
>
> James Mason took the dodgy Humbert Humbert role after David Niven, Rex
> Harrison, Noel Coward and all turned it down, no doubt blanching at the
> challenge of the arrogant paedophile from Nabokov's witty, wicked novel. Mason
> comes over as broadly sympathetic, if stuffy, while Sue Lyons scoffs her way
> through as the knowing nymphet - whose age is nervously increased to 14 from
> the book's 12. Better are Shelley Winters as her frustrated mum and Peter
> Sellers as the menacing Quilty. It lacks Nabokov's acidity and is hamstrung by
> being filmed in England - very obviously not its American mid-west setting -
> but is a braver stab than Adrian Lyne's later version.
>
>
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 9:40 AM
Subject: Re: Sue Lyons LOLITA
I must disagree with Paul Howlett regarding Sue Lyons. I think she is the absolutely perfect American nymphet -- and post-nymphet. I had no idea Lolita was filmed in England! I can understand VN's objections to the film, but none of them are mine. I think it wonderful, probably Kubrick's best. The opening credits alone are worth the price of admission.
Carolyn
> Paul Howlett
> Tuesday August 5, 2003
> The Guardian
>
> Lolita
> (Stanley Kubrick, 1961)
> 9pm, TCM
>
> James Mason took the dodgy Humbert Humbert role after David Niven, Rex
> Harrison, Noel Coward and all turned it down, no doubt blanching at the
> challenge of the arrogant paedophile from Nabokov's witty, wicked novel. Mason
> comes over as broadly sympathetic, if stuffy, while Sue Lyons scoffs her way
> through as the knowing nymphet - whose age is nervously increased to 14 from
> the book's 12. Better are Shelley Winters as her frustrated mum and Peter
> Sellers as the menacing Quilty. It lacks Nabokov's acidity and is hamstrung by
> being filmed in England - very obviously not its American mid-west setting -
> but is a braver stab than Adrian Lyne's later version.
>
>