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. > >