Laurence Olivier - St Crispin's Day Speech from Henry V by William Shakespeare

[belfastflyer]

Jesus, it's like.... nothing. Just watched Branagh's version though.... so this compares VERY poorly....

[johnsher2]

See him declaiming this in his filmed version of Henry V. It's one of the great speeches ever captured on film.

[jonjamg]

@johnsher2 This is taken supposedly directly from the FIlm.

[johnsher2]

@jonjamg Hi Jonjamg, actually this is a separate recording with the Philadelphia Philharmonic.

Check out the film clip itself elsewhere on youtube and you'll hear a quite distinct and utterly amazing reading: watch?v=P9fa3HFR02E&feature=re­lated

[Piercedowney]

Compare this to Burton's 1951 rousing version (sans music), or Brannaugh's 1988 (with a background score) and Olivier sounds as if he is reading the words.

[jonjamg]

@Piercedowney I am sure he wasn't reading his words but often think Olivier was overrated! Different styyles though, different generations but as a rousing WW2 Film it did exactly what it was supposed to inspire a nation to beat the crap out of the French ooops the Germans!

[60ECg]

Excellent speech and music .

[Redemption754]

crack cracle pop

[jonjamg]

@Redemption754 Well the Record is 70 years old!! It is recorded from the original release on 78 rpm

[Redemption754]

that sound like rice crispys :]

[Solarcoreg]

Fantastic recording

[MrJumbolegz]

branagh is infinitely better rofl u lose olivifags

[McGrenzer]

Bravo to Shakespeare, Sir Laurence, Sir William and jonjamg for this video! 

[lostthe80s]

Not a patch Branagh - nothing special in this reading at all

[Napoleonkuryakin]

@yadsik. Surely you're delivery would have been far more eloquent and measured than the late great Sir Laurence Olivier.

[jonjamg]

He might have been told to cut it down owing to costs! It is a unique delivery though!

[yadsik]

I always felt that Olivier rushed this.