Charlie Rose

John  07/07/2008 06:56 PM Report

I just saw this interview on the Charlie Rose website. What a delight. One of the best living actors and one of the finest hosts in TV. Congratulations to both.

Ray  04/26/2008 02:43 AM Report

Talk about overrated. There is nothing noble about pretending.

Acting is useless and Hollywood is poison.

AARON BENEZRA  03/28/2008 11:14 PM Report

THERE IS A MYSTICAL SYNCHRONICITY IN THE TIMING OF "LAWRENCE'S" VISIT TO THE CHARLIE ROSE TABLE EARLY THIS WEEK, IF ONLY IN THAT, BEING A GREAT FAN OF "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA", I WAS STRUCK IN THE PRECEDING WEEK AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON THAT I HAD LITTLE OR NO RECOLLECTION OF ANY SIGNIFICANT JEWISH PRESENCE IN THE GREAT PANORMA OF THAT GREAT HISTORICAL FILM. AND I FOUND MYSELF THINKING, "STRANGE, AFTER ALL THIS TIME, TO SUDDENLY HAVE SUCH A REVELATION; I WISH CHARLIE ROSE WOULD HAVE PETER O'TOOLE TO HIS SHOW, AND THAT I WOULD HAVE ADVANCE NOTICE TO BROACH THIS REVELATION AS A QUESTION OR TWO THROUGH MR. ROSE TO MR. O'TOOLE."

It was uncanny then that on Monday night, who should be at the Charlie Rose table - none other than the most excellent Peter O'Toole (and I of course having had no advance notice in any normal sense of the words, to advance any questions...). (Segway to the film...)

Indeed, just as Lawrence is himself so swept away and immersed in Arabian culture and identity; just as one is drawn into the character of Lawrence of Arabia; just as one sees the world through the eyes and heart of this one extraordinary Lawrence: so there is a sin to this film representation of his identity that is conservatively apparent as an accidental sin of ommission, perhaps liberally as a deliberate sin of ommission. That sin is the absence (in the telling of the Lawrence story) of the contemporary Jews of Palestine, of the simultaneous movement for a Jewish Homeland in Palestine, and of the concert with which the Arab Independence Movement and the Jewish Independence Movement made common alliance. Contemporary to both the Faisal-Weizman Agreement and the Balfour Declaration - both of which Lawrence played a key role in making possible - the Jews of Palestine and of the Zionist Movement are conspicuously absent from the film! This is not to suggest a need to water down or weaken the film by taking on so much diverse content as to lose the focus and essence of the story. E.G. there are more than a few hints of greedy, territorial negotiations between Britain and France with respect to the Middle Eastern spoils of war and their impact on the Arab Independence Movement - these same negotiations having caused the simultaneous stillbirth of the Faisal-Weizman Agreement and the Balfour Declaration! Ergo, the same European treachery that spoiled the best in the Arab Independence Movement also spoiled the best in the contemporary equivalent Jewish Independence Movement. From my own perspective as the Jew that I am, that wandering, anachronistic, anecdotal Jew that I am seen to be, when seen at all; I myself saw that film umpteen many times and like so many "non-existent" minorities, I did not notice that "I" was not even sand in the film! One hears frequently of those who would re-write history and make a benign thing of slavery or a non-occurrance of the Holocaust; like the current Arab maps of the World in which the State of Israel does not exist at all, the film "Lawrence of Arabia" makes little or nothing of the significance of the contemporary Jewish presence, nor of their historical and geographical importance. Please, I make no accusation here. I make observations including the stunning observation as to lack of self-awareness such that in the great romance of the film, I too am caught up in the romance of arabia and only arabia. A great story is a great story, point of view is point of view.... And, there is the rub, because the point of view it that Jewish Palestine, Palestinian Jews, did not and do not exist, as portrayed and as harbingered in the film. Around the world today little or no connection is made to the Jewish identity of Palestine and Israel. Jews are portrayed in the media as interlopers in their own homeland. Israeli statehood is seen as a post WW-2 evil world compromise at the expense of the native "Palestinians". Today the world is convinced that native Palestinians are exclusively Arab, when historically "Palestinian" and "Jewish" were synonomous. Intentionally or not, the film "Lawrence of Arabia" - at least as I remember it - teaches the justness of Arab Independence at the expense (by ommission) of the indigenous and returning Jews. I'd like to have heard Peter O'Toole speak, as an actor of historical merit in an historical film, to these observations and comments. As well, it is 90 years now since the life and times of the real Lawrence of Arabia; I wonder what he himself might say, were he alive today....

Savvy Sara  03/27/2008 09:54 PM Report

I am enriched by just having watched Sir Peter O'Toole online. What a treasure! Mr. Rose, you must have him back again -- and again and again. He along with the likes of Ms. Katherine Hepburn and Noel Coward were/are truly the epitome of the spoken words of acting.Thank you.

Andrea di Marco  03/25/2008 10:57 PM Report

Charlie, since you see Peter O'Toole regularly, would you please ask him when he will hatch the next installment of his memoirs "Loitering with Intent". Much appreciated.

Andrea di Marco  03/25/2008 10:57 PM Report

Charlie, since you see Peter O'Toole regularly, would you please ask him when he will hatch the next installment of his memoirs "Loitering with Intent". Much appreciated.

jamie  03/25/2008 09:58 PM Report

Could any native speaker confirm/correct

my transcritpion of the memorable quote

at minute 24:

"the past is not passed, the present is uncertain, the future does not exist"

Irish  03/25/2008 08:38 PM Report

always great to see Peter come on - though I have to disagree with him on one thing - his acting is Not a transitory thing - I feel it deeply whenever I see him in one of his stupendous roles and that is very real to me. And I am so glad there are something like 7 new things to see him in.

Charlie looks like the Marlboro Man. Not a bad look.

Abigail  03/25/2008 08:32 PM Report

Oh boo hoo hoo

um  03/25/2008 06:45 PM Report

if you are yelling at a tv set maybe your problem isnt Charlie.

Ms Carol A Marano RN  03/25/2008 05:05 PM Report

Listening to Peter O'Toole,is an honour

and privilege. A wealth of wisdom and

eloquency, indeed! BRAVO, Mr O'Toole!

MotherLodeBeth  03/25/2008 04:01 PM Report

Wish the whole hour had been with him. He was also on Jay Leno and was awesome. Would love to have a man like that in my life.

joanne  03/25/2008 03:58 PM Report

O'Toole remains orgasmic as an octogenarian in every sense of the word; the mellifluous voice and beautiful bones, an Irish treasure. Always left wanting for more, hopefully there will be plenty from the gifted O'Toole, to add to a delightful range in his body of work, God willing!

thanks Charlie, love you too!

Michele Pisa  03/25/2008 03:38 PM Report

Thank you for inviting me, Charlie. So, before you lead me into one of those delightful tangents, I would like to sa...right, right, very insightful of you, as always,so, as I was trying to..indeed, indeed, so, if I could just go ba...funny, how masterfully you complete thoughts I never had, but if I may...quite so, you are brilliant as always, Charlie, and thank you again for invit...

Curt  03/25/2008 02:43 PM Report

Again, another wonderful conversation with Mr. O'Toole. I could listen to him forever, and probably will. Viva Lawrence!

Charlie, you are such a catalyst for getting your guests to speak. I do wish there would be a way to get access to the "uncut" raw footage but I'll take this 24:27.

Cheers

Mary  03/25/2008 11:23 AM Report

This is the hour that I wait for. In the meantime I gain important information from other interviews. This hour, I laugh, I cry, I draw on the energy, the spirit and the lives of these people. Thank you

Taylor Walsh  03/25/2008 10:55 AM Report

I used to wonder about what seemed to be Charlie's obsession with guiding the conversation. But on the other hand, where else do you find the sort of candor and thoughtful commentary that comes from this program? And the guests don't seem to mind. Where else do they get such a platform?

The O'Toole conversation is a perfect example. He even remarked to Charlie how "we go off on tangents, Charlie." But on them we find out that O'Toole memorizes everything, admires Shakespeare's sonnets more than he does the plays, doesn't like to analyze the "why/how" of his gift, believes the St. James Bible to be pivotal in the evolution of English, and wants to work forever. Pretty good for 20 minutes conversation.

Whitney  03/25/2008 08:34 AM Report

Brendan-

I agree. I love the show, but I too find myself yelling at CR to pause those thoughts and let the guests speak. I listen for the guests, not CR's pontificating. PLEASE CR, let your guests finish!

awe  03/25/2008 01:44 AM Report

Envy his octogenarian mind. Seems a poignant correlation between acuity and goodness.