The Entertainer (film)
The Entertainer was a
1957 play by
John Osborne, made into a film in 1960, which told the story of a failing third-rate
music hall stage performer who tried to keep his career going even as his personal life fell apart. The story is set against the backdrop of the dying
music hall tradition, and this has usually been seen as symbolic of Britain's general post-war decline, its loss of its Empire, its power, and its cultural confidence and identity. The film starred
Laurence Olivier,
Brenda De Banzie,
Roger Livesey,
Joan Plowright,
Alan Bates,
Daniel Massey and
Albert Finney. The movie was adapted by
Nigel Kneale and
John Osborne from Osborne's play, and was directed by
Tony Richardson. It was later nominated for an
Academy Award for
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Laurence Olivier).
