English transcript

What about Brando? Ah, what about Brando? There's a lot about Brando.

First time I saw him, he went on as an

understudy in what was the final performance of quite a short run,

I think, of Katharine Cornell in Antigone,

uh, version by Anouilh,

and, uh, directed by her husband, Guthrie McClintic.

And, uh, the man who usually played the Messenger on this one

night alone was playing the Chorus,

and the understudy was playing the Messenger. And I went to see this,

and this fellow came on the stage.

And I... I can only say he simply set it alight.

It was Brando. First time I'd ever seen him. I think it was the first

time anybody had ever seen him. And very shortly after that,

his qualities were discovered, needless to say.

I mean, they have a terrific system of scouts for good qualities, and he...

he was palpably a great star in the making.

And he has, um...

he has... it's a dangerous word, I think, to use to do with our work,

because I don't really like the word "genius" applied to the theater. I don't think

the theater

can quite cope with genius.

I think it's too practicable a business to have to worry with genius.

I think if anything,

the height of ambition should be to have a genius for practicability.

But Marlon has the sort of genius,

I think, that is able to play a genius. I mean, his Napoleon,

I think, was immeasurably the best effort at Napoleon that I think I've ever seen.

And it was simply...

Marlon was simply because of his own particular quality of being so easy,

so easily bringing a sense of genius to a character who was a genius.

And also he's, um...

he's got an astonishing gift. I... I think he's a very, very remarkable actor.

It's not always completely controlled, but,

uh... on the movies, of course, he... he learns to be controlled. Actually,

he wouldn't like... he'd hate to be called a technician, I'm sure, but he is one.

Great technician. Yeah.