True. See Simplicio’s post (#28) above. That’s Lawrence in the second photo, third from the right.
I believe it is “Don’t refuse.”
In addition to frequent collaborator with Lean, Guinness seemed to be a bit of a good luck charm for him. After a long series of films together, Lean made **Ryan’s Daughter **without Guinness and it turned out to be his first critical disappointment and financial flop after a string of successes.
You don’t really see them but you certainly hear the Bedouin tribesmen’s wives during the scene where they depart with Lawrence for battle.
Lawrence of Arabia is way up there near the top of my favorite-movie list as well.
I love this scene. Lawrence refuses offered water until he reaches Sherif Ali; then says “Nothing is written.”
Although I like O’Toole, I’m afraid I’ve missed most of his films. :mad: One I enjoyed, though it was a box-office flop, is Man of La Mancha.
To second what is said above, if you like the movie and have a certain amount of patience, read the book. If you think that the movie is remarkable for its candid depiction of a far from perfect man, that is only being true to the book and its an autobiography!
Yes the accuracy of the book is in doubt, but few dubious autobiographies say as “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom” does - explicitly and at length - that it is not to be trusted.
I saw the movie in its original run–twice. And it inspired me to read Seven Pillars, released in a paperback edition due to the film. Interesting stuff, especially for one of my tender years.
It also inspired a lifelong love of Peter O’Toole. The character he played in *My Favorite Year *seems a lot like Erroll Flynn; he also seems a lot like Peter O’Toole. A severe health emergency in 1975 sidelined his career for a time–but also stopped his drinking. This extract from Hellraisers recounts antics from his years with the other notorious British stars–all dead.
[gush] Thank you! Thank you for looking this up, I’m definitly going to watch it again. I love this movie and I love Peter O’Toole and I love, love, LOVE David Lean too. [/gush]
Me too! 
oh, and IMO the ‘real’ T.E. Lawrence was not unhandsome! It’s just that Peter O’Toole is overly handsome.
Lawrence was one of my heroes as a kid and, thus, I wanted to see the movie. I don’t remember much about it other than that the opening credits sequence involved him cleaning his motorcycle for a very long time.
I don’t remember cleaning the motorcycle. I remember the ride, though.
Well it has been 20 years since I last saw the film, but I seem to remember him cleaning or preparing it in some way. This was during the opening credits and it seemed to go on forever and ever. Am I confusing it with something else?
[spoiler]
He was killed in a motorcycle accident, and they portray it in the film.[/spoiler]
Well, yeah, I knew that. I am familiar with his life. But I have a specific memory of the motorcycle cleaning (or something) over the credits. It was a wide-angled overhead shot and IIRC he gets on the bike and speeds off at the end of the sequence.
Too bad it wasn’t a Harley. Those kids would have heard him coming miles away.
Was it a Triumph? BSA?
I have no idea who was making British bikes back then.
Man, if you lose it at 120 you are hamburger meat.
Almost did, once. High-speed shimmy at 125 on the ol’ Seca II.
I made 147 in my Opel GT.
I realized that:
- It didn’t make my penis any larger.
- Girls wouldn’t lust after me.
- No one would believe me.
- I could die.
So I quit driving fast.
Correct. As soon as the studio logo fades to black, the opening shot is, as described, an overhead shot of Lawrence preparing his motorcycle. This continues for the duration of the opening credits, which (according to the soundtrack album) lasts 2:13. So, yeah, kind of long. When the music ends there are a couple of quick close up shots as he kickstarts the motorcycle, and then it’s off down the jolly country lane of doom.