I remember Burton and 0'Toole even though I
never actually saw them in performance. BuRTon had
the added talent of having probably the most beautiful speaking voice ever recorded. It gave a
richness and weight to most things he did and he
did do other Shaekspearean roles for film. O'Toole
is a maverick and you can never tell what he will do but i agree when he is good he is very, very,
good. I have a feeling Daniel day lewis won't do
Skakespeare on stage = he never wanted to be a
stage actor, he always wanted to do films and his
body of work is marvelous He knows his own bounds
and whereas other actors lose themselves and cut
loose on stage he apparently does not.

As for todays crop - I can only speak for Jude law
since I do not know the work of Tennant very well. I am familiar with Law's wide range of screen work and anxious to see HAMLET because the
reviews of the last few plays he did were pretty
much excellent and he brings the intellectual ability to understand the depths of the role whose
transparency allows the actor to incorporate himself into the part. I can't wait till the summer but i must.

Before i leave the subject, there are many screen
performers whose prowess on stage is not well-known and we are surprpised when we run into it. I
always knoew Charlton Heston was a good actor but
I didn't know just how good until I saw him myself
in London in MR ROBERTS and saw him in Branagh's
HAMLET film in which he played the actor in the
play within a play and his diction and presentation of the role completely surprised me.
Too bad he never did anythinG more in bigger roles.
Also I would like to point out that laurence Olivier was considered the best HAMLET by manny of
those in my generation. There are many beautiful
things in that performance but it is admittedly a
little on the low=wattage side. But to each his
own interpretation of the Bard. That's what makes
the world go round, no two people think esactly
alike.