It’s the wrong time of year to think about Christmas, but which holiday movies did you watch when growing up? Did your family love White Christmas, or It’s a Wonderful Life or The Christmas Story? We watched those too, but my Dad’s favourite Christmas movie is about escaped prisoners on Devil’s Island! The movie is called We’re No Angels, and stars Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov. Here’s my tribute to Peter Ustinov – actor, comedian, comedy legend.
We’re No Angels
First, here’s a short clip from the Christmas comedy film, We’re No Angels. In this scene, the three main characters hold a mock trial, for the shopkeeper’s evil brother-in-law. Ustinov is the defence attorney at the mock trial. You can almost picture him adjusting his lawyer’s robes while he speaks.
Because the movie takes place on Christmas Eve, it qualifies as a holiday movie. The small, fancy box holds a poisonous snake named Aldo. We never see Aldo in the movie – we just see the results of his work!
So, if you like your comedy with a slightly dark side, get a copy of We’re No Angels. Watch it during the holidays this year – or any time! Just be sure to get the 1955 version, with Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov. Don’t get the 1989 Sean Penn movie with the same name, but a different story.
The Muppet Show
According to Wikipedia, Ustinov had many skills and talents. For instance, he was an “actor, voice actor, writer, dramatist, filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter.”
Whew! Try not to think about that, while you struggle to write a 5 minute stand up routine, or post something funny on Facebook!
In addition, Ustinov was fluent in 6 languages – English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Russian. He was also an expert at accents, as you can see in the next clip. In this Muppet Show skit, Ustinov plays a robot politician, and shows his skills with languages and accents.
Talk Show Guest
Ustinov was also a favourite guest on interview shows and late night shows. The hosts relaxed, while Ustinov entertained the audience with his amusing stories. In the clip below, he recounts a question from a Japanese interviewer. Ustinov speaks as himself, the translator, and the interviewer.
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Peter Ustinov Actor Comedian – Comedy Legend
We’ll end this tribute with this quote from Peter Ustinov, actor, comedian, comedy legend:
“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.”
To learn more about Peter Ustinov, read his autobiography, Dear Me. And get his book of quotes and cartoons too – Quotable Ustinov.
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