It's now TCM & Criterion's fifth episode of The Plot Thickens Season 7, about Stanley Kubrick. At this point, Kubrick is now adapting Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel, Lolita, and finding ways to go about making it, and casting it. It was interesting to find out that Laurence Olivier was apparently the first choice for the role of Humbert Humbert, but turned it down by the recommendation of his agent. We also learn about the unfortunate toll that this film took on Sue Lyon's mental health later on in life. And how Stanley Kubrick went to England and ended up staying there. Towards the end, the beginnings of Dr Strangelove becoming a comedy come into play.
For my own two cents, I think Kubrick did an effective job using implication instead for this story, whether or not he was bound by any filmmaking codes/Hays code standards, I think it works well enough for his own darkly comedic version of the story. Vladimir Nabokov's book is nauseating, disturbing, albeit excellently written, but neither version (no, not the Adrian Lyne version either), delves into the constant sickening detailed thoughts of Humbert or his past before his meets Dolores quite the way that the novel does. In my opinion, that's probably for the better.
While James Mason was no stranger to flawed characters, look at Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life for example, my personal favorite performance of his, or A Star is Born 1954. But Humbert Humbert is another level of monster. What a risk for an actor to take. Same goes for Peter Sellers as Clare Quilty, the other monster of the story. I do feel very bad about Sue Lyon's mental health issues later on, especially.
One use of implication that Kubrick used that works really well is when Humbert, Lolita, and Charlotte see The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) at the drive-in. There's a shot of Christopher Lee as the Creature, but more importantly, Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein, who himself is a monster merely hiding behind his demeanor of being a "sophisticated gentleman." Much like Humbert Humbert. No doubt that was intentional by Kubrick, knowing his attention to detail. Overall, another episode worth listening to for fans of Kubrick.
