From Hollywood
TYRONE POWER DEFERS TO LAUGHTON
*Accepted a role in Witness for the Prosecution that was not very pleasing and relatively secondary
By Anderson Linderm
Hollywood, Cal., November 16. (S.E.C.M., exclusive for CINEMA MUNDIAL.) - As soon as I learned of the death in Spain of Tyrone Power, I called my close friend Jack Sullivan, who was one of the executive producers of Witness for the Prosecution, which has recently been one of the big box office successes among the films made by the actor we mourn today.
Jack told me:
"Given Tyrone's status, the role he played in Witness for the Prosecution was insignificant...
"However, he accepted the character because of his friendship with Charles Laughton, the film's lead, in this version of Agatha Christie's story.
"It didn't take much work for Laughton to convince Tyrone, who respected the veteran actor greatly.
"Moreover, Tyrone's acceptance of the role was admirable on his part, because it was a dangerous move for his career, considering the prevalent attitude among American actors: a leading man (and Tyrone was a leading man, despite his mature age, or perhaps because of it, since the feminine ideal everywhere is that for a man to be attractive, he unites thoughtfulness, common sense and the experience gained by maturity); a leading man, we were saying, doesn't like to play a character who is a murderer and therefore might disgust the fans, above all the female fans. However, Tyrone accepted playing a murderer in a role that was, we repeat, not the lead, which was taken by Charles Laughton."
Photo Captions:
The mature actor facing veteran Charles Laughton in a scene from Witness for the Prosecution, the hit movie adapted from the play by Agatha Christie
He exuded sympathy and embodied the roles he was offered; his shameless character saved him from being overpowered [literally, "shipwrecked"] by Charles Laughton's monumental performance.
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