I could watch Malcolm McDowell in anything. Such a unique actor.

I miss the 1970s. When production value and broadcasting allowed for quiet pause and contemplation. Today the world moves much too fast for comprehension. From the instant gratification of social media and its dumbing down comforts of instant gratification. Newcomers under 40s have no idea what they missed.

I loved the bit about the slum and the snail. Olivier must have had to rehearse that a lot before he could deliver it without bursting out laughing!

It’s a bit astounding that great drama like this used to be par for the course on British TV. We’ve fallen a long way. Strictly Baking, anyone?

I've never seen Malcolm or Helen this young, Everyone is so good looking. TALENTED. Pinter has such a unique voice, flair.

Omg Alan was so very good looking

Four great actors giving four terrific performances.

In the end, we only believe what we want to believe. A superb and thought provoking production.

In this dramatic classic masterpiece, the 4 actors make up a perfect square of acting genius,but it all goes back to Mr Pinter's theatrical writing in which the language captivates the listener more than the events acted out .Such a nice chance to see some of the greatest actors in British theatre ,TV and film.

Frig me, Bates, McDowell, and Olivier ! What a cast !

Malcolm McDowell again proves he’a one of the greatest actors of all time. He and Alan Bates both deserve reappraisals of their entire careers.

10/2023:Most interesting. I've always thought that Helen is lovely. This is the youngest that I have seen her I think. I first saw Malcolm in Clockwork Orange, the nite before I entered the USAF back in 1972. One of my favourite movies of all time. Very Good Acting by all. Thank You for posting this excellent play. Something new for me to enjoy. Best Regards.

I ADORE watching Pinters plays….so damn entertaining…love the bit about the slim and the snail! cannot imagine people speaking like that today

The thing about Pinter is he used to write all his best lines on the bus. Either he overheard them or he made them up himself. I know this for a fact because I used to cut his hair. When he wasn’t looking...

Heaven on a Sunday morning......thanks to Mr Pinter. Excellent cast as well. Mr. Bates looking quite handsome.

Great play. Great cast. Can't get much better on this one!

A true masterpiece by the master.

Sunday afternoon and a Pinter play. The only thing better would be the same production Monday through Saturday. Thank you for this. RIP Alan Bates.

Great programme! I had to laugh when, 'Whitney Houston' rang the boutique! xxxx

The genius of Pinter! All those subtle lines...the amazing bit about the newspaper! The incredible subtle magnificence of the lines about the olives! And the character of Bill saying for the umpteenth time, "I'll tell you what REALLY happened". The suspense! I can't take this level of great writing, it is too much for my little average mind!

Nothing like this today. Something of the brilliant stuff of the 1970s. Lucky those who experienced that time.

Fantastic production. Michael Apted's direction is terrific.

What an absolutely amazing cast and great playwright/play, just wish the direction was a bit better. But wow, what a brilliant cast - Olivier, Mirren, Bates, McDowell, all together! Superb!

So many revealed, spoken and unspoken thoughts, vulnerabilities and emotions. What a marvellous cast to show us them all. Cruelty, control, provocation and domination are central motivations. The baton of power gets passed from character to character at different times. I thoroughly enjoyed it although feel Bates' character's concession in the final scene was totally incongruous.

The most powerful (and uncomfortable) part of this play was how the power (and menace) of each character fluctuated throughout; incredible to think tension can be created and maintained this way

This was actually shown on CBS. Can you even imagine that today? At the time Olivier said this was "the most beautiful" piece he'd ever been involved with. A TV production professor I knew used it in his classes; he'd introduce it by saying "I don't know how to define great acting, but here's some."

So enlightening to see MM becoming an all round versatile actor since his earlier parts in If and A Clockwork Orange.

Pinter never wrote it down as a 'creation'. He and Olivier met by chance in a Salzburg hotel lobby and talked about it for two hours.

The old man really was a magician!!!

It's a shame Harold Pinter didn't write the screenplay for Eyes Wide Shut.

I'm usually acutely attentive to every word of Harold Pinter's and grateful that he makes no attempt to soothe me, to reassure me. We humans are so generous with the complex misunderstandings we have, i.e. lies we tell ourselves. I am grateful for all the works of Harold Pinter and his Collection.

That's what I call a piece of art.

What a pleasure being in this must have been for the actors; all that delicious dialogue, and all those delicious...pauses! Thanks for posting.

Never seen this before. Thanks to whoever uploaded it .

Harold Pinter has the gift of presenting the emptiness and pretence of human importance in speech and actions in so many varieties of forms. Indeed, it seems that our present civilization with a claim to high evolution, remains much in the control of childish men proud of wealth and professional status, merely a collection of people, rather than of unique personal individuation.

HM has been stunning all her life in whatever guise

Thank You for this fine film.great performances by all including the great Helen Mirren

This play is just fucking perfect.

Beautiful Malcolm. ❤❤❤

Love Pinter: so funny. Very many thanks for this.

Last few lines: "we just talked about it... For two hours... Did nothing". That was this play! "You didn't do anything did you?". Right! I've spent an entire hour watching superb acting about... NOTHING.

"Slum slug" lol my new favourite insult!

Alan and Helen are in Gosford Park. Written by Julian Fellowes. Directed by Robert Altman. The whole cast is incredible.

Olivier was often quoted as saying that this is the best play I have bèn in.

Absolutely marvellous! Thank you uploader.

Brilliant! Hilarious in a passive aggressive oh so English way. The humour of the whole production!

Many thanks for uploading this Pinter gem.

Thank You for having posted this rare gem.

I've re-watched this many times since finding it a couple of years back. The wife of the clothing shop owner is the least realized in this but maybe she was meant to be. I think the absolute best part of this was when Olivier dives in off screen but his voice heard like a jump cut and saves Malcolm from probably getting killed because it really looked like Bates was going there but he was just giddy over the fact that he could easily toy with Malcolm. Olivier's monologue about Malcolm being from the wrong side of the tracks and therefore can't help but cause trouble and comparing him to a slug has a real vicious sting to it. The way Olivier went back and forth from hating and feeling sorry for Malcolm simultaneously was some really amazing acting. Just from his monologue in this scene, I get why Olivier gets so much love. Can never get enough of Malcolm's big shiny eyes!

Thanks for uploading this little masterpiece

Thank you for uploading this excellent piece!

thank you for sharing this, it's the best thing one could hope for

The cat was great in this😅 the idea of Lawrence and malcome,mind bogling brilliant cast😊

This is the only Pinter play that I've managed to watch all the way through! Probably because of the great actors rather than the actual material.

What a great cast.

very entertaining play. thought provoking and leaves the viewer to draw their own conclusions. .....very clever.

Many thanks for posting, I missed this at the time. Granada TV at its finest. A filmic quality on video.

I saw this many, many years ago in TV. Very interesting even though I don't really quite get the point. Great seeing it again

I am not sure I would pass such an opportunity up with Malcolm McDowell in 1976.😃

Great Performances indeed.

Absolute brilliance...!

there's a little Pinter in Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The language games, the torture. "I'll bet you're a wow at parties." "I wouldn't say I'm a wow."

awesome play, thank you

I wouldn’t waste 2 hours talking to Alan Bates I can tell you.

Great acting...the cat too 🐈

Thanks for posting, 6Mick. Can never have enough Pinter.

Unfortunately the times gave changed uncontrollably and much of our true heritage has been lost. Glad to see these find actors and the cream of British plays

Thanks ever so much for the upload!

Thank you. Have seen this once before, but definitely worth a re-watch.

Fantastic acting

A MASTERPIECE!

Great piece, great acting. Thank you for posting this

Brilliant! Thanks!

Harold Pinter went on to write the screenplay for Sleuth. I can see why that appealed to him after writing this.

Wonderful - thank you!

I guess this maintains my long record of never being able to get through a Pinter play.

Two great actors, Malcolm McDowell and Sir Laurence Olivier..A Clockwork Orange meets Sleuth. .

Thanks for uploading this. I have wanted to see this again.

What an absolute treat! Can’t believe I didn’t discover your upload sooner. Haven’t seen this for donkey’s years and, once more, found myself utterly delighted by such excellent performances, direction and writing. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all 😊❤.

Pinter's plays drive me up the wall , lol

Slum Slug! Love it!

This is so creepy I don’t even have words for it

I found this play really chilling ......

Great acting--including the cat.

Great stuff thanks for posting. Typical McDowell performance. Arrogant but charming.

Wow! So thats pinter. Good lord i have to find more of this. Like a high class episode of tales.of the unexpected

Oh, the banter here is so clever!

wow, not know miss mirren was so old this goes way back... congrats lady!

I do hope there's a dripping ceiling with a bucket underneath it in this. I shall be very disappointed if there isn't.

The most Proper confrontation ever!

great actors & story

superb acting, brilliant

I found this cause I read old Times magazine from 1978

Wonderful.

If this is any indication, there are as many roundabouts in British conversation as there are in London.

Today Commemorates Alan Bates' 85th Birthday

Brilliant.

Thanks so much for putting this up. I saw this on the Beeb when it aired the first time in the 70s and have been obsessed with the play ever since. I know most of it by heart. Astonishing cast. Amazed at the amount of people here who don’t seem to like it. Maybe not enough guns or explosions for them. Too bad.

I love watching old film

Very good !!