Sir Laurence Olivier receiving an Honorary Oscar®

thank you in case you don't already know you will be absolutely delighted when you learn what my function is this evening I'm as proud as I can be of what I've been asked or indeed allowed to do it will be my happy privilege and honor to present an actor and what an actor who is a peer among his peers because you see he is truly a peer and of course I referred to Laurence Olivier because that's how because you see that's how he prefers I refer to him when he appears those of us who had the joy of knowing him since he first came to Hollywood warmly and fondly yet respectfully of course call him Larry no man has graced his profession better than Larry Olivier has graced ours he represents the ultimate in acting is the actors most admired actor his extraordinary talents have embraced an astonishing variety of roles from Shakespearean to modern day men it's a remarkable achievement unmatched in range or stature he has won 11 nominations think of that plus a special Oscar for his Henry the fifth and an Oscar as Best Actor for Hamlet and tonight he received a tribute from the Academy and the entire industry for all his work among those who have previously received this particular honor have been Greta Garbo Mary Pickford Fred Astaire Charlie Chaplin Walt Disney and a named modesty forbids that I should otherwise like to proudly mentions oh dear friends am I supposed to speak after that carry my dear old friend for many years from the earliest years of either of us working in this country thank you for that beautiful citation and the trouble you have taken to make it and for all the warm generosities in it mr. president and governors of the Academy committee members fellows my very noble and approved good masters my colleagues my friends my fellow students in the great wealth the great firmament of your nations generosity this particular choice may perhaps be found by future generations as a trifle eccentric but the mere fact of it the prodigal pure human kindness solid must be seen as a beautiful star in that firmament which shines upon me at this moment dazzling me a little but filling me with warmth and the extraordinary elation the euphoria that happens to so many of us at the first breath of the majestic glow of a new tomorrow from the top or this moment in the solace in the kindly emotion that is charging my soul and my heart at this moment I thank you for this great gift which lends me such a very splendid part in this your glorious occasion thank you

Channel: Oscars

Views: 1,104,603

Keywords: 51, 51st, academy, awards, oscar, oscars, honorary, laurence, olivier, cary, grant, hamlet, wuthering, heights, rebecca, sleuth, marathon, man, richard, III, henry, the, entertainer, Jon Voight, Warren Beatty

Id: TSgvp0l1n2s

Length: 6min 25sec (385 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 24 2009