Tonight, Peter Lowery stars in the 1941 horror film The Face Behind the Mask, which airs on Talking Pictures TV from 10.55 p.m. The film follows a devious immigrant watchmaker who is unable to find work as a result of facial injuries sustained in a fire, and how he uses his unique skills for criminal purposes. Initially, the horror was poorly received by critics, with the New York Times noting that it “may safely be described as a mere bald melodramatic exercise in which Laurie’s talents are once again thwarted by cliched dialogue and traditional plot manipulation.”
However, contemporary reviews show the film’s influence, including Laurie’s acting credentials, with critic Leonard Maltin hailing it as “a very impressive film ‘on a tight budget'”.
Hungarian-born Laurie’s Tale is one of the blockbuster movies, as he and his family were forced to leave Germany with the rise to power of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
He has often been praised for his ability to play villains, including when he was the first actor to portray a James Bond villain in the 1954 TV version of Casino Royale.
But what’s not often known about Laurie is his appearance in the 1990s Disney movie Aladdin, as one of his Genie impersonations during a funny first encounter between the two characters.
The Genie, portrayed by the late Robin Williams, is often considered one of the greatest characters to grace the screens in a Disney movie.
In Aladdin, which was released in 1992 and was the 31st Disney studio film, there is a clip that shows the genie performing a series of hilarious impressions while trying to warm a street kid.
They include Arnold Schwarzenegger, William F. Buckley, Jr., Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson.
But it is often forgotten that Laurie appears as a green scary monster in one impression, alluding to Williams’ love for his characters.
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Dave Itzkopf, who wrote Williams’ 2018 biography Robin, noted how the creative process of finding characters like Lorre for the iconic scene helped shape the general character of the Genie.
Originally, Aladdin was set to be a “fantastic historical fiction,” Slash magazine reported this year, but co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker, as well as composer Alan Menken, persuaded executives that it would be a “more comforting retelling of the Arabic Folk Tale.” .
This helped shape the character of the Genie, for whom the original plot was developed, that would have made him “lovable, similar to Fats Waller and Cab Calloway” and inspired by jazz artists, it was claimed.
While Williams has been earmarked for the role thanks to his appearances in films like Good Morning, Vietnam and Hook, it wasn’t clear if the star, who has demanded millions in fees, would get a role in a Disney movie.
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Animator Eric Goldberg was commissioned to create audition footage for Williams to experiment with, and created a storyboard for the genie song Friend Like Me.
Goldberg recalled how the test footage included lines from Williams’ stand-up comedy albums, which added to Genie’s animations made for great viewing.
He said, “I think what he sold is probably the one that says, ‘Tonight, let’s talk about the serious topic of schizophrenia — no, no! – Shut up, let him talk! “
What I did was move the genie growing another head to argue with himself, and Robin just laughed.
“He could see what the character could be. I’m sure he wasn’t the only factor, but then he fell on the dotted line.”
Williams died after committing suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, California in 2014. He was 63 years old.
An autopsy revealed an undiagnosed Lewy body disease.
Among the many sentimental tributes was then-US President Barack Obama, who said, “Robin Williams was a pilot, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a banjarang Peter Pan, and everything in between.
“He came into our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human soul.
“He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those most in need – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our streets.”
The Face Behind the Mask airs on Talking Pictures TV from 10.55pm.
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