John Hurt: Alien scene mythbuster

[@BlotRorschach]

Veronica's performance may be thankless to some, but it's perfectly and utterly essential in its realism. Props to John for giving due credit.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

She plays a woman at her wit's end so perfectly well. True fear in her face and voice. That whole movie is genius.

[@davidanderson1639]

The scene where Parker & Lambert die was originally much longer & Veronica Cartwright has even stated in interviews that what you see is a lot different. Basically, if you notice, as the tail goes between Lamberts legs, it isn’t actually Lambert; her costume featured cowboy boots…& the feet we see are actually Brett’s. Also, there’s a little know cut of the film that features Ripley finding Parker dead & Lambert naked from the waist down, suspended. Cartwright went on record & said that she spent part of the shoot suspended in a harness; but the scene was cut down to what we see in the theatrical cut.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@davidanderson1639 Was it cut for time or pacing?

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@davidanderson1639 In any case, the final 10 minutes or so of the theatrical version are among the best of all time so I'd say they made the right decision. (The mechanics of the self-destruct sequence still impresses the hell out of me after all these years. It just seems very well thought out, like this is how it would actually be done: Overly convoluted on purpose to make sure it could never be done "accidentally".)

[@petrus666love]

I was fortunate enough too meet him when he was at the Premier party of the film “ Dune “ in the early eighties , I was a young chef attending the Open Buffet at George Bests club Blondes in Mayfair, John Hurt puffing on a Gallois Cigarette , asked me so beautifully and politely in his eloquent voice “ Chef do you think you could bring me a selection from your wonderful buffet on a plate, I’ve hurt my back and I don’t think I could face standing , my goodness he was so wonderful in his way of asking and of course I did it gladly , what a gentleman, I’ve never forgotten that , how too treat a fellow human being with respect and humility.

[@tiffsaver]

I actually met Veronica Cartwright in LA while I was shopping. I stopped to tell her how much I enjoyed her performance in Alien and what she told me next was quite astonishing. According to her, it was she who was supposed to play Ripley, but on the very day the shooting began the producers told her that the part was going to Signourney and she was to play to minor part of Lambert, and after she had read the entire script and was ready to go. Considering the swift change and kick in the ass, and think she took the news quite well. She was terrific in the role, and also told me that when the fake blood hit her in the face that it was totally unplanned, but that also worked out well.

[@raindrops21_9]

Dear John. What a marvellous actor he was. Just exceptional. Maybe prizes are silly and no true indication of talent, but I always wished he'd won an Oscar, he gave so many stellar performances throughout his career.

[@neonatalpenguin]

John Hurt is everything an actor should be.

[@steveymoon]

Well paid, you mean?

[@gmajor1273]

Exactly

[@carlhunton9516]

I met him once. We talked about whether Argentina might win the upcoming World Cup. He would've been in his last year I expect.

[@lv2465]

Definitely among the greatest actor's in our time.

[@andreaputerschmidt3594]

My all time favorite actor, so versatile, so great!

[@thewalrus6833]

One of the best actors I've ever seen, consistently brilliant.

[@MarkArandjus]

I could listen to John Hurt's voice like music ♥

[@heidihermann4413]

♠

[@billmorris2337]

Absolute genius....God bless him. His portrayal of John Merrick is one of the best performances ever!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉. RIP John. 🙏

[@markpaterson2053]

I think at the end he's talking about the slap Veronica gave Sigourney without her knowing it was about to happen; it wound up deleted from the movie, until today, and you can see the genuine shock on Sigourney's face after the slap---then you see her boss mode as she runs with it and says something to keep the scene going flawlessly.

[@thedarksaviour755]

RIP John Hurt. Fascinating actor and his performances both live action and animated made me want to act!

[@gpeddino]

Damn, I watched this yesterday. RIP John Hurt.

[@RyanCallaghan]

Guilherme Eddino So did I, couldnt believe it when I heard thismorning.

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

RIP John, great actor. 🎉

[@RaikenXion]

Hes a legend, the way he played that scene, so realistic, he made that scene wot it is, it wud hav never worked without that extraordinary realistic performance he gave. Some great acting. I just want to say the greatest actors in films r English sorry that is my opinion lol.

[@angelacarleton9575]

The English actors are fabulous! Perhaps it is all that Shakespeare they do! I especially loved him "The Elephant Man" he was amazing.

[@RaikenXion]

@@angelacarleton9575 Yes agree totally he was amazing in that movie, captivating and empathetic performance there.

[@Essenceofblood5238]

Don't proclaim an opinion as "fact" and you won't have to be sorry lol. That's heavily biased btw.

[@Essenceofblood5238]

@angelacarleton9575 They don't all do Shakespeare.

[@gerardmackay8909]

My favourite (of the many) John Hurt stories comes from the set of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. He turned up early and rented a simple house in Kefallinia so he could observe the old guys socialising in the cafe/bars and observe their mannerisms and feel himself absorbed into the life of an older Greek islander. Nicholas Cage rocked up with private plane, limo and entourage and on meeting Hurt said that they had a couple of important scenes and thought they should schedule some time together ahead of rehearsal. Hurt was impressed with Cage’s professionalism but was then rather bemused when Cage said ‘ If your people get in touch with my people we can get some times organised’ Hurt had to say to him ‘But my dear boy I don’t have ‘people’ 😂

[@bar10ml44]

I was never impressed with Mr Cage.

[@jeanettecameron7530]

Veronica Cartright was highly underrated in Alien.

[@Filmmaker809]

She was massively. Beautiful actress.

[@juankplaysmusic]

I re-watched Alien yesterday. Amazing experience. The character you mention is portrayed beautifully and naturally. With no feminazi ideologies to hijack the script, there is no forced and improbable women astronaut with no fear, but, in the case of Cartwright´s character, a normal small framed woman comprensibly scared and despaired. Is gut wrenching how she cries out of fear in front of Ripley and the crew, and the anguish she transmits when Dallas is about to go down. Ripley, while tougher, also breakdowns and cries several times. Notice how nowadays media, as a direct consequence of the said feminazi agenda (¨women are better than men, women need no family, no kids), inhibit this emotions and beautiful, haunting human moments of weakness in favour of ¨girl power-girl boss¨ characters and scenarios.

[@Filmmaker809]

@@juankplaysmusic The first Alien film will always be the best, but I love Aliens too.

[@nivmhn]

The sheer terror she was able to portray was incredible.

[@skyler951]

love her great actress

[@AmusedChild]

The scene that Hurt describes with the alien not poking through is available on the 2-DVD set in the production documentary - you can see the rushes. What really impressed me was his concentration, staying in character while people were yelling, "We can't see it yet! It hasn't poked through yet!" etc. The whole cast was really professional.

[@stoneryoda9377]

AmusedChild " can you see it Eric ..Naaah not yet Alf "

[@kirkhunter146]

I loved John Hurt in every thing he did, it was his vocal delivery & timing, so believable and committed but so John.

[@manfromthehorizon3870]

His performance in "Watership Down" nearly killed me.

[@robertcotgrave5920]

Rest in peace Mr Hurt.A fine actor.

[@Neil1977]

I first saw Alien as a kid, scared the life out of me, John Hurt was a fantastic actor, so many great roles, love Watership Down too, sadly no longer with us.

[@rado3880]

Who could ever forget John Hurt’s performance in Scandal.

[@steveoh9285]

One of the best actors of all time, RIP sir.

[@kc0181]

I could listen to John Hurt speak all day

[@dewfall56]

One of my fav actors. He is so eloquent.

[@zantigar]

Oh, I MISS John Hurt - he was fantastic and beautiful!

[@TheJoefussGarage]

Including, humble, and discreet....

[@dianalee3059]

One of drama’s greatest. I absolutely sobbed in Elephant Man

[@Serenity113]

R.I.P. John Hurt. :(

[@gayham]

Oh he dished some dirt there on Weaver! Interesting!

[@zweij]

I miss him a lot.

[@00Kuja00]

Me too. Loved his role as Aragorn 1978, voice acting.

[@timothymcnaughton531]

He was a genuinely funny & charismatiç guy.

[@gabrielramirez6570]

A brilliant man and fantastic as the war doctor “gallifrey stands”

[@djr6876]

He’s good in everything!

[@vbacs22]

They are my favorite actors of all time. So I can agree with you :)

[@markthomas5066]

One off the Greatest actors

[@MrDavey2010]

Superb & totally committed actor

[@KmT81]

He was a Legend !

[@TraceurHarryG1]

i think i thought to myself once a couple of years back what would john hurt be like if he was the doctor, never thought he would become one though and he played it realy well lol

[@brettishgal]

Absolutely awesome amazing night!!!!!! John was in fantastic form ,a very gracious lovely man, so chuffed to be able to meet him and get autograph and photo!!!

[@elinlloyd7002]

wow that amazing xx

[@firenze5555]

Love John Hurt; soooooo talented.

[@ac8911]

Saw that scene when I was around 11 in the living room of my home in broad daylight. I couldn’t right for months

[@rowley555]

I love John Hurt

[@smithhedgehog]

I like how John hints that sigourney weaver is meant to be 'difficult'

[@abergethirty]

It was her first film. I doubt she was around during the post production and had Veronicas scenes cut.

[@That_Random_Bloke]

@@abergethirty Yeah I find very unlikely she’d have had ANY power to make changes at that time. However by the time of Alien 3, Ralph Brown said she was very difficult.

[@jeperstone]

@@abergethirty You say that but John Hurt says different. You were on set after all 😉

[@nomadpurple6154]

Ah..but do we assume that John was an impartial bystander? I think not. He had views of how women should behave on set formed in previous generations. This was one of the few films made in that time with only a female lead dominating the film. If a man behaved the same way would he have said the same? I guess we will never know.

[@EthelredHardrede-nz8yv]

I didn't see anything in this. You saw something that isn't there.

[@manfromthehorizon3870]

He's remarkable!

[@WintersWar]

I saw this in the theater, I immediately felt hurt was the star of the movie, even though the alien and ripley are considered the stars.

[@synthdiablo6355]

just straight up you were amazing as the doctor in the 50th and amazing in alien. Especially the chest burster.

[@QuarrellaDeVil]

I've seen at least one interview with Sigourney Weaver where she mentions that, sure, they read the script and knew what was coming. However, that the crew members were covered up by ponchos was the clue none of them got as to the full effect of what was about to happen. Talk about rising out of your seat in the theater when that happened. One of life's wonderful scares.

[@ronhenriques9228]

You're actually right, because I just watched it about 2 minutes before I watched this. LOL. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYuQg4SfrKqWnacsi=P5Pu0lo3baLG6j3C

[@Shanethefilmmaker]

As well as a meaningful understatement. They kill him more times than Kenny.

[@patgogan7324]

Rest well John rest well..

[@PedrSion]

He was robbed when he didn’t get the best actor oscar for The Elephant Man.

[@donna25871]

John Hurt wasn’t originally cast as Kane - he came in after the original actor had to quit due to illness after one day of shooting.

[@QuarrellaDeVil]

Jon Finch.

[@jon780249]

One of the greatest actors of his generation. When people talk of De Niro, they should also remember Hurt.

[@TheRealist2022]

Is JH trying to say that Sigourney Weaver was jealous of Veronica Cartwright and had her scenes "trimmed" out at the end of this piece?

[@gerardmackay8909]

Watch the Ridley Scott interview with Bobbie Wygant, he confirms the original running time was cut from 2:11 to 1.54 and he said it was to do with it being too brutal and horrifying (presumably much of those cut 17 minutes featuring Veronica). I find it really difficult to believe that on her first film an ingenue like Sigourney Weaver could have exerted any pressure on, the already seasoned director, Scott (who famously doesn’t tolerate BS even from huge established stars). The only plausible angle that she could have had influence is that she was personally involved with him during the making of the film (and I haven’t heard that said anywhere)

[@djr6876]

Actors do this all the time . Joan Crawford did it to young actress Diane Baker when filming “Strait Jacket”. Joan would not be upstaged! Sigourney ,then, was not as big a star but she still was the star of the film and would certainly have had some pull.

[@TheRealist2022]

@@djr6876 Yes, I know that this happens, but I really find it hard to believe a relatively unknown film actress would pull that kind of stunt. How sad is it that someone would do that.

[@TheRealist2022]

@@gerardmackay8909 If true, that's really sad.

[@zyxw2000]

@@djr6876 She wasn't a star at all.

[@fw1421]

He redid the chest bursted on Space Balls too. Very different though…. Funny as hell.

[@russ254]

the cast of Spaceballs had no idea what was going to happen, probably

[@sarahkyrwood6086]

Absolutely brilliant excellent actor

[@Taurus-Ladie]

John Hurt was such a brilliant actor. He was touching in Naked Civil Servant and Elephant Man. In I Claudius he was great. John Hurt RIP.

[@anonymousyo1202]

I also love his Caligula performance man was a real genius in acting

[@henrybrowne7248]

That Alien scene really Hurt.

[@Alienalloy]

god i miss him.

[@djr6876]

He just dished on Sigourney Weaver!!! She pulled a ‘Joan Crawford ‘ on Veronica.

[@EthelredHardrede-nz8yv]

Where? Not here.

[@gruphenio6787]

Definitely has our English sense of humour lol…a true true gent and very much missed

[@markwind4221]

great actor

[@southlondon86]

Legend! ❤

[@sangielissa]

Thespian extrodinaire!!!

[@tubian323]

Again, this might be a myth but I read the original script for Alien had a scene where the Xenomorph peeks at Ripley through a porthole while she's undressing.

[@00Kuja00]

Peeping-alien. :P

[@russ254]

there’s a deleted scene where the alien gets promoted to navigator

[@smithhedgehog]

@andross637 have you met her then?

[@roba3438]

Is it really possible Sigourney could have had that impact on the edit considering it was her first role? hmmm now I'm intrigued.

[@artloverivy]

I don’t know. It sounded like he was just kidding to me.

[@Hollowshape]

Veronica Cartwright was actually cast as Ripley, but then at the last minute the part went to Sigourney, who's father was a big-shot in the film industry and asked FOX to give her daughter a main role in a feature. Nepotism.

[@cocomunga]

Hey, Kane lived after all!

[@russ254]

yes, he walked it off

[@zyxw2000]

"The Elephant Man." :-)

[@monroemusicnz]

Hmmmm, yes, I’ve met Sigourney, working on a movie. ‘Nuff said 😉 Alien’s cast was uniformly brilliant.

[@AmusedChild]

@fatg1t I'll bet that if you wrote to Hurt and told this story he would send you another photograph. Both he and his brother seem to be very kind.

[@robertb6276]

Chest, the chest burster burst from his chest.

[@notreallydavid]

Touch of Rowley Birkin QC - and none the worse for that.

[@nigelcarren]

It's been 12 years but I agree. Looking forward to seeing Prometheus when it comes out later in the year! 🇬🇧🤔

[@KronnangDunn]

LOL the Alien didn't burst from his stomach, it bursted from his CHEST. Hence the name, "chestburster"...

[@smithhedgehog]

@andross637 Did you just compare sigourney weaver to Ted Bundy? lol

[@spinnerpete]

I was in the audience.

[@vixercrouchrichter]

KANE'S SON

[@abola2121]

What an ironic name. lol

[@v-town1980]

His first name should've been Chester. 😂

[@streetrat48]

Never forget that Ridley Scott is an ally and the character Lambert is Trans and has been since the original script. Fucking legend, Scott is.

[@DaveMiller2]

There is a lot about all the crew members in their bios that play no role in the story and are never discussed or played out. This is one of those things. It's a nothingburger.

[@russ254]

Her character is also from Cleveland, and ran for mayor on the green party ballot right before shipping out on the Nostromo

[@DaveMiller2]

@@russ254 Never forget that Ridley Scott is a big supporter of the Green Party as well as Cleveland.

[@zyxw2000]

There were no trans characters in 1979 films.