Filming T. E. Lawrence: Korda's Lost Epic

by Andrew Kelly, Jeffrey Richards

The 1962 Speigel-Lean ""Lawrence of Arabia"" was an attempt to dramatize T.E. Lawrence's war adventures on screen. Three decades earlier Alexander Korda had tried, over five years, to film Lawrence's life. The story of his attempt is the basis for this book, which provides a portrayal of the workings of British film censorship in the 1930s, highlighting the ability of foreign governments to influence British politicians and film makers. This book tells how initial opposition came from Lawrence himself, and how after his death in 1935 Korda faced resistance from the British Foreign Office and the government of Turkey, the country cast as a villain in the depiction of Lawrence's part in the Arab revolt.

172 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Andrew Kelly is the Yarra (Birrarung) Riverkeeper, part of the international Waterkeeper Alliance, which is based in New York. He has written numerous books for children and adults and lives within a stone's throw of the river in Melbourne, Australia.

Reviews

[Drac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating is not so much about the screenplay, more about my gratitude to have it in print.

Contents:

1. decently lengthy foreword explaining the film’s history and troubles; actors considered for the part; directors, screenwriters, trouble with the War Office and the new Turkish government, etc.

2. brief interview with Leslie Howard on how he planned to portray Lawrence, which was a great read. We’ll never see his performance but I think it would have been thoughtful and well-informed.

3. the text of one of the two surviving screenplays, I believe the latest version we have. It’s not significantly different from the Lean film, as they’re working from the same source, and it so closely hews to Seven Pillars that at times it’s like reading an abridged version. But there are a handful of scenes here that are not present in Lean’s picture, most notably a scene with Dahoum. Deraa is also excised entirely, bar one quick reference in Damascus where Lawrence mentions that he hasn’t slept since then.

Overall the screenplay seems a bit dry and mechanical; it’s hard to assess how good the movie would have been, as it seems they were relying heavily on Howard’s ability to portray Lawrence’s emotions and arc quietly, without dialogue.