From Olivier's fire and ice to Marlon Brando's turning into a real-life Kurtz on his coral island, from Sid James's wenching to Charles Hawtrey's pouncing on bandsmen from the Royal Marines School of Music, Deal, we must be grateful for the existence of the acting profession. It gives all manner of psychopaths, neurotics, megalomaniacs and generalised ne'er-do-wells an outlet for their frenzy. Thus, Trevor Howard, a liar and boozer on an epic scale, who summed it all up by announcing, 'If I had all the money I'd ever spent on drink, I'd spend it all on drink.' Hearty cheers to that philosophy.

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