Kevin Spacey is a great fan of Lean's Lawrence of Arabia and loved a certain book published about the film. :-) (This from a friend of his who works at the publisher of the book.)It just so happens that the author of this article, Bob Morris, is a co-author of the "certain book" in question, and was being entirely too modest! The book is wonderful, covering the T.E. Lawrence legend, early movie attempts, and the history of Lean's film up through and including the film's restoration. A must for all fans of the movie or of Lean's work.In an HBO film for TV about Canadian Gerald Bull, who built superguns for Iraq, there's a scene in which Israeli secret agent Alan Arkin and U.S. secret agent Kevin Spacey meet in London's National Portrait Gallery to discuss Bull's activities (Bull was eventually assassinated by persons unknown).
Spacey and Arkin prance around a pillar on which are three Lawrence portraits, one being the famous pencil sketch that Augustus John did in 2 minutes!
Spacey and Arkin talk about Lawrence in the context of Bull.
Apparently, Spacey suggested doing the scene in the NPG!
In 1988-89, the NPG was site of largest exhibition on T.E. Lawrence ever held, in honor of TEL's birth centenary. The catalog from the exhibiton is a work of art which should be acquired by any fan of the film!
LRM
Lawrence of Arabia: the 30th Anniversary Pictorial History
L.R. Morris & L. Raskin (1992). Doubleday Anchor
ISBN 0-385-42479-5. $20.00 (softcover)
Back to Sputnik Central, the Kevin Spacey Home Page