Lolita

Directed by	Stanley Kubrick
Written by	Vladimir Nabokov (novel, and credited for the screenplay) Stanley Kubrick and James B. Harris (uncredited)
Starring	James Mason Shelley Winters Sue Lyon Peter Sellers
Produced by	James B. Harris
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	13 June 1962
Runtime	152 min.
Language	English
Budget
IMDb page

Lolita (1962) is a film by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov. Although Kubrick's direction was generally acclaimed at the time, it has been described as a very unbalanced film, with all of the main action taking place during the first half. The second half contains an odyssey across the United States. The DVD cover for Lolita. ... Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director. ... Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (Russian: Владимир Владимирович Набоков; pronounced: vlah-DEE-meer nah-BAWK-awf) (April 10 O.S. [April 22/23 N.S.], 1899 - July 2, 1977) was a Russian-American author. ... Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director. ... James Mason in North by Northwest. ... Winters in Cry of the City (1948) Shelley Winters (born August 18, 1920) is an American actress. ... Sue Lyon (born July 10, 1946 in Davenport, Iowa) is an American actress. ... Peter Sellers Richard Henry Sellers (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980), better known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian, talented comic actor, and performer on The Goon Show (a long-running BBC radio show, 1951-1960). ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director. ... Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first published in 1955. ... Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (Russian: Владимир Владимирович Набоков; pronounced: vlah-DEE-meer nah-BAWK-awf) (April 10 O.S. [April 22/23 N.S.], 1899 - July 2, 1977) was a Russian-American author. ...

The "moral values" and censorship of the time may have inhibited Kubrick's direction. Lolita's age is raised to fourteen and Nabokov's term for her of 'nymphet' is never used. Many of the exterior scenes were shot in England. Also, some of the minor parts were played by Canadian and American actors, such as Cec Linder, Lois Maxwell and Diana Decker, who were based in England at the time. Kubrick uses Humbert Humbert's narration early on in the film and then does not continue with it; he also makes no attempt to explain Humbert's fascination with Lolita, which a narration would have done, but merely treats it as a matter of fact. An explanation might well have made Humbert a more sympathetic character and that may not have suited a censor in 1962. Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Ethnicity... Cec Linder (sometimes credited as Cecil Linder; born March 10, 1921 in Galica, Poland; died April 10, 1992 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was a Canadian film and Polish birth. ... Lois Maxwell (born February 14, 1927) is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond franchise. ... For omission and secrecy, see Censorship. ...

James Mason plays Professor Humbert Humbert, who falls under Lolita's spell. He is smooth, charming, self-assured and a little condescending, as might be expected in an academic. Shelley Winters plays Charlotte Haze, the loud, overbearing, status-seeking widow, who is both Humbert's landlady and Lolita's mother. When she develops a romantic interest in Humbert, Charlotte's pushy advances being parried by Humbert's barely concealed sarcasm become comedic. Sue Lyon's performance as Lolita is more restrained, but this may well result from concerns about the censor. When allowed freedom to act, she subtly shows the darker side of Lolita's character. James Mason in North by Northwest. ... Winters in Cry of the City (1948) Shelley Winters (born August 18, 1920) is an American actress. ... Sue Lyon (born July 10, 1946 in Davenport, Iowa) is an American actress. ...

Peter Sellers' performance as Clare Quilty was generally acclaimed at the time, but has not worn well. In the earlier sections of the film, he does well as the conceited, avant-garde film-maker with the superior manner. In later scenes, however, he changes character. First he is the overbearing 'bad cop' on the porch of the motel where Humbert and Lolita are staying. Then he is the authoritarian German professor, who appears in Humbert's front room for the purpose of ordering him to give Lolita more freedom in her after-school activities. Peter Sellers Richard Henry Sellers (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980), better known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian, talented comic actor, and performer on The Goon Show (a long-running BBC radio show, 1951-1960). ...

The screenplay is credited to Nabokov, although very little of what he provided (and that was later published in a shortened version) was used. The film is not seen by most as living up to the novel. Nabokov remained polite about the film in public, but in his diary wrote that it was "a scenic drive as perceived by the horizontal passenger of an ambulance".

See also

• Lolita (1997 movie), a readaptation of the book which aimed to avoid some of the perceived mistakes of the 1962 version and starred Jeremy Irons as Humbert.

Lolita is a 1997 film, directed by Adrian Lyne and adapted from the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov. ... Jeremy Irons (born September 19, 1948) is a British actor. ...

Bibliography

Richard Corliss, Lolita (London, British Film Institute, 1994; ISBN 0-85170-368-2). A witty exploration of the film, patterned on Pale Fire. Pale Fire (1962) is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, his fourteenth in total and fifth in English. ...

Source

• Quote from Nabokov's diary, and the relation between proposed and actual screenplay: Brian Boyd, Vladimir Nabokov: The American Years (1991).

Brian Boyd is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of English at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. ...