Never tell the truth to an old woman, especially if she asks for it

Robert Monell‘s Jess Franco blog alerts [1] me to the death of Italian-based British actor and film director Edmund Purdom.

I had never heard of him, but the film still of poliziottesco Mister Scarface [2] was intriguing. Besides, I follow each death of the Jess Franco blog, I wish my wiki to become Jess Franco‘s wiki too.

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdUAzuNSdjE]

Researching Purdom (December 19 1924 – 1 January 2009) I find the 1954 The Egyptian[3], one of the most-lavishly produced epic films. It is based on Finnish writer Mika Waltari‘s historical novel The Egyptian. The Egyptian remained the most sold foreign novel in the US before its place was taken over by The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco. The Egyptian has been translated into 40 languages.

I watch the clip on YouTube:

I hear this fabulous oneliner:

“Never tell the truth to an old woman, especially if she asks for it” (1:15)

I listen to the rest of the clip. The film’s dialogue is of an almost Shakespearian eloquence.