MANILA, Philippines ? ?Great Expectations? was one of the earliest films I saw, and it truly captivated me. I remember being mesmerized by the mood, pace and atmosphere created by David Lean in that black-and-white 1946 classic based on Charles Dickens? dark but amusing novel. The movie taught me what ambiance and texture meant in cinema.

?Great Expectations? also introduced me to the lovely Jean Simmons, who would soon play Ophelia opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in ?Hamlet.? However, the performer who really tickled my imagination was the spectacularly original Martita Hunt, who portrayed the classy albeit weird lady who plotted young Simmons? life so she would be transformed into a reckless sophisticate who would break men?s hearts as hers had been broken.

Singular effect

I never forgot Hunt?s grotesque mannerisms and contralto voice ?what a delightful oddball she was! Many character actresses of her era tried to achieve the same singular effect, but few succeeded. She was nutty as a fruitcake ? and she was an original.

Martita was born in Argentina and didn?t go to her folks? home country, England, until she was 10. Thereafter, she started training as an actress and played supporting roles for Liverpool?s repertory companies. She was brought to London to appear in such plays as ?The Imaginary Invalid,? ?A Midsummer Night?s Dream,? ?Julius Cesar? and ?The Merchant of Venice.?

Hunt was considered by critics as the best Gertrude ever for her portrayal in ?Hamlet,? opposite Sir John Gielgud as the melancholy Dane. Before she was discovered for films, she had already starred in the classics of Moliere, Shaw and Shakespeare.

No matter how small Martita?s role was, we would search for her films. Our interest in watching Ingrid Bergman?s Academy Award-winning performance in ?Anastasia? was also due to the fact that Hunt was likewise in that feature. If a costar weren?t careful, the actress could easily steal the spotlight from him or her! When Hunt passed away in 1969, she left an indelible and lasting mark in film buffs? hearts.