2. Back To Back Golden Globes (The Sand Pebbles, 1967 And Doctor Dolittle, 1968)
After appearing in The Great Escape, Richard Attenborough's profile as an actor was greatly enhanced, and more high profile roles on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean were offered to him. 1964 saw him star in three films, The Third Secret, Séance On A Wet Afternoon and The Guns Of Batasi. Though the former wasn't particularly well received, the latter two were and Attenborough's performances in them saw him take home the BAFTA Award for Best British Actor in 1965. A role in The Flight Of The Phoenix alongside James Stewart followed, before Attenborough reunited with Steve McQueen in The Sand Pebbles in 1966. The film, about an American gunboat in tense 1920s China, saw him play Frenchy Burgoyne, a seasoned sailor whose actions are the catalyst for the film's action-packed second half. A Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor was conferred on him for the sensitive portrayal. A second Golden Globe, also for Best Supporting Actor, would follow in the subsequent year to round off a considerably award-laden few years for Attenborough. The film in question for this second victory was Doctor Dolittle, a musical that saw Rex Harrison play the role of the lead character that many man only remember for Eddie Murphy's portrayal some thirty years later. Whilst he would never again receive any major awards for his acting career following his Golden Globe double whammy, Attenborough was renowned for his craft worldwide by the end of the 1960s as a result, and his performances continue be to be appreciated today.