Shakespear on TCM

[DanielJones]

Todays lineup on TCM has several good classic Shakespearian films including 1944's Henry V with Sir Laurence Olivier. This is a take or leave it subject for some. But for those that enjoy Shakespear I think these are a must see. The only one that is missing is Orson Wells 1948 MacBeth.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Last night TCM played all of these very early silent clips, from 1908 to 1915 or so, of Shakespearean scenes. Some of these you have probably seen at the end credits of TCM's documentaries.

Still, watching these images is very spooky. There is something alienating about these vintage speckled images of people long-dead dancing in elaborate costumes, smiling forever in one moment of white-faced frozen eternity, over and over. -Or maybe it's just me! It is fascinating stuff.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Todays lineup on TCM has several good classic Shakespearian films including 1944's Henry V with Sir Laurence Olivier. This is a take or leave it subject for some. But for those that enjoy Shakespear I think these are a must see. The only one that is missing is Orson Wells 1948 MacBeth.

Cheers!

Dan

Are they showing Richard Burton's Hamlet? That's one of the best filmed Shakespeare that i've seen. Henry V is good too.

bk

 

[DanielJones]

Are they showing Richard Burton's Hamlet? That's one of the best filmed Shakespeare that i've seen. Henry V is good too.

bk

It happens to be the Sir Laurence Olivier version they are playing tonight. Mel Gibsons version was closely modeled after this one.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[DanielJones]

Well it was a evening of Sir Laurence Olivier on TCM.

I can see why they Knighted him. A fabulous Shakespearian Actor. I only wish that they had played Orson Welles Macbeth. It was so well done in it's time.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Alas, poor Orson.

bk

 

[Michael Mallory]

Richard Burton's "Hamlet" doesn't show up on TV. In fact, it's not even supposed to exist. The deal was to film the stage production (which John Gielgud directed) on an early form of video-to-film transfer, distribute it, as I recall, to classrooms on 16mm, and then recall and destroy all prints after a certain amount of time. But someone with a sense of history saved one, and if anyone one of us has seen it (I saw it eons ago -- in a classroom!), that's the source. Personally, my favorite Shakespeare on film is Olivier's "Richard III," which also wasn't shown on TCM, though his "Othello" is pretty durn good, too. For the record, the worst (IMO) Shakespeare on film is the Peter Brook "King Lear," which is an insomniac's dream (no irony intended...okay, it was intended...sue me).