DVD Reviews

Olivier's Shakespeare (194455) Henry V (1944) Cast King Henry V Laurence Olivier Chorus Leslie Banks Ancient Pistol Robert Newton Princess Katherine Renee Asherson The Constable of France Leo Genn King Charles VI of France Harcourt Williams Duke of Bourbon Russell Thorndike Duke of Orleans Francis Lister The Dauphin Max Adrian Captain Fluellen Esmond Knight Captain Gower Michael Shepley Captain Jamy John Laurie Captain Macmorris Niall MacGinnis Sir John Falstaff George Robey Credits Director Laurence Olivier Producer Laurence Olivier Based on William Shakespeare's Henry V Screenplay adapted by Alan Dent and Laurence Olivier Editor Reginald Beck Art director Paul Sheriff Costumes Roger Furse Director of photography Robert Krasker Music William Walton Special features Audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder; theatrical trailer; Shakespearean Royalty , a chronology of England's rulers; stills galleries; English subtitles Specifications Region 1 Aspect ratio 1.33:1 Runtime 137 minutes Sound Monaural Colour Technicolor Hamlet (1948) Cast Francisco John Laurie Barnardo Esmond Knight Marcellus Anthony Quayle Sea Captain Niall MacGinnis First Player Harcourt Williams Player King Patrick Troughton Player Queen Tony Tarver Osric Peter Cushing Gravedigger Stanley Holloway Priest Russell Thorndike Claudius, the King Basil Sydney Gertrude, the Queen Eileen Herlie Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Laurence Olivier Horatio, his friend Norman Wooland Polonius, Lord Chamberlain Felix Aylmer Laertes, his son Terence Morgan Ophelia, his daughter Jean Simmons Credits Director Laurence Olivier Based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet Text editor Alan Dent Designer Roger Furse Associate producer Reginald Beck Photographer Desmond Dickinson Art director Carmen Dillon Editor Helga Cranston Music William Walton Special features New digital transfer with restored image and sound; English subtitles Specifications Region 1 Aspect ratio 1.33:1 Runtime 153 minutes Sound Monaural Colour Black and white Richard III (1955) Cast Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later, King Richard III) Laurence Olivier Duke of Buckingham Ralph Richardson George, Duke of Clarence John Gielgud The Lady Anne (later, Queen to Richard III) Claire Bloom King Edward IV of England Cedric Hardwicke The Lord Hastings Alec Clunes The Lord Stanley Laurence Naismith Queen Elizabeth, Wife to Edward IV Mary Kerridge Catesby Norman Wooland Ratcliffe Esmond Knight Lovel John Laurie Edward, Prince of Wales Paul Huson Richard, Duke of York Andy Shine Jane Shore Pamela Brown The Lord Rivers Clive Morton The Lord Grey Dan Cunningham The Lord Dorset Douglas Wilmer First Executioner Michael Gough Second Executioner Michael Ripper Brackenbury Andrew Cruickshank Henry, Earl of Richmond (later, King Henry VII) Stanley Baker Credits Director Laurence Olivier Producer Laurence Olivier Based on William Shakespeare's Richard III Screenplay adapted by Alan Dent and Laurence Olivier Production designer Roger Furse Associate director Anthony Bushell Art director Carmen Dillon Editor Helga Cranston Director of photography Otto Heller Production supervisor John Gossage Music William Walton Special features High-definition digital transfer including newly discovered footage from the original theatrical release, with restored image and sound, enhanced for widescreen television; commentary by playwright and stage director Russell Lees, joined by John Wilders, former governor of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre; Great Acting: Laurence Olivier , a 1966 BBC interview with Olivier hosted by Kenneth Tynan; Gallery of on-set and production stills and posters, featuring excerpts from Olivier's autobiography On Acting ; twelve-minute television trailer with Olivier, producer Alexander Korda, production designer Roger Furse, and other crew members at work in Shepperton Studios; theatrical trailer; essay by film historian Bruce Eder; English subtitles Specifications Region 1 Aspect ratio 1.85:1 Runtime 158 minutes Sound Monaural Colour Technicolor Phantom Museums: The Short Films of the Quay Brothers (19792003) Disc 1: The Films, including: The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer, This Unnameable Little Broom, Street of Crocodiles, Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies, Stille Nacht I (Dramolet), The Comb, Anamorphosis, Stille Nacht II (Are We Still Married?), Stille Nacht III (Tales From the Vienna Woods), Stille Nacht IV (Can't Go Wrong Without You), In Absentia and The Phantom Museum Disc 2: The Footnotes, including Nocturna Artificialia, The Calligrapher, The Summit, In Absentia, Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies, Quay Brothers Introduction, Archive Interview, The Falls (Peter Greenaway, excerpt), BFI Distribution Ident, Institute Benjamenta and Piano Tuner of Earthquakes (trailers) Director/Producer/Camera/Editor Timothy and Steven Quay (and Keith Griffiths) DVD USA 2007 Distribution Zeitgeist Films and BFI (NTSC Region 1) Runtime 137 minutes (Disc 1), 124 minutes (Disc 2) Aspect ratio Academy 1.33:1 ( The Comb, Phantom Museum, Rehearsals and In Absentia in 16:9 widescreen) Film notes Michael Brooke and Michael Atkinson (booklet)

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