A Midsummer Night's Dream (1959 American TV play)
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | |
|---|---|
| Genre | comedy |
| Story by | play by William Shakespeare |
| Directed by | Fletcher Markle |
| Starring | Charles Laughton |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 90 mins |
| Production company | Hubbell Robinson Productions |
| Original release | |
| Release | 2012 |
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1959 TV play based on the play A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare directed by Fletcher Markle. It was based on the famous 1959 stage production of the play directed by Peter Hall.[1][2]
The production was filmed for American television with Fletcher Markle flying to Britain to make it for Hubbell Robinson Productions. "It's very thrilling to be behind a historical project," said Markle.[3] Filming started 20 November 1959.[4][5]
However the program was not shown. It was screened in 2012.[6]
According to Laughton's biographer, Simon Callow, "Even detractors of Laughton’s stage Bottom grudgingly admit that on film he is glorious. The predominant impression is of energy — passionate, earthy energy — and appetite; but beside the physical energy is an enormous imaginative turmoil, so that Bottom’s desire to play all the parts comes not from arrogance or greed, but from sudden visions of himself in the various roles."[7]
Callow also called it "a very decent account of the production, revealing the loveliness of Lila de Nobili’s designs, and doing justice to all the play’s strata, though, for obvious reasons, the mechanicals get the best of it. As an historical document, the film is a delight."[8]
Hall later revived the play in 1962 with Judi Dench taking over from Mary Ure as Titania. And he directed another film of the play in 1968.[9]
Cast
- Charles Laughton as Nick Bottom
- Albert Finney as Lysander
- Julian Glover as Snug
- Robert Hardy as Oberon
- Ian Holm as Puck
- Mary Ure as Titania
- Vanessa Redgrave as Helena
- Stephanie Bidmead as Hippolyta
- Peter Woodthorpe as Francis Flute
- Michael Blakemore as Tom Snout
- Edward de Souza as Demetrius
- Roy Dotrice as Egeus
- Donald Eccles as Robin Starveling
- Donald Layne-Smith as Philostrate
- Cyril Luckham as Peter Quince
- Priscilla Morgan as Hermia
- Anthony Nicholls as Theseus
- Zoe Caldwell as Fairy
- Judith Downes as Fairy
- Georgine Anderson as Fairy
- Margaret O'Keefe as Fairy
- Jean Owen as Fairy
- Malcolm Ranson as Fairy
- Diana Rigg as Bit part
- Michael Scoble as Fairy
Notes
- Callow, Simon (1997). Charles Laughton : a difficult actor. Fromm International Pub.
References
- ^ "Peter Hall redirects his 1959 dream". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 13 April 1962. p. 9.
- ^ Hall, Peter; Mullin, Michael (December 1975). "Peter Hall's "Midsummer Night's Dream" on Film". Educational Theatre Journal. Vol. 27, no. 4. p. 529-534.
- ^ "These three girls will take the USA by storm". Sunday Mercury. 6 December 1959. p. 7.
- ^ "Sign Laughton to do Bard's Midsummer". Newsday (Nassau Edition). 16 October 1959. p. 92.
- ^ "America invades Midland theatre". Birmingham Evening Mail. 30 November 1959. p. 13.
- ^ "A 'lost' 'Midsummer Night's Dream' rediscovered". University of Birmingham. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ Callow p 256
- ^ Callow p 257
- ^ "Is is a Faithful revolution?". The Post-Crescent. 9 February 1969. p. 74.
External links
- A Midsummer Night's Dream at IMDb
- Extract from production at You Tube