A Midsummer Night’s Dream *** (1968, Derek Godfrey, Barbara Jefford, Nicholas Selby, David Warner, Diana Rigg, Ian Richardson, Judi Dench, Ian Holm) – Classic Movie Review 7837

The Royal Shakespeare Company brings its Peter Hall-directed London stage production of the ever-popular William Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the screen with practised success and delightful performances from a tip-top Sixties cast, whose lasting value speaks for itself.

The vintage cast in director Peter Hall’s 1968 film A Midsummer Night’s Dream includes David Warner (Lysander), Diana Rigg (Helena), Ian Richardson (Oberon), Judi Dench (Titania), Ian Holm (Puck), Barbara Jefford (Hippolyta), Helen Mirren (Hermia), Michael Jayston in his first film role (Demetrius), Paul Rogers (Bottom), Derek Godfrey (Theseus), Sebastian Shaw (Quince), Bill Travers (Snout) and Nicholas Selby (Egeus), with Hugh Sullivan as Philostrate, Clive Swift as Snug, Donald Eccles as Starveling, John Normington as Flute, and Don Henderson (as Attendant) in his first film role.

Mirren, Rigg, Richardson, Dench, Holm and Rogers are perhaps the standout turns.

Mirren plays Hermia here and played Titania in Elijah Moshinsky’s BBC TV movie A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1981).

Paul Rogers also played Bottom in the 1958 BBC Sunday Night Theatre version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Clare Dench (First Fairy) and Emma Dench (Peaseblossom) are Judi Dench’s nieces.

The film went straight to TV in the US and became one of the few cinema films nominated for an Emmy after being released to cinemas in Europe, as with Kenneth Branagh’s As You Like It (2006).

One of the men operating the hoses to simulate rain while filming of Oberon and Titania was so distracted that he lost track of his hose, blasting Judi Dench and Ian Richardson into the adjacent lake, where the crew rescued them.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is directed by Peter Hall, runs 125 minutes, is made by Filmways Pictures and Royal Shakespeare Enterprises Ltd, released by Eagle (UK), CBS (1969) (US) (TV) and Warner Bros, is shot in Eastmancolor by Peter Suschitzky, produced by Martin Ransohoff (executive producer) and Michael Birkett, scored by Guy Woolfenden and designed by John Bury.

Filmways Pictures also produced Tony Richardson’s 1969 Hamlet and Peter Brook’s 1970 King Lear.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7837

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com