Doctor Faustus ** (1967, Richard Burton, Andreas Teuber, Elizabeth Taylor ) – Classic Movie Review 9884

In the 1967 film Doctor Faustus, Richard Burton records his intense and honourable 1966 stage performance at the Oxford Playhouse with the student actors of the Oxford University Drama Society (OUDS) of Christopher Marlowe’s 16th-century play about the scholar at the University of Wittenberg who sells his soul to Mephistopheles for a life of luxury.

Nevill Coghill’s version of the play is beautifully spoken by Burton as Dr Faustus and Andreas Teuber as the Devil, Mephistopheles, doing full justice to the play, though the film is unimpressive as a work of cinema.

Elizabeth Taylor appears briefly and silently, as she did on stage, to support her husband as a sepulchral Helen of Troy.

Also in the cast are Ian Marter, Elizabeth O’Donovan, Ram Chopra, David McIntosh as Lucifer, Jeremy Eccles as Belzebub, Richard Carwardine, Richard Heffer as Disciple #1, Michael Menaugh as Good Angel / Bishop, Richard Durden [Richard Durden-Smith] as Evil Angel / Knight, Ambrose Coghill as Avarice, Maria Aitken as Sloth, Renzo Pevarello as Wrath, and Nevill Coghill as Professor.

Richard Durden was married to Maria Aitken from 1968 to 1971). She then married Nigel Davenport and is the mother of Jack Davenport.

The original release date was October 19, 1967.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9884

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Richard Heffer plays Disciple #1 in Doctor Faustus.