Synopsis
With Richard III, Laurence Olivier—as director, producer, and star—transfigures Shakespeare’s great historical drama into a mesmerizing vision of Machiavellian villainy. Olivier’s performance, viewed as the greatest of his career, charges Richard with magnetic malevolence as he steals his brother Edward’s crown through a murderous set of machinations. His inspired direction brings to the screen superlative performances by veteran theater actors Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud and the young Claire Bloom. Filmed in VistaVision and Technicolor, Criterion is proud to present the restored full-length version for which Olivier received the 1956 British Academy Film Awards for Best Actor and Best Film.
Cast
| Richard, Duke of Gloucester | Laurence Olivier |
| Duke of Buckingham | Ralph Richardson |
| George, Duke of Clarence | John Gielgud |
| The Lady Anne | Claire Bloom |
| King Edward IV of England | Cedric Hardwicke |
| The Lord Hastings | Alec Clunes |
| The Lord Stanley | Laurence Naismith |
| Queen Elizabeth | 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 | Stanley Baker |
Credits
| Director | Laurence Olivier |
| Producer | Laurence Olivier |
| Screenplay adapted by | Laurence Olivier and Alan Dent |
| Associate director | Anthony Bushell |
| Art director | Carmen Dillon |
| Editing | Helga Cranston |
| Director of photography | Otto Heller |
| Production supervisor | John Gossage |
| Camera operator | Denys Coop |
| Special effects | Wally Veevers |
| Sound recordists | George Stephenson and Red Law |
| Sound editor | Bert Rule |
| Music composed by | Sir William Walton |
| Music performed by | The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Continuity | Pamela Davis |
| Makeup | Tony Sforzini |
| Hairdresser | Gladys Atkinson |
| Set dressing and titles | Roger Ramsdell |
| Costumes | L&H Nathan Ltd. |
| Scenic artist | Robert White |
| Masters of horse | Jeremy Taylor and Jack Curran |
| Technicolor consultant | Joan Bridge |
Disc Features
- New high-definition digital transfer including newly discovered footage from the original theatrical release, with restored image and sound, enhanced for widescreen televisions
- 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 renowned theater critic Kenneth Tynan
- Gallery of on-set and production stills and posters, featuring excerpts from Olivier’s autobiography On Acting
- 12-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 for the deaf and hearing impaired
- Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition
From the Current
Richard III
by Feb 23, 2004Laurence Olivier’s Richard III was the last and best of the trilogy of Shakespeare films directed by and starring the late actor and filmmaker. Shot in sixteen weeks during late 1954 and early 1955, Richard III was the final, crowning glory of the British studio system...
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