Hamlet (1948)

Director:

Laurence Olivier

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)
(more)

Release Date:

28 September 1948 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

William Shakespeare's tale of tragedy of murder and revenge in the royal halls of medieval Denmark. Claudius...

Plot Keywords:

Men In Tights | William Shakespeare | Shakespeare's Hamlet | Castle | Cemetery

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

John Laurie	...	Francisco
Esmond Knight	...	Bernardo
Anthony Quayle	...	Marcellus
Niall MacGinnis	...	Sea Captain
Harcourt Williams	...	First Player
Patrick Troughton	...	Player King
Tony Tarver	...	Player Queen
Peter Cushing	...	Osric, Servant to the Court
Stanley Holloway	...	Gravedigger
Russell Thorndike	...	Priest
Basil Sydney	...	Claudius, The King
Eileen Herlie	...	Gertrude, The Queen
Laurence Olivier	...	Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Norman Wooland	...	Horatio, Hamlet's friend
Felix Aylmer	...	Polonius, Lord Chamberlain
Terence Morgan	...	Laertes, son of Polonius
Jean Simmons	...	Ophelia, daughter of Polonius
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anthony Bushell	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Patricia Davidson	...	Lady of the Court (uncredited)
Christopher Lee	...	Spear carrier (uncredited)
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Extra (uncredited)
Victor Lucas	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Laurence Olivier

Writing credits
William Shakespeare		(play)
Laurence Olivier		uncredited

Produced by
Reginald Beck	....	associate producer
Anthony Bushell	....	assistant producer
Laurence Olivier	....	executive producer
Herbert Smith	....	executive producer in charge of production (uncredited)

Original Music by
William Walton

Cinematography by
Desmond Dickinson

Film Editing by
Helga Cranston

Casting by
Maude Spector		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Roger K. Furse		(as Roger Furse)

Art Direction by
Carmen Dillon

Costume Design by
Roger K. Furse		(as Roger Furse)
Elizabeth Hennings		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Vivienne Walker	....	hair stylist
Michael Morris	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Basil Newall	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Geoffrey Rodway	....	makeup supervisor (uncredited)
Tony Sforzini	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Filippo Del Giudice	....	production manager
John W. Gossage	....	production manager (as John Gossage)
Phil C. Samuel	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Bolton	....	assistant director
Frank Ernst	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Cecil F. Ford	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Alec Gibb	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Laurie Knight	....	fourth assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Roger Ramsdell	....	set dresser
William Bowden	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
E. Lindegaard	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
E. Lindegarde	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Betty Pierce	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry Miller	....	sound editor
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist
L.E. Overton	....	sound recordist
Peter Davies	....	sound maintenance (uncredited)
Desmond Dew	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Gus Lloyd	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
Dudley Messenger	....	boom operator (uncredited)
C.C. Stevens	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Henry Harris	....	special effects
Paul Sheriff	....	special effects
Jack Whitehead	....	special effects
George Blackwell	....	special processes (uncredited)
Francis Carver	....	special processes (uncredited)
Syd Howell	....	special processes (uncredited)
James Snow	....	special processes (uncredited)
Bill Warrington	....	special processes (uncredited)

Stunts
Jack Keely	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Hamilton	....	chief electrician
Ray Sturgess	....	camera operator
Maurice Gillett	....	electrician (uncredited)
Wilfrid Newton	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Gillett	....	wardrobe mistress (uncredited)
Elizabeth Hennings	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Pomeroy	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
Peter Taylor	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor
E.A. Drake	....	music recordist (uncredited)
John Hollingsworth	....	assistant conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Alan Dent	....	text editor
Elizabeth Everson	....	continuity
Dennis Loraine	....	sword play
David Paltenghi	....	mime play
Anthony Bushell	....	associate director (uncredited)
Gladys Goldsmith	....	assistant continuity (uncredited)
Ken Green	....	press representative (uncredited)
Myrtle Rowe	....	stand-in: Eileen Herlie (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Two Cities Films

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1948) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Jacon Film Distributors Inc. (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Criterion Collection, The (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1956) (USA) (TV) (first airing)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)  us releasing agent

Also Known As:

Hamlet (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Amlet (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Amleto (Italy) [it]
Amletos (Greece) [el]
Hamlet (Sweden) [sv]
Hamlet (Denmark) [da]
Hamlet (Finland) [fi]
Hamlet (Argentina) [es]

Runtime:

155 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #12473) | UK:U | South Korea:12 (2002) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Two Cities Films

Trivia:

When the movie was released Laurence Olivier said it had been filmed in black and white for artistic reasons. The true reason, as he later admitted, was that "I was in the middle of a furious row with Technicolor".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: So oft it chances in particular men / That through some vicious mole of nature in them, / By the o'ergrowth of some complexion / Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason, / Or by some habit grown too much; that these men - / Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect, / Their virtues else - be they as pure as grace, / Shall in the general censure take corruption / From that particular fault... This is the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Murder Most Foul...

The amount of lines taken from this play and used in our everyday conversation is staggering. Like all of the Bard's works, his endurance is not only the mastery of language, but really in storylines that just never get old. Above, everything else, Hamlet is an interesting tale. Olivier's interpretation however, is very dark. Very deliberate. He shies away from the humor completely, and instead takes a slow, purposeful tack. To that, it might not appeal to some. In such a long play and movie, the humor is sorta needed to jostle you a bit, and break the overall bleakness of the tragedy. You don't catch a break here I'm afraid. Id classify this therefore as for more advanced taste, and not for the average moviegoer. Olivier's other two attempts, Henry V and Richard III, specifically the latter, will garner more mainstream appeal.