Midsummer Night’s Dream, A
- Synopsis
- A film based on the Broadway production by Max Reinhardt. A combination of German expressionism and Hollywood realism. Hal Mohr’s cinematography is ‘astonishing, a surreal visual fantasy of dancing sprites and flying unicorns’ (The Guardian, 2019).
- Language
- English
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Film
- Technical information
- Black-and-white / Sound
- Year of release
- 1935
- Duration
- 132 mins; 10,495 feet
Credits
- Director
- William Dieterle
- Producer
- Max Reinhardt
- Cinematographer
- Hal Mohr
- Writer
- William Shakespeare
- Screenplay
- Charles Kenyon; Mary McCall
- Cast
Additional Details
- Production type
- Fiction Films
- Plays
- Midsummer Night’s Dream, A
- Subjects
- Drama
- Keywords
- drama in English; performances; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
- Related items
- Dream Comes True, A
- Midsummer Night’s Dream, A
Notes
- Notes
- Estimated budget $1.5m.
The New York Public Library, Driscoll Media Center, holds a 16mm copy which is a shortened version of the film. The major cuts are in the final act, where Bottom does return to Quince’s workshop because they are all at the palace.
A 12-minute study extract is available for hire from the British Film Institute Film & Video Library. A unicorn and some fairies materialise as Puck and a fairy discuss Titania’s little Indian boy. Titania awakes, Oberon arrives and demands the child. Titania refuses. Enraged, Oberon calls on Puck to make Titania fall in love with the first creature she sees on waking up.
The Folger Library holds a photocopy of dialogue transcripts (15 reel version) with Robert H. Ball’s annotations, photostat of dialogue transcript (12 reel version) photocopy of shooting script,(German and English versions obtained from the Max Reinhardt Archive in Binghamton, NY.
Birmingham Shakespeare Library holds a typescript.
A theatrical trailer is offered as an extra on the DVD which is available Region 1 only (1/2009). - General
- Film-maker Kenneth Anger in some sources, taking the lead from Anger’s own assertion, is cited as playing the Changeling Boy; however archive papers at Warner Brothers prove the part was played by Sheila Brown. Child actor Mickey Rooney plays the part of Puck aged fourteen turning fifteen.
Tagline: Three hundred years in the making. - Awards
- Academy Award 1936 - Best Cinematography and Best Editing (Ralph Dawson).
Production Company
Archive
- Name
BFI National Archive
- Web
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
- Phone
- 020 7255 1444
- Fax
- 020 7436 0165
- Address
- 21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
Distributor (Hire)
- Name
Filmbankmedia
- info@filmbankmedia.com
- Web
- https://www.filmbankmedia.com/ External site opens in new window
- Phone
- +44 (0) 20 3866 6525
- Address
- 1st Floor, 67-74 Saffron Hill
London
EC1N 8QX
UK - Notes
- The main source in the UK for hire of feature films for non-theatrical presentations. The extensive catalogue includes vintage classics, independent films and big blockbusters. Available on 16mm as well as VHS and DVD. Also provides advice on contractual matters.
Online Retailer
- Name
amazon.com
- Web
- http://www.amazon.com External site opens in new window
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Midsummer Night’s Dream, A". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/14090 (Accessed 26 Nov 2024)