SHAKESPEARE

Synopsis

Feature film western. The story concerns Matt Devereaux (Tracy), a cattle baron who in his brutal ambition to build a ranching empire tyrannises his three eldest sons - Ben, Denny and Mike. Only Joe, his son by his latest wife Señora, an Indian, loves his father. The father discovers a copper smelter polluting his land and illegally destroys it. Joe takes the responsibility himself and goes to jail. When he is released, he finds that his brothers have rebelled against their father and are now running the ranch themselves, causing Matt to have a stroke. Señore convinces Joe that he should make peace with his brothers but Ben confronts Joe in a showdown.

Language

English

Country

United States

Medium

Film

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Year of release

1954

Duration

95 mins; 8,586 feet

Credits

Director

Edward Dmytryk

Producer

Sol C. Siegel

Cinematographer

Joe MacDonald (2)

Screenplay

Richard Murphy (2)

Music

Leigh Harline

Cast

Spencer Tracy	Matt Deveraux (Lear)
Robert Wagner	Joe Deveraux (Cordelia)
Earl Holliman	Denny Deveraux
Hugh O’Brian	Mike Deveraux
Jean Peters	Barbara
Richard Widmark	Ben Deveraux

Additional Details

Production type

Fiction Films

Plays

King Lear

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); westerns

Notes

General

From a story by Philip Yordan. Some commentators believe that the love Joe shows to his tyrannical Lear-like father gives the film a closer relationship to King Lear than HOUSE OF STRANGERS also with a screenplay by Yordan.

Awards

1955 Academy Award for Best Original Story.

Production Company

Name

20th Century Fox

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