William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
- Alternative title
- Julius Caesar
- Synopsis
- Independent film adaptation of the play filmed on 16mm. Samuel Crowl (see review citation) believes the film to be like watching ` an experimental, fringe theatre company performance of Shakespeare where our pleasure derives more from the radical inspiration of individual moments than from the coherence and polish of the entire production’.
- Language
- English
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Film
- Technical information
- Black-and-white / Sound
- Year of release
- 1950
- Duration
- 106 mins
Credits
- Director
- David Bradley (2)
- Producer
- David Bradley (2); Owen Davis; Robert Keigher
- Cinematographer
- Louis McMahon
- Writer
- William Shakespeare
- Music
- John Becker
- Costume
- Katharine Bradley
- Cast
Additional Details
- Production type
- Fiction Films
- Plays
- Julius Caesar
- Subjects
- Drama
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Student productions
Notes
- Notes
- DVD features include `"Beware the Ides of March’" an analysis of Mark Antony’s Funeral Speech’, biographies, stills gallery and promotional trailer.
The Folger Shakespeare Library holds a screenplay ‘copyright 1945, produced 1946 at Winnetka, Illinois’ inscribed ‘For Robert H. Ball from David Bradley’. - General
- Although sources differ as to whether this is a student film, it seems certain that some students from Northwestern University, Chicago were recruited for bit parts and extras. Sources also differ as to the cost of the production ranging from $10,000-$15,000. To save money about 80% of the film was shot silently, with dialogue dubbed in later.
- History
- After its premiere in lake Forest, IL in March 1950 the film was shown mainly in schools and private industry screenings. It did not have a widespread American release until after a screening in New York City in 1952. As a result of very favourable press many of the players were employed by Hollywood film studios.
- Awards
- Best Film Locarno Film Festival 1953
- Stills
- Bradley made full use of Chicago’s Romanesque architecture as settings.
- Textual information
- Rothwell & Melzer Shakespeare on Screen: an International Filmography and Videography. (London, Mansell, 1990) p. 116 note that the text, although shortened, remains quite faithful to the 1623 Folio edition.
- Reviews
- A brief comment on the film is given in Jack J. Jorgens Shakespeare on Film. Lanham, Maryland, University Press of America, 1991. p102-3. A longer assessment is given in Samuel Crowl ‘A World Elsewhere: the Roman Plays on Film and Television’ in Shakespeare and the Moving Image: the Plays on Film and Television edited by Anthony Davies and Stanley Wells (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994). pp 147-149.
Production Company
- Name
Avon Productions
Archive
- Name
Folger Shakespeare Library
- reference@folger.edu
- Web
- http://www.folger.edu External site opens in new window
- Phone
- (202) 544 4600
- Fax
- (202) 544 4623
- Address
- 201 East Capitol Street, SE
Washington
DC 20003
USA
Distributor (Hire)
- Name
Indiana University
- liblilly@indiana.edu
- Web
- http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/ External site opens in new window
- Phone
- 812 855 2452
- Fax
- 812 855 3143
- Address
- Lilly Library
1200 E Seventh Street
Bloomington
IN 47405-5500
USA
Online Retailer
- Name
amazon.com
- Web
- http://www.amazon.com External site opens in new window
- Name
Movies Unlimited
- Web
- http://www.moviesunlimited.com External site opens in new window
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av37007 (Accessed 06 Nov 2024)