SHAKESPEARE

Synopsis

Feature film which made its own myths as the love affair between Antony and Cleopatra was lived in real-life in the well-publicised Burton-Taylor romance. The hugely expensive sets, and Taylor’s protracted illness, all but bankrupt Twentieth Century Fox. The film’s sources are credited to Plutarch, Suetonius, Appian and The Life and Times of Cleopatra by Charles Marie Franzero (London, 1957).

Language

English

Country

United States

Medium

Film

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Year of release

1963

Duration

191 mins; 17,241 feet

Credits

Director

Joseph L Mankiewicz

Producer

Walter Wanger

Cinematographer

Leon Shamroy

Screenplay

Joseph L Mankiewicz; Ranald MacDougall; Sidney Buckman

Music

Alex North

Production Design

John DeCuir

Costume

Irene Sharaff

Cast

Richard Burton	Mark Antony
Elizabeth Taylor	Cleopatra
Roddy McDowall	Octavius Caesar
Francesca Annis	Iras
Isabelle Cooley	Charmian
Rex Harrison	Julius Caesar
Richard O’Sullivan	Ptolemy

Additional Details

Production type

Fiction Films

Historical period

Ancient Rome

Plays

Antony and Cleopatra

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Related items

Carry on Cleo

Notes

Notes

Budget - estimated £44,000,000.
The DVD (2002) extras include commentaries by Chris and Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau and Jack Brodsky; a two-hour documentary CLEOPATRA: THE FILM THAT CHANGED HOLLYWOOD with behind-the-scenes shots and interviews; A featurette THE FOURTH STAR OF CLEOPATRA which looks at the production itself; Six trailers and Movietone reports from East and West Coast premieres; stills gallery.

General

The film’s tagline was ‘The film the world has been waiting for’.

Figures

Worldwide gross $62,000,000 (1970)- - IMDb.

Awards

1964 Academy Awards won Best Art Direction-Set Direction (colour), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Effects, Special Visual Effects.

Production Company

Name

20th Century Fox

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Retail outlets