Great McGonagall, The
- Synopsis
- Faeture film dedicated in the pre-opening credit sequence to William McGonagall, the ‘greatest Bad Verse Writer of his age’. McGonagall, a Scottish weaver, falls in love with Queen Victoria at a music hall show and after giving a performance of Shakespeare for Her Majesty decides to become Poet Laureate of England. In a debtor’s prison he learns to appreciate Shakespeare and later gives a public performance of Act V from Macbeth which he believes has won the Queen’s admiration. Later, having been turned away from the gates of Balmoral, McGonagall recites his poem in praise of Shakespeare in a tavern to an underwhelmed audience.
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Film
- Technical information
- Colour / Sound
- Year of release
- 1974
- Duration
- 64 mins
Credits
- Director
- Joseph McGrath
- Producer
- David Grant (2)
- Cinematographer
- John Mackey
- Screenplay
- Joseph McGrath; Spike Milligan
- Music
- John Shakespeare
- Cast
Spike Milligan William McGonagall (Macbeth) Peter Sellers Queen Victoria
Additional Details
- Production type
- Fiction Films
- Plays
- Macbeth
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Notes
- Reviews
- `Surely one of the most embarrassingly unfunny films ever to see the light of day’. Nigel Gearing Monthly Film Bulletin Vol. 42, no. 494, March 1975, p. 57.
Production Company
- Name
Darlton
Distributor (Sale)
- Name
Retail outlets
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Great McGonagall, The". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av67845 (Accessed 26 Nov 2024)