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 MilliganWilliam McGonagall (Macbeth)
Peter SellersQueen 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)