SHAKESPEARE ON SCREEN
The best versions of Shakespeare's plays. His tragedies, historic dramas and comedies, performed by their eclectic authors, from the classic versions of Orson Welles and Sir Lawrence Olivier, to the musical versions of Kenneth Branagh.
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- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghEmma ThompsonKeanu ReevesYoung lovers, and soon to wed, Hero and Claudio conspire to get verbal sparring partners and confirmed singles, Benedick and Beatrice, to wed as well.
- DirectorBrandon ArnoldStarsJimmy CudahyBrighton MetzJake LarrabeeAn adaptation of Shakespeare's play set in a modern day high school. Cast and crew was comprised entirely of students from East Hollywood High School in Salt Lake City, UT.
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsAlexis DenisofAmy AckerFran KranzA modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsAlessandro NivolaAlicia SilverstoneNatascha McElhoneAn update of the classic Shakespeare story, director Kenneth Branagh shot the film like a classic 1930s musical. It tells the story of four best friends who swear off love.
- DirectorWilliam DieterleMax ReinhardtStarsJames CagneyDick PowellIan HunterTwo couples and a troupe of actors have an encounter with some mischievous fairies in the forest.
- DirectorAdrian NobleStarsLindsay DuncanAlex JenningsDesmond BarritFilmed adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1996 version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
- DirectorMichael HoffmanStarsKevin KlineMichelle PfeifferRupert EverettLovers' lives are complicated by city law, feuding faerie royalty, and... love.
- DirectorJack GoldStarsJohn Franklyn-RobbinsJohn Rhys-DaviesAlan DavidA rich merchant, Antonio is depressed for no good reason, until his good friend Bassanio comes to tell him how he's in love with Portia. Portia's father has died and left a very strange will: only the man that picks the correct casket out of three (silver, gold, and lead) can marry her. Bassanio, unfortunately, is strapped for cash with which to go wooing, and Antonio wants to help, so Antonio borrows the money from Shylock, the money-lender. But Shylock has been nursing a grudge against Antonio's insults, and makes unusual terms to the loan. And when Antonio's business fails, those terms threaten his life, and it's up to Bassanio and Portia to save him.
- DirectorMichael RadfordStarsAl PacinoJoseph FiennesLynn CollinsIn 16th century Venice, when a merchant must default on a large loan from an abused Jewish moneylender for a friend with romantic ambitions, the bitterly vengeful creditor demands a gruesome payment instead.
- DirectorFranco ZeffirelliStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonCyril CusackBrutish, fortune-hunting scoundrel Petruchio tames his wealthy, shrewish wife, Katharina.
- DirectorWilliam BallKirk BrowningStarsRaye BirkEarl BoenRon BoussomSan Francisco's A.C.T. company presents Shakespeare's classic take with a Commedia dell'Arte flair, as if it were a inn yard performance by a traveling company.
- DirectorGil JungerStarsHeath LedgerJulia StilesJoseph Gordon-LevittA high-school boy, Cameron, cannot date Bianca until her anti-social older sister, Kat, has a boyfriend. So, Cameron pays a mysterious boy, Patrick, to charm Kat.
- DirectorPaul CzinnerStarsElisabeth BergnerLaurence OlivierSophie StewartA Duke usurps his brother's land and power, banishing him and his entourage into the forest of Arden. The banished Duke's daughter, Rosalind, remains with her cousin Celia. She has fallen in love with Orlando, but he has his own tyrannical brother with whom to contend, so he joins those in the forest.
- 1978–19852h 31mTV-147.1 (356)TV EpisodeDirectorBasil ColemanStarsHelen MirrenBrian StirnerRichard PascoAfter the overthrowing of Duke Senior by his tyrannical brother, Senior's daughter Rosalind disguises herself as a man and sets out to find her banished father while also counseling her clumsy suitor Orlando in the art of wooing.
- DirectorChristine EdzardStarsJames FoxCyril CusackAndrew TiernanHiding out in an industrial wasteland from the murderous wrath of a regional ruler, a woman, disguised as a boy, gives wooing lessons to the edgy lad who proclaims he loves her.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsTakuya ShimadaBrian BlessedRichard CliffordA daughter of the powerful Duke must show her courage and inventiveness to be with the man she loves.
- DirectorThea SharrockStarsGareth Bennett-RyanMichael BenzPhilip BirdShakespeare's tale of young love, betrayal, cross-dressing, and redemption.
- DirectorPaul KafnoStarsFrances BarberChristopher HollisJulian GartsideA noblewoman disguises herself as a young man and falls for her employer, a lovesick count. Unfortunately, the count's beloved falls for the disguised noblewoman and a comedy of unrequited love and mistaken identities ensues.
- DirectorTrevor NunnStarsHelena Bonham CarterRichard E. GrantImogen StubbsShakespeare's comedy of gender confusion, in which a girl disguises herself as a man to be near the count she adores, only to be pursued by the woman he loves.
- StarsHelen HuntKyra SedgwickPhilip BoscoViola and her twin brother Sebastian are separated after a shipwreck on the coast of Illyria, and each believes the other drowned. Viola disguises herself as a male page named Cesario and enters the service of the duke Orsino. Orsino sends Cesario to court the reclusive lady Olivia on his behalf, and various mistaken identities and infatuations result.
- DirectorTim SuppleStarsParminder NagraRonny JhuttiChiwetel EjioforMulticultural version of the Shakespearean tale Twelth Night, Made in modern day society featuring Anglo-Indian cast.
- DirectorDavid Hugh JonesStarsAlan BennettRichard O'CallaghanTenniel EvansWhen Sir John Falstaff decides that he wants to have a little fun he writes two letters to a pair of Windsor wives: Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. When they put their heads together and compare missives, they plan a practical joke or two to teach the knight a lesson. But Mistress Ford's husband is a very jealous man and is pumping Falstaff for information of the affair. Meanwhile the Pages' daughter Anne is besieged by suitors.
- DirectorChristopher LuscombeStarsChristopher BenjaminSerena EvansSarah WoodwardImagining that Mistress Ford and Mistress Page have each fallen for him, the fat knight Sir John Falstaff decides to seduce them both, as much for their husbands' money as for their personal charms. Wise to the old rogue's tricks, the women turn the tables on him with a series of humiliating assignations and a very damp, extremely smelly laundry basket.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsNorma ShearerLeslie HowardJohn BarrymoreYoung love is poisoned by a generations long feud between two noble families.
- DirectorRenato CastellaniStarsLaurence HarveySusan ShentallFlora RobsonIn Shakespeare's classic play, the Montagues and Capulets, two families of Renaissance Italy, have hated each other for years, but the son of one family and the daughter of the other fall desperately in love and secretly marry.
- DirectorFranco ZeffirelliStarsLeonard WhitingOlivia HusseyJohn McEneryWhen two young members of feuding families meet, forbidden love ensues.
- 1978–19852h 48mTV-146.6 (465)TV EpisodeDirectorAlvin RakoffStarsPatrick RyecartRebecca SaireCelia JohnsonTwo teenagers fall in love, but their feuding families and fate itself cause the relationship to end in tragedy.
- DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsLeonardo DiCaprioClaire DanesJohn LeguizamoShakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue.
- DirectorCarlo CarleiStarsHailee SteinfeldDouglas BoothDamian LewisRomeo and Juliet secretly wed despite the sworn contempt their families hold for each other. It is not long, however, before a chain of fateful events changes the lives of both families forever.
- DirectorDon Roy KingStarsOrlando BloomDola RashadDonté BonnerOrlando Bloom and Condola Rashad take on the title characters in a modern adaptation of the timeless classic, Romeo and Juliet. This Broadway stage production is being broadcast in movie theaters.
- DirectorElijah MoshinskyStarsRichard JohnsonMichael PenningtonClaire BloomCymbeline (Richard Johnson), the King of Britain, is angry that his daughter Imogen (Dame Helen Mirren) has chosen a poor (but worthy) man for her husband. So he banishes Posthumus (Michael Pennington), who goes to fight for Rome. Imogen (dressed as a boy) goes in search of her husband, who meanwhile has boasted to his pal Iachimo (Robert Lindsay) that Imogen would never betray him. And Iachimo's determined to prove him wrong.
- DirectorMichael AlmereydaStarsEthan HawkeEd HarrisMilla JovovichA gritty story of a take-no-prisoners war between dirty cops and an outlaw biker gang. A drug kingpin is driven to desperate measures.
- DirectorDavid BradleyStarsCharlton HestonGrosvenor GlennHarold TaskerThe growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsLouis CalhernMarlon BrandoJames MasonThe growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.
- DirectorStuart BurgeStarsCharlton HestonJason RobardsJohn GielgudThe growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar, but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.
- 1978–19852h 41mTV-147.4 (258)TV EpisodeDirectorHerbert WiseStarsRichard PascoCharles GrayKeith MichellThe assassination of the would be ruler of Rome at the hands of Brutus and company has tragic consequences for Brutus and the republic.
- DirectorPaolo TavianiVittorio TavianiStarsCosimo RegaSalvatore StrianoGiovanni ArcuriInmates at a high-security prison in Rome prepare for a public performance of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar."
- DirectorCharlton HestonStarsCharlton HestonHildegard NeilEric PorterAfter the murder of her lover Caesar, Egypt's queen Cleopatra needs a new ally. She seduces his probable successor Mark Antony. This develops into real love and slowly leads to a war with the other possible successor: Octavius.
- DirectorJon ScoffieldStarsRichard JohnsonJanet SuzmanRosemary McHaleAfter the murder of her lover Julius Caesar, Egypt's Queen Cleopatra needs a new ally. She seduces his probable successor Mark Antony. This develops into real love and slowly leads to a war with the other possible successor, Octavius.
- DirectorLawrence CarraStarsLynn RedgraveTimothy DaltonNichelle NicholsAfter the murder of her lover Caesar, Egypt's queen Cleopatra needs a new ally. She seduces his probable successor Mark Antony. This develops into real love and slowly leads to a war with the other possible successor: Octavius.
- DirectorJulie TaymorStarsAnthony HopkinsJessica LangeOsheen JonesTitus returns victorious from war, only to plant the seeds of future turmoil for himself and his family.
- DirectorChristopher DunneStarsCandy K. SweetLexton RaleighTom DennisA classic and intense horror/drama about the all consuming nature of revenge.
- DirectorRalph FiennesStarsRalph FiennesGerard ButlerBrian CoxA banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take his revenge on the city.
- DirectorJonathan MillerStarsCharles GrayAnton LesserTony SteedmanDuring the Trojan War, a Trojan warrior is distraught when his lover takes up with a Greek.
- DirectorLaurence OlivierStarsLaurence OlivierJean SimmonsJohn LauriePrince Hamlet struggles over whether or not he should kill his uncle, whom he suspects has murdered his father, the former king.
- DirectorBill ColleranJohn GielgudStarsRichard BurtonHume CronynAlfred DrakeThe highly successful 1964 Richard Burton Broadway production of "Hamlet", deliberately staged in the style of a "dress rehearsal", but performed in front of a live audience.
- DirectorGrigoriy KozintsevStarsInnokentiy SmoktunovskiyMikhail NazvanovElza RadzinaAfter the death of the King of Denmark - Hamlet's father - his brother Claudius ascends the throne, who takes his widow Gertrude as his wife. Hamlet meets the ghost of his father and learns that he was killed by Claudius.
- DirectorPhilip SavilleStarsChristopher PlummerRobert ShawAlec ClunesHamlet suspects his uncle has murdered his father to claim the throne of Denmark and the hand of Hamlet's mother, but the Prince cannot decide whether or not he should take vengeance.
- DirectorTony RichardsonStarsNicol WilliamsonJudy ParfittAnthony HopkinsAcademy Award-winning director Tony Richardson brings Shakespeare's tragedy to the screen - with searing performances from Nicol Williamson as the melancholy Dane and future Academy Award-winner Anthony Hopkins as the deceitful Claudius.
- DirectorDavid GilesStarsIan McKellenFaith BrookJohn WoodvineHamlet suspects his uncle has murdered his father to claim the throne of Denmark and the hand of Hamlet's mother, but the Prince cannot decide whether or not he should take vengeance.
- DirectorFranco ZeffirelliStarsMel GibsonGlenn CloseAlan BatesHamlet, Prince of Denmark, finds out that his uncle Claudius killed his father to obtain the throne, and plans revenge.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghJulie ChristieDerek JacobiHamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.
- DirectorMichael AlmereydaStarsEthan HawkeKyle MacLachlanDiane VenoraModern-day New York City adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal story about Hamlet's plight to avenge his father's murder.
- DirectorGregory DoranStarsDavid TennantPatrick StewartPenny DownieThe RSC puts a modern spin on Shakespeare's Hamlet in this filmed-for-television version of their stage production. The Prince of Denmark seeks vengeance after his father is murdered and his mother marries the murderer.
- DirectorBobby CiraldoAndrew SwantStarsBobby CiraldoRobert Richard JorgeAndrew SwantHamlet is an easily distracted prince who is challenged to kill his uncle Claudius by the ghost of his recently dead dad. This bizarre sci-fi comedy features live-action characters in a colorful cartoon world.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJeanette NolanDan O'HerlihyMacbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMinoru ChiakiIsuzu YamadaA war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.
- DirectorPaul AlmondStarsSean ConneryZoe CaldwellWilliam NeedlesThe Scottish Lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. He commits regicide to become King, and then furthers his moral descent with a reign of murderous terror to stay in power, eventually plunging the country into civil war. In the end, he loses everything that gives meaning and purpose to his life before losing his life itself.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJon FinchFrancesca AnnisMartin ShawA ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord seizes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches.
- DirectorPhilip CassonTrevor NunnStarsIan McKellenJudi DenchJohn BownMacbeth (Ian McKellen) is a daring member of the Scottish military, who receives a revelation from three menacing sorceresses that he will someday become the King of Scotland. This information gives him a thirst for power, and with prompting from his wife, Lady Macbeth (Judi Dench), he kills the current leader in order to take the throne. But he must continue to commit murders to keep his actions a secret, and soon no one is safe.
- DirectorArthur Allan SeidelmanStarsJeremy BrettPiper LaurieSimon MacCorkindaleMacbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
- DirectorJack GoldStarsBrenda BruceEileen WayAnne DysonMacbeth and his wife murder Duncan in order to gain his crown, but the bloodbath doesn't stop there, and things supernatural combine to bring the Macbeths down.
- DirectorJeremy FreestonStarsJason ConneryHelen BaxendaleGraham McTavishA ruthlessly ambitious Scottish laird seizes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches.
- DirectorMichael BogdanovStarsSean PertweeGreta ScacchiLorren BentEnglish thespian Sean Pertwee plays the painfully ambitious royal who schemes to murder so he can ascend to the throne in this superior version of William Shakespeare's literary classic. Spurred by the pressure exerted by his equally power-hungry wife, Lady MacBeth (Greta Scacchi), the Thane conspires to kill, but is so overcome with guilt that he's unable to wash the blood off his hands -- literally and figuratively.
- DirectorGregory DoranStarsAntony SherHarriet WalterJoseph O'ConorA television adaptation of the classical Shakespeare play.
- DirectorGeoffrey WrightStarsVictoria HillLachy HulmeGary SweetA contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" set in the ganglands of Melbourne.
- DirectorRupert GooldStarsPatrick StewartKate FleetwoodOliver BurchSir Patrick Stewart stars in a gripping Tony-nominated production.
- DirectorDaniel CollStarsMarek OravecHannah Taylor GordonHal FowlerMacbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
- DirectorDan GallagherStarsJames CurcioneDan GallagherMirai
- DirectorJustin KurzelStarsMichael FassbenderMarion CotillardJack MadiganMacbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
- DirectorWilliam OldroydStarsFlorence PughCosmo JarvisPaul HiltonIn 19th-century rural England, a young bride who has been sold into marriage discovers an unstoppable desire within herself as she enters into an affair with a worker on her estate.
- DirectorDimitri BuchowetzkiStarsEmil JanningsWerner KraussIca von LenkeffyBased on Shakespeare's play: The treacherous Iago plans to ruin the life of Othello by provoking him to jealousy.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesMicheál MacLiammóirRobert CooteThe Moorish General Othello is manipulated into thinking that his new wife Desdemona has been carrying on an affair with his Lieutenant Michael Cassio when in reality, it is all part of the scheme of a bitter Ensign named Iago.
- DirectorStuart BurgeStarsLaurence OlivierFrank FinlayRobert LangGeneral Othello's marriage is destroyed when vengeful Ensign Iago convinces him that his new wife has been unfaithful.
- DirectorJonathan MillerStarsAnthony PedleyBob HoskinsGeoffrey ChaterGeneral Othello (Sir Anthony Hopkins) becomes convinced that his wife is having an affair, even though there is no evidence.
- DirectorOliver ParkerStarsLaurence FishburneKenneth BranaghIrène JacobThe Moorish General Othello is manipulated into thinking that his new wife Desdemona has been carrying on an affair with his Lieutenant Michael Cassio, when in reality, it is all part of the scheme of a bitter Ensign named Iago.
- DirectorGeoffrey SaxStarsEamonn WalkerChristopher EcclestonKeeley HawesShakespeare's Othello retold in modern London; racial tension in the police force collides with jealousy and revenge. An officer suspects his new bride of infidelity.
- DirectorTim Blake NelsonStarsMekhi PhiferJulia StilesMartin SheenAn update of Shakespeare's 'Othello' with a young cast, set in an upper class prep school, & centered around basketball player Odin.
- DirectorPeter BrookStarsPaul ScofieldIrene WorthCyril CusackKing Lear divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia refuses to idly flatter the old man, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters.
- DirectorGrigoriy KozintsevIosif ShapiroStarsJüri JärvetElza RadzinaGalina VolchekA Soviet adaptation of a world-famous tragedy about an aged king and how cruelly he lose his illusions.
- DirectorMichael ElliottStarsColin BlakelyLeo McKernRobert LindsayAging King Lear invites disaster when he abdicates to his two disloyal and obsequious daughters while rejecting the one who truly loves him.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira TeraoJinpachi NezuIn Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
- DirectorBrian BlessedTony RotherhamStarsBrian BlessedHildegard NeilJason RiddingtonKing Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his other two daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him. In a parallel, Lear's loyal courtier Gloucester favors his illegitimate son Edmund after being told lies about his faithful son Edgar. Madness and tragedy befall both ill-starred fathers.
- DirectorTrevor NunnStarsIan McKellenWilliam GauntPhilip WinchesterSir Ian McKellen gives a tour-de-force performance as Shakespeare's tragic monarch, in this special television adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company production of one of the playwright's most enduring and haunting works.
- DirectorDavid GilesStarsDerek JacobiJohn GielgudJon FinchThe incompetent King Richard II is deposed by Henry Bolingbroke and undergoes a crisis of identity once he is no longer King.
- DirectorRupert GooldStarsDavid BradleyRichard BremmerDaniel BoydThe incompetent Richard II is deposed by Henry Bolingbroke and undergoes a crisis of identity once he is no longer king.
- DirectorMarco BellocchioStarsMarcello MastroianniClaudia CardinaleLeopoldo TriesteDeranged after a fall from a horse, a man has lived for twenty years in a castle laboring under the delusion that he is Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. His psychiatrist concocts an elaborate scheme to shock him out of his medieval reverie.
- DirectorRichard EyreStarsAlun ArmstrongJoe ArmstrongJohn Ashton1403: Henry IV finds himself facing uprisings from the Welsh chieftain Owen Glendower and impetuous young Harry "Hotspur" Percy, son of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, angry with the king for not paying Glendower ransom for his brother-in-law Mortimer. Another trial for Henry is the fact that his son, Prince Hal, keeps company with the older, reprobate drunkard Sir John Falstaff. Though the prince is his friend he is not above playing cruel jests on Falstaff, robbing him in disguise and returning his money after Falstaff has given an exaggerated account of his bravery in the hold-up. However, Hal joins his father at the wintry battle of Shrewsbury to put down Hotspur's revolt, where Hal kills Hotspur in single combat - Falstaff later claiming credit for the deed. Hotspur is routed but Henry and Hal still have to face the uprisings of Glendower and Nortumberland, now joined by the archbishop of York.
- DirectorRichard EyreStarsAlun ArmstrongWill AttenboroughConrad AsquithNorthumberland swears revenge for his son's death and gathers his allies to fight the ailing king. Meanwhile, the Lord Chief Justice having rebuked Falstaff for being a bad influence on Hal, charges him to recruit an army on Henry's behalf. After brawling with the truculent Pistol, Falstaff prepares to leave his lover, Doll Tearsheet, criticizing Hal to her, unaware that the prince is eaves-dropping. Falstaff assembles a motley crew from Justice Shallow but Henry's cousin Westmoreland arrests the rebel leaders after duping them into a truce. Hal, assuming his father is dead, dons the crown and is berated by the dying king but they reconcile as Henry's last gesture is to crown his son. Hal accedes to the throne as Henry V but, now aware he must put frivolity aside, banishes Falstaff as his first act as ruler.
- DirectorLaurence OlivierStarsLaurence OlivierRobert NewtonLeslie BanksIn the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.
- DirectorDavid GilesStarsJohn AbineriRobert AshbyTrevor BaxterIn the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghDerek JacobiSimon ShepherdIn the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.
- DirectorPeter BabakitisStarsAlexander BabakitisPeter BabakitisHoward DillonKing Henry V of England is manipulated by the clergy into invading France to claim the crown; He finds that it is more difficult than he imagines, and must rely on his ability to lead his ragtag army to victory in the face of terrible odds.
- DirectorThea SharrockStarsEdward AkroutTom BrookeGeraldine ChaplinHal is now a responsible monarch as Henry V, his rejection of Falstaff hastening the latter's death. Told by courtiers that,through Edward III, he has a claim to the French throne he makes overtures to the Dauphin but is sent a humiliating present of tennis balls. He prepares an expeditionary force to cross the Channel and take the throne, capturing the town of Harfleur during a surprise nocturnal raid following an inspirational speech. Though merciful to its inhabitants, Henry allows soldier Bardolph to be hung for looting. After another truce is turned down by the French, Henry prepares for the pitched battle of Agincourt, wandering the camp in disguise on its eve to gauge opinion of him. The battle is won with minimal English losses and the French king, whose daughter Henry marries, declares him to be his successor. However, an end title shows that Henry dies of dysentery at the age of thirty-five and we are told that his son Henry VI loses possession of France.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJeanne MoreauMargaret RutherfordWhen King Henry IV ascends to the throne, his heir, the Prince of Wales, is befriended by Sir John Falstaff, an old, overweight, fun-loving habitual liar. Through Falstaff's eyes we see the reign of King Henry IV and the rise of Henry V.
- DirectorJane HowellStarsJohn BenfieldPeter BensonBrenda BlethynFollowing his father's early death and the loss of possessions in France, young Henry VI comes to the throne, under the protection of the Duke of Gloucester. He is unaware that there are other claimants to the throne, Plantagenet of York and Somerset of Lancaster, whose factions will ultimately cause the Wars of the Roses. Ignorant of the schisms, Henry tries to unite them in the Hundred Years' War, capturing Joan of Arc, before he marries Margaret of Anjou to unite England and France. However, there is no dowry, angering the court. Margaret finds the pious Henry a dull husband and embarks upon an affair with Somerset as well as crossing Gloucester's wife Eleanor. When Gloucester is arrested for alleged treason because of Eleanor, Henry is too feeble to prevent his death or the country slipping into civil war.
- DirectorJane HowellStarsJohn BenfieldPeter BensonAntony BrownFollowing his father's early death and the loss of possessions in France young Henry VI comes to the throne, under the protection of the duke of Gloucester. He is unaware that there are other claimants to the throne, Plantagent of York and Somerset of Lancaster, whose factions will ultimately cause the Wars of the Roses. Ignorant of the schisms Henry tries to unite them in the Hundred Years War, capturing Joan of Arc, before he marries Margaret of Anjou to unite England and France, but there is no dowry, angering the court. Margaret finds the pious Henry a dull husband and embarks upon an affair with Somerset as well as crossing Gloucester's wife Eleanor. When Gloucester is arrested for alleged treason because of Eleanor Henry is too feeble to prevent his death or the country slipping into civil war.
- DirectorJane HowellStarsJohn BenfieldPeter BensonGerald BlackmoreFollowing his father's early death and the loss of possessions in France young Henry VI comes to the throne, under the protection of the duke of Gloucester. He is unaware that there are other claimants to the throne, Plantagent of York and Somerset of Lancaster, whose factions will ultimately cause the Wars of the Roses. Ignorant of the schisms Henry tries to unite them in the Hundred Years War, capturing Joan of Arc, before he marries Margaret of Anjou to unite England and France, but there is no dowry, angering the court. Margaret finds the pious Henry a dull husband and embarks upon an affair with Somerset as well as crossing Gloucester's wife Eleanor. When Gloucester is arrested for alleged treason because of Eleanor, Henry is too feeble to prevent his death or the country slipping into civil war.
- DirectorLaurence OlivierStarsLaurence OlivierCedric HardwickeNicholas HannenShakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed King and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.
- DirectorRichard LoncraineStarsIan McKellenAnnette BeningChristopher BowenThe classic Shakespearean play about the murderously scheming 15th-century king is reimagined in an alternative setting of 1930s England as clouds of fascism gather.