Compilation/Packaged Set: A Midsummer Night's Dream

I have gathered together into this collection all the films in my catalogue that are either of or based on William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream:

Plays

  1. 1935 Dir. Max Reinhardt
  2. 1969 Dir. Peter Hall
  3. 1999 Dir. Michael Hoffman
  4. 2014 Dir. Julie Taymor
  5. 2016 Dir. David Kerr

Ballets

  1. 1999 Pacific Northwest Ballet Company (Balanchine)
  2. 2004 American Ballet Theater (Ashton)
  3. 2007 Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company (Balanchine)

Opera

  1. 1981 Glyndebourne Festival Opera (Britten)

Adaptations

  1. 1910 Midsummer Night's Dream (silent, short)
  2. 1955 Smiles Of A Summer Night (Bergman)
  3. 1982 A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (Allen)
  4. 2008 Were The World Mine (Gustafson)

‡ A compilation of Puck's epilogue as performed in various productions: YouTube

‡ Films based on A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wikipedia

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
Warner Bros. (1935)
Comedy
In Collection
#1164
8*
Seen It:  Yes
(10/06/2017 Home)
012569591226
IMDB   7.0
133 mins USA / English
DVD  Region 1
James Cagney Bottom
Joe E. Brown Flute
Dick Powell Lysander
Mickey Rooney Puck
Victor Jory Oberon
Ian Hunter Theseus
Verree Teasdale Hippolyta
Hobart Cavanaugh Philostrate
Ross Alexander Demetrius
Olivia de Havilland Hermia
Jean Muir Helena
Grant Mitchell Egeus
Frank McHugh Quince
Dewey Robinson Snug
Hugh Herbert Snout
Otis Harlan Starveling
Arthur Treacher Epilogue
Anita Louise Titania
Nini Theilade Fairie
Kenneth Anger Changeling Prince
Billy Barty Mustard-Seed
Sheila Brown Changeling Prince
Katherine Frey Pease-Blossom
Shep Houghton Dancer
Angelo Rossitto Gnome
Fred Sale Moth
Helen Westcott Cobweb
Director
Max Reinhardt
William Dieterle
Producer Hal B. Wallis
Jack L. Warner
Writer William Shakespeare
Charles Kenyon
Mary C. McCall Jr.


Theseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Demetrius is engaged with Hermia, but Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius. Oberon and Titania, of the kingdom of fairies have a slight quarrel about whether or not the boy Titania is raising will join Titania's band or Oberon's, so Oberon tries to get him from her by using some magic. But they're not alone in that forest.Lysander and Hermina have there a rendezvous, Helena and Demetrius are there, too as well as some actors, who are practicing a play for the ongoing wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Due to some misunderstandings by Puck, the whole thing becomes a little bit confused...
Edition Details
No. of Discs/Tapes 1

Notes
When I first saw the original 1935 trailer for A Midsumme Night's Dream I knew I had to purchase a copy of the film for my shelf· The trailer itself is a delight!
The film is wonderfully bombastic, very much what I suspect would have been Shakespeare's concept if he were producing it in 1935· Even though Reinhardt cut half the lines, the spirit of the mayhem and comedy comes through· While I quibble a bit with some of the casting, overall they nearly fit my perception of the characters pretty well· My favorite is Joe E Brown, a favorite of mine since a boy (I had an uncle who's smile and mannerisms were very much Mr Brown's)· Puck was played by fifteen year old Mickey Rooney, just starting in a very long acting career· The film was not a commercial success, and Max Reinhardt made no other Hollywood movies·
I strongly suggest reading the reviews in the "Links" section· The Commentary included on the dvd is also well worth viewing.