User:Bertaut/sandbox1

Comedies

The Comedy of Errors

Direct adaptations

• The Comedy of Errors (2012; England – National Theatre Live; 127mins)

Live HD transmission of a performance of the play from the Royal National Theatre on 1 March 2012 to various cinemas in the UK and Ireland; episode five of the third season of the National Theatre Live series

Directed by Dominic Cooke

Starring Lenny Henry (Antipholus of Syracuse), Chris Jarman (Antipholus of Ephesus), Lucian Msamati (Dromio of Syracuse) and Daniel Poyser (Dromio of Ephesus)

Other adaptations

• A Comedy of Errors (1908; USA – Vitagraph Studios; 4mins)

Nothing is known of this film other than the fact that it was not actually based on the play. Although Vitagraph released a large number of Shakespearean productions in 1908, and this is often included amongst them, the film's only connection to the play is the title.

• Two Little Dromios (1914; USA – Thanhouser Films; 10mins)

Very loosely based on the central plot element of the play, the film tells the story of a country girl and a city girl who exchange places, leading to much confusion; the only explicit connection to the play is the reference to Dromio in the title, although even that connection is tentative insofar as the film was released in the UK in 1917 as Two Little Dreamers

Director unknown

Starring Mignon Anderson (City Girl/Country Girl)

• Bhool Bhulaiyan (1933; India – Ranjit Movies; 88mins)

Bollywood film thought to be loosely based on the play; not to be confused with Bhool Bhulaiyaa, a completely unrelated film released in 2007.

Directed by Jayant Desai

Starring Keki Adajania, Shanta Kumari, Dixit and Ghori (roles unknown, although presumably Adajania and Kumari played the Antipholi, with Dixit and Ghori as the Dromios)

• The Boys from Syracuse (1940; USA – Universal Pictures; 73mins)

Filmic adaptation of George Abbott, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's 1938 musical, The Boys from Syracuse, based on The Comedy of Errors. The film is relatively faithful to the musical, which itself is relatively faithful to the play. Although it retains little of Shakespeare's dialogue (Egeon's opening one-hundred-and-six line narrative is rewritten as a rhyming quatrain; "But on one unhappy day/We went sailing on the sea/This was an unlucky blunder/For our ship was torn asunder"), the basic plot remains unchanged. The screenwriting credit states "After a play by Shakespeare...long, long after!"

Directed by A. Edward Sutherland; written for the screen by Paul Girard Smith

Starring Allan Jones (Antipholus of Syracuse/Antipholus of Ephesus), Joe Penner (Dromio of Syracuse/Dromio of Ephesus), Irene Hervey (Adriana) and Rosemary Lane (Phyllis; i.e. Luciana)

• Congxin suoyu (1940; Hong Kong – Grandview Film Company; 89mins)

Lost film thought to be based on the play; never released outside Hong Kong; title translates as As the Heart Desires

Directed by Chiu Shu-Ken

Starring Fung Ying-seung and Kwai-hong Lau (roles unknown)

• Biao Cuo Quing (1956; Hong Kong – Grandview Film Company; 75mins)

Also known as Laughable Mistakes and, more commonly, Thinking the Wrong Way. Set in modern day Hong Kong, the film tells the story of two brothers and two cousins who are split into two pairs during World War II. Ultimately, they all settle in Hong Kong, but when they begin to encounter one another, much confusion arises.

Directed by Fong Lau; written by Fong Lau

Starring Patrick Tse (Chan Tai-on; i.e. Antipholus of Syracuse/Chan Sui-on; Antipholus of Epheus) and Keung Chung-ping (Tai-kwok; Dromio of Syracuse/Siu-kwok; Dromio of Epheus)

• Zhuo Gui Zou Bie (1959; Singapore – Huaye; 88mins)

Also known as He Has Taken Her for Another. A pair of twin sisters are separated during the war, as are their maids (also twin sisters). Fifteen years later one of the sisters and her maid travel to Hong Kong from Singapore to search for their sisters. When the two sets of twins meet, their respective boyfriends become extremely confused.

Directed by Wen Chung Ku; written by Wen Chung Ku

The cast list for the film exists, but what roles the various cast members played is unknown

• Bhrantibilas (1963; India – P.A. Movies; 100mins)

Bengali filmic adaptation of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's 1869 Bhranti Bilas, a prose adaptation of The Comedy of Errors. Although Vidyasagar's play is set in an unspecified, but distant, past, the film sets the events in modern India.

Directed by Manu Sen

Starring Uttam Kumar (Ashok I; i.e. Antipholus of Syracuse/Ashok II; Antipholus of Ephesus), Bhanu Bandopadhyay (Bahadur I; Dromio of Syracuse/Bahadur II; Dromio of Ephesus), Sabitri Chatterjee (Sudha; Adriana) and Sandhya Roy (Tanu; Luciana)

• Do Dooni Char (1968; India – Bimal Roy Productions; 134mins)

A loose Bollywood musical remake of Bhrantibilas, the film tells the story of a banker and his assistant who go on a business trip and are mistaken for a merchant and his servant. Not to be confused with Do Dooni Chaar, a completely unrelated film released in 2010.

Directed by Debu Sen; written by Gulzar

Starring Kishore Kumar (Sandeep; i.e. Antipholus of Syracuse) and Asit Sen (Sevak; Dromio of Syracuse)

• Angoor (1982; India – AR Movies; 130mins)

A loose remake of Do Dooni Char, which itself was a loose remake of Bhrantibilas, this film relocates the play to modern day Mumbai where a man and his servant arrive to buy a grape field, only to be mistaken for a pair of locals. Writer/director Gulzar had enjoyed writing the screenplay for Do Dooni Char so much that he wanted to adapt the basic story again, leading to the production of Angoor, which remains one of the most popular Bollywood comedies of all time.

Directed by Gulzar; written by Gulzar

Starring Sanjeev Kumar (Ashok; i.e. Antipholus of Syracuse/Antipholus of Ephesus), Deven Verma (Bahadur; Dromio of Syracuse/Dromio of Ephesus), Moushumi Chatterjee (Sudha; Adriana) and Deepti Naval (Tanu; Luciana)

• Los gemelos alborotados (1982; Mexico – Producciones Aguila; 85mins)

A musical western which relocates the play to a rural village in contemporary Mexico

Directed by Mario Hernández

Starring Antonio Aguilar (Giimaro i.e. Antipholus of Syracuse/Antipholus of Ephesus) and Ernesto Gómez Cruz (Chon; Dromio of Syracuse/Dromio of Ephesus)

• Big Business (1988; USA – Touchstone Pictures; 97mins)

Loosely based on the play, the film relocates the story to modern day New York, setting it in a Wall Street milieu, and changing the gender of the two sets of twins to female

Directed by Jim Abrahams; written by Dori Pierson and Marc Reid Rubel

Starring Bette Midler (Sadie Ratliff/Sadie Shelton; i.e. Antipholus of Syracuse/Antipholus of Ephesus) and Lily Tomlin (Rose Ratliff/Rose Shelton; Dromio of Syracuse/Dromio of Ephesus)

• Ulta Palta (1997; India – Impact Films; 123mins)

A loose Kannada remake of Angoor, which was a loose remake of Do Dooni Char, which was a loose remake of Bhrantibilas, this film relocates the play to modern day Karnataka where a man and his servant arrive to find work, only to be mistaken for a local industrialist and his servant.

Directed by N.S. Shankar

Starring Ramesh Aravind and Karibasavaiah

• Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998; India – Magical Icon 3D Studios; 144mins)

Loosely based on the play, the film relocates the story to modern day India, where a pair of policemen are accused of carrying out a series of robberies which are actually being perpetrated by their doubles.

Directed by David Dhawan; written by Rumi Jaffery

Starring Amitabh Bachchan (Arjun Singh/Bade Miyan; i.e. Antipholus of Syracuse/Antipholus of Ephesus) and Govinda (Pyare Mohan/Chote Miyan; Dromio of Syracuse/Dromio of Ephesus)

• Heera Lal Panna Lal (1999; India – Indian Talkies; 145mins)

A combination of the basic story from The Comedy of Errors with a very loose retelling of the film Bad Boys. Two sets of twins set out in search of adventure, completely unaware of the other set.

Directed by Kawal Sharma; written by Rajeev Kaul, Praful Parekh and Anwar Khan

Starring Mithun Chakraborty (Heera Lal) and Johnny Lever (Panna Lal)

Love's Labour's Lost

Direct adaptations

• Love's Labour's Lost: A Romantic Musical Comedy (2000; England/France/USA – Pathé; 93mins)

Heavily truncated adaptation (only about 25% of the original dialogue remains) in the style of a 1930's Hollywood musical. Set on the eve of World War II (the film begins on September 1, 1939), the film uses the play text, but intersperses it with various musical numbers from the likes of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Oscar Hammerstein II. Branagh had first encountered the play when he performed the role of the King in a 1984 Edwardian era Royal Shakespeare Company production, directed by Barry Kyle. During the production, Branagh became familiar with Harley Granville-Barker's preface to the play, in which he argued that the piece worked best when highly stylised, suggesting that the dialogue and action be treated with a musical sense of rhythm. For the film, Branagh decided to take Granville-Barker's idea literally, and adapt the play as a musical homage to the classic Hollywood films that he himself loved, and which he felt were no longer produced. Of particular influence was Mark Sandrich's 1935 film Top Hat, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, which Branagh screened for the cast and crew prior to shooting. He chose to set the film in 1939 because he felt that the period best reflected the tone; light and frivolous on the surface, but with a darker and more serious undercurrent. He wanted to give the impression of a safe world, an idealised and romanticised glamorous haven (Branagh referred to it as "a fantasy Oxbridge"), which is interrupted by the realities of the outside world, represented first by the arrival of Marcadé, and then of the War itself. Prior to making the film, Branagh had signed a three-picture Shakespeare deal with Miramax, who had not been enthusiastic about the project. When the film proved both a critical and commercial failure, the three-picture deal was cancelled. Love's Labour's Lost also represented the debut film of The Shakespeare Film Company, a production company set up by Branagh to produce Shakespearean filmic adaptations. The plan was to make one film every two years, at a budget of roughly $16million each. However, when Love's Labour's Lost grossed back only $500,000 of its $13million budget, all subsequent projects were put on indefinite hold (a Wall Street-set Macbeth was set to go into production in 2001, followed by an Oriental-set As You Like It in 2003). It would be seven years before Branagh, or The Shakespeare Film Company, would make another Shakespeare adaptation; the originally planned As You Like It.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh; written by Kenneth Branagh

Starring Kenneth Branagh (Lord Berowne), Natascha McElhone (Lady Rosaline), Alessandro Nivola (King of Navarre) and Alicia Silverstone (Princess of France)

The Taming of the Shrew

Direct adaptations

• The Taming of the Shrew (1908: USA – American Mutoscope & Biograph; 11mins)

Silent adaptation using scene setting intertitles; the blurb for the film stated "if we could see ourselves as others see us what models we would become."

Directed by D.W. Griffith

Starring Florence Lawrence (Katharina), Arthur V. Johnson (Petruchio), Harry Solter (Baptista) and Linda Arvidson (Bianca)

• La bisbetica domata (1908; Italy – Società Italiana Pineschi; 7mins)

Unlike every other silent adaptation of the play, this version retains the Katherina/Bianca sibling rivalry.

Directed by Azeglio Pineschi and Lamberto Pineschi

There is no known cast list for this film

• The Taming of the Shrew (1911; England – Co-operative Cinematograph Company; 12mins)

Filmed as part of a series intended to help promote the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, the film was shot from a pantomime-style production. It is now believed lost, although several stills survive in the library archives of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Directed by F.R. Benson

Starring Constance Benson (Katherina) and F.R. Benson (Petruchio)

• La Mégère apprivoisée (1911; France – Société Générale des Cinématographes Éclipse; 11mins)

This version begins with Petruchio negotiating with Baptista for Katherina's hand in marriage. It is thought to be the first version to show scenes which take place off-stage in the play; in this case, the wedding and the journey to Petruchio's house.

Directed by Henri Desfontaines

Starring Madeleine Barjac (Katherina), Romauld Joubé (Petruchio), André Bacqué (Baptista) and Cécile Didier (Bianca)

• La bisbetica domata (1913; Italy – Società Anonima Ambrosio; 22mins)

As with the 1911 French adaptation, this version features several scenes not in the play; here, the comic centrepiece of the film is the nighttime journey to Petruchio's house.

Directed by Arrigo Frusta

Starring Gigetta Morano (Katherina) and Eleuterio Rodolfi (Petruchio)

• The Taming of the Shrew (1915; England – British & Colonial Kinematograph; 8mins)

Featuring the scene where Petruchio and Katherina first meet, this experimental film was shot using a primitive sound process known as Voxograph, where the actors spoke the complete text during filming. Then, when the film was played at the theatre, "the same actors, one at each side of the screen but unseen, repeated the words in what was supposed to be synchronisation. It was expected that the operator, after rehearsal, would be able to project the film so that picture and voice would jibe." The technique is said not to have worked very well, and was soon abandoned.

Directed by Arthur Backner

Starring Constance Backner (Katherina) and Arthur Backner (Petruchio)

• The Taming of the Shrew (1923; England – British & Colonial Kinematograph; 40mins)

One of a series of adaptations of classic texts released under the banner Gems of Literature; only the second half of the film survives, and the final scene is incomplete as a result of print damage. The print is owned by the BFI and is not available for public viewing. The film very much adopts Petruchio's perspective, and one of the intertitles reads "by noon the next day, though famished and weary for want of food and rest, the Shrew deep in her heart admired the man whose temper is greater than her own."

Directed by Edwin J. Collins

Starring Dacia Deane (Katherina), Lauderdale Maitland (Petruchio), M. Gray Murray (Baptista) and Cynthia Murtagh (Bianca)

• The Taming of the Shrew (1929; USA – Elton Corporation; 68mins)

The first sound version, and the first sound adaptation of a Shakespeare play, although it was simultaneously shot as a silent film, and, depending on whether the theatre was equipped to screen sound films, was released both as a "talkie" and a silent. This version is primarily known for how Katherina delivers her last speech. As she moves though the litany of reasons why a woman should obey her husband, she faces the camera and winks toward Bianca, unseen by Petruchio. Bianca smiles in silent communication with her, thus acknowledging that Katherina has not been tamed at all. The film was re-released in 1966 with seven minutes cut, new sound effects and newly enhanced voice dubbing. The 1966 cut is the only version now available. The only known print of the original cut is owned by the Mary Pickford Foundation.

Directed by Sam Taylor

Starring Mary Pickford (Katherina), Douglas Fairbanks (Petruchio), Edwin Maxwell (Baptista) and Dorothy Jordan (Bianca)

• Ukroshchenie stroptivoi (1961; Russia – Mosfilm; 92mins)

Made-for-TV movie; released theatrically outside Russia

Directed by Sergei Kolosov

Starring Lyudmila Kasatkina (Katherina), Andrei Alekseyevich Popov (Petruchio), Vladimir Blagoobrazov (Baptista) and Olga Krasina (Bianca)

• The Taming of the Shrew (1967; USA/Italy – Royal Films International; 122mins)

In this version, Katherina delivers her final speech seemingly without irony. Director Franco Zeffirelli and actor/producer Richard Burton both wanted Elizabeth Taylor to deliver the speech ironically, a la Mary Pickford in the 1929 adaptation, but Taylor felt it would be better to speak seriously, and then undermine that seriousness by leaving the banquet without Petruchio, thus subverting his apparent authority over her. This version omits the Induction, however, some critics have commented that the title sequence offers a modern 'replacement'; the film begins with Lucentio and Tranio arriving in Padua in the middle of what appears to be a funeral. However, after a moment, the funeral suddenly transforms into a colourful party which moves from the church through the streets as the credits for the film play. Graham Holderness argues of this scene, "the collapse of an ecclesiastical service into a merciless parody, unrestrained revelry and orgiastic release is Zeffirelli's attempt to reconstruct the carnivals of the Middle Ages [...] in the course of the opening sequence, framed as an "induction" by the superimposition of the film titles, we obverse the barbaric anti-ceremony of clerics wearing grotesque animal masks, sacred music giving way to obscene and cacophonous chants and a blasphemously parodic image of the Virgin. This ritualistic subversion of hierarchy and orthodoxy is a visually powerful and historically detailed dramatization of those medieval festivals of misrule conjecturally derived from the Saturnalian rituals of Rome [...] the elements of parody and subversion, the substitution of license for restraint, obscenity for virtue, the orgiastic celebration of the material body for the metaphysical rituals of the Mass, are here correctly identified as a form of drama [...] by jettisoning the Sly-frame, Zeffirelli may in the opinion of some observers have been indicating his contempt for the original. But [...] Zeffirelli has sought and found an alternative establishing context which is at once an educated and intelligent historical reconstruction and brilliant exposé of the production's principles of interpretation.

Directed by Franco Zeffirelli; written by Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Paul Dehn and Franco Zeffirelli

Starring Elizabeth Taylor (Katherina), Richard Burton (Petruchio), Michael Hordern (Baptista) and Natasha Pyne (Bianca)

• The Taming of the Shrew (1983; USA – Bard Productions; 115mins)

Straight-to-video production played out on a bare Elizabethan stage modelled after the Globe Theatre. Made as part of a series called Shakespeare in Performance, which produced adaptations using relatively complete texts intended for use as educational tools in schools, with the primary aim being to show how the plays would have looked when originally performed.

Directed by John Allison

Starring Karen Austin (Katherina), Franklyn Seales (Petruchio), Larry Drake (Baptista) and Kathryn Johnson (Bianca)

Other adaptations

• The Iron Strain (1915; USA – Kay-Bee Pictures; 60mins)

Relocates the story to modern day New York, where a rich society beauty is sent to Alaska by her grandfather, who fears she is about to marry a foolish city boy. There she meets a prospector who considers himself free from social niceties. With the grandfather's blessing, the prospector kidnaps and marries the girl, maintaining a chaste relationship whilst she does the housework. However, when she discovers that he has become attracted to another woman, she becomes jealous, and realises that she is actually in love with him. The film features no intertitles, and no material taken directly from the play, but the credits do mention the play as the basis for the script. It was released in the UK in 1917 as The Modern Taming of the Shrew.

Directed by Reginald Barker; written by C. Gardner Sullivan

Starring Enid Markey (Octavia Van Ness; i.e. Katherina), Dustin Farnum (Chuck Hemingway; Petruchio) and Charles K. French (Ezra Whitney; Baptista)

• Impossible Catherine (1919; USA – Virginia Pearson Photoplays; 70mins)

Relocates the story to modern day Yale University, where the spirited, feminist daughter of a wealthy banker meets a young man who has just read The Taming of the Shrew. Resolved to woo her, he kidnaps her and holds her prisoner until she consents to marry him.

Directed by John B. O'Brien; written by Frank S. Beresford

Starring Virginia Pearson (Catherine Kimberly; i.e. Katherina), William B. Davidson (John Henry Jackson; Petruchio) J.H. Gilmour (Grant Kimberly; Baptista) and Mabel McQuade (Dorothy Kimberly; Bianca)

• Daring Youth (1924; USA – B.F. Zeidman Productions; 19mins)

A loose adaptation in which a tempestuous sexually liberated woman agrees to marry only if her husband consents to an "open marriage." He reluctantly agrees, but eventually 'tames' her and their relationship becomes exclusive.

Directed by William Beaudine; written by Dorothy Farnum and Alexander Neal

Starring Bebe Daniels (Alita Allen; i.e. Katherina) and Norman Kerry (John J. Campbell; Petruchio)

• The Framing of the Shrew (1929; USA – Christie Film Company; 22mins)

When a man becomes exasperated with his domineering wife, he takes the advice of a friend, and decides to tame her. Initiating divorce proceedings, he then pretends to have a girlfriend. Ultimately, however, he comes to realise that he does truly love his wife, and they reconcile. The film is thought to be the first cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare to feature an all black cast.

Directed by Arvid E. Gillstrom; written by Octavus Roy Cohen

Starring Evelyn Preer (Clarry Robson; i.e. Katherina) and Edward Thompson (Privacy Robson; Petruchio)

• You Made Me Love You (1933; England – British International Pictures; 86mins)

A spoilt and shrewish heiress is married off by her father to the first suitor to present himself; a songwriter with a fiery temper and a penchant for practical jokes. He tries to charm his way into her affections, but fails, and only succeeds in getting her to talk to him when he threatens a divorce, at which point she becomes subservient. Ultimately, they come to realise that they are both truly in love.

Directed by Monty Banks; written by Frank Launder

Starring Thelma Todd (Pamel Berne; i.e. Katherina), Stanley Lupino (Tom Daly; Petruchio) and John Loder (Harry Berne; Baptista)

• Second Best Bed (1938; England – Capitol Film Corporation; 83mins)

When a rich bachelor marries a spoilt and shrewish woman, he tries to mould her into the perfect wife. When he fails, he begins to pay attention to other woman, causing his wife to run away. He follows her, ultimately finding her and they reconcile.

Directed by Tom Walls; written by Ben Travers

Starring Jane Baxter (Patricia Lynton; i.e. Katherina) and Tom Walls (Victor Garnett; Petruchio)

• La bisbetica domata (1942; Italy – Excelsa Film; 86mins)

Relocates the play to modern day Rome, with the action playing out within the Cinecittà film studio during the making of a film version of The Taming of the Shrew.

Directed by Ferdinando Maria Poggioli

Starring Lila Silvi (Catina), Amedeo Nazzari (Peter), Lauro Gazzolo (Battista) and Rossana Montesi (Bianca)

• Makacs Kata (1943; Hungary – Mester Film; 71mins)

A modern reworking of the play in which Kata is a city girl and heiress to a multi-million dollar fortune, and Péter is a peasant from the country; the title translates as Stubborn Kate

Directed by Viktor Bánky; written by István Békeffy and Piri Peéry

Starring Emmi Buttykay (Juhász Kata; i.e. Katherina), Miklós Hajmássy (Szabó Péter; Petruchio), György Dénes (Zoltán; Baptista) and Mariska Vízváry (Emma néni; Bianca)

• Makrancos hölgy (1943; Hungary – Hunnia Studio; 83mins)

A modern reworking of the play as a musical; the title translates as Unruly Lady

Directed by Emil Martonffy; written by Emil Martonffy

Starring Katalin Karády (Benedek Palma; i.e. Katherina) and Pál Jávor (Jambor Pal; Petruchio)

• Cartas marcadas (1948; Mexico – Alameda Films; 92mins)

A farce which relocates the story to contemporary Mexico

Directed by René Cardona; written by Ernesto Cortázar I, René Cardona and Ramón Pérez Peláez

Starring Marga López (Victoria; i.e. Katherina), Pedro Infante (Manuel; Petruchio), René Cardona (Don Manuel; Baptista) and Beatriz Ramos (Indita; Bianca)

• Kiss Me Kate (1953; USA – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; 109mins)

Filmic adaptation of Cole Porter's 1948 musical, Kiss Me, Kate, about a tempestuous ex-husband and wife staging a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew

Directed by George Sidney; written for the screen by Dorothy Kingsley

Starring Kathryn Grayson (Lilli Vanessi; i.e. Katherina), Howard Keel (Fred Graham; Petruchio), Kurt Kasznar (Harry Trevor; Baptista) and Ann Miller (Lois Lane; Bianca)

• La fierecilla domada (1956; Spain – Producciones Benito Perojo; 92mins)

A reworking of the play set in 16th-century Gandia

Directed by Antonio Román; written by Manuel Villegas López, Jesús María de Arozamena, José Luis Colina and Antonio Román

Starring Carmen Sevilla (Catalina de Martos y Ribera; i.e. Katherina), Alberto Closas (Don Beltrán de Lara; Petruchio), Raymond Cordy (Bautista de Martos; Baptista) and Claudine Dupuis (Blanca; Bianca)

• Ah Min Hawwa (1962; Egypt – Sabbah frères Société arabe du Cinéma Genre; 90mins)

Relocates the play to contemporary Egypt, where a kindly vet decides to tame a fierce woman; released in the US as Beware of Eve

Directed by Fatin Abdel Wahab; written by Mohamed Abu Youssef

Starring Lobna Abdel Aziz (Amira; i.e. Katherina) and Rushdy Abaza (Hasan Shukri; Petruchio)

• McLintock! (1963; USA – Batjac Productions; 127mins)

Relocates the play to the American Old West where a wealthy cattle baron has to try to keep his tempestuous wife under control

Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen; written by James Edward Grant

Starring Maureen O'Hara (Katherine Gilhooley McLintock; i.e. Katherina), John Wayne (George Washington McLintock; Petruchio) and Stefanie Powers (Becky McLintock; Bianca)

• 10 Things I Hate About You (1999; USA – Mad Chance; 97mins)

Recasts the play as a teen romantic comedy set in 'Padua Stadium High School', where an overprotective father decides that his popular younger daughter cannot date until his shrewish older daughter begins to date, much to the chagrin of the younger girl's many admirers, who decide to work together to find someone willing to date the elder daughter.

Directed by Gil Junger; written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith

Starring Julia Stiles (Kate Stratford; i.e. Katherina), Heath Ledger (Patrick Verona; Petruchio), Larry Miller (Walter Stratford; Baptista) and Larisa Oleynik (Bianca Stratford; Bianca)

• Deliver Us from Eva (2003; USA – Baltimore Spring Creek Productions; 105mins)

A very loose adaptation, the film relocates the play to modern Los Angeles, where a shrewish woman is constantly interfering in the affairs of her family and friends. Fed up with the intrusion, they get together and pay a local playboy to date her and teach her a lesson, but he finds himself unexpectedly falling for her.

Directed by Gary Hardwick; written by James Iver Mattson and B.E. Brauner

Starring Gabrielle Union (Eva Dandrige; i.e. Katherina), LL Cool J (Ray Adams; Petruchio) and Robinne Lee (Bethany Dandridge; Bianca)

• Kate - La bisbetica domata (2004; Italy – Crayons; 77mins)

Animated version using a technique known as "papermotion" - stop motion animation using puppets and brightly coloured construction paper

Directed by Roberto Lione

Starring Daniela Cavallini (Katherina), Neri Marcorè (Petruchio), Carlo Reali (Battista) and Laura Boccanera (Bianca)

• Isi Life Mein...! (2010; India – Rajshri Productions; 84mins)

When a young girl is sent to college in Mumbai, she joins the Dramatics Society, which is currently working on a production of The Taming of the Shrew for the National Theatre Festival. However, when several members of the cast complain that the play is sexist, the director decides to rewrite it, removing any misogyny, and renaming it The Taming of the Shrew - Reborn.

Directed by Vidhi Kasliwal; written by Sulekha Bajpai

Starring Sandeepa Dhar (Rajnandini Khandelwal; i.e. Katherina), Akshay Oberoi (Vivaan; Petruchio), Mohnish Bahl (Ravimohan Khandelwal; Baptista) and Prachi Shah (Pratibha Khandelwal; Bianca)

Featured in

• Elstree Calling (1930; England – British International Pictures; 86mins)

Made in the style of a revue, the film features a serious of sketches by British variety stars. An ongoing joke during the film involves Donald Calthrop attempting to present Shakespeare in an "interesting and modern manner" but continually being prevented by the producers of the film. Eventually, the filmmakers relent, and allow him to present one scene - the initial meeting between Katherina and Petruchio from The Taming of the Shrew. Calthrop plays Petruchio as an imitation of Douglas Fairbanks in the 1929 Sam Taylor film adaptation. He arrives on a motorcycle, and Katherina (who cannot speak English; played by Anna May Wong) begins to throw furniture and food at him. Eventually William Shakespeare himself (played by Gordon Begg) arrives, lamenting the quality of the production, before he too is hit by a custard pie flung by Katherina.

Taming of the Shrew section directed by Alfred Hitchcock; written by Adrian Brunel

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Other adaptations

• Yī jiǎn méi (1931; China – Lianhua Film Company; 100mins)

Relocates the play to modern day China, where two military cadets are posted to Guangdong. Once there, they both fall in love with the daughter of a general, despite one of them having a fiancé back home in Shanghai. The film uses no dialogue from the play, and although the characters' names have been changed in the Mandarin credits, their Shakespearean names are used in the English intertitles; released in the US as A Spray of Plum Blossoms.

Directed by Bu Wancang; written by Huang Yicuo

Starring Jin Yan (Hu Luting; i.e. Valentine), Wang Cilong (Bai Lede; Proteus), Ruan Lingyu (Hu Zhilu; Julia) and Lam Chocho (Shi Luohua; Silvia)

Featured in

• Shakespeare in Love (1998; England/USA – Miramax; 123mins)

Directed by John Madden; written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard

Comedy telling the fictional story of William Shakespeare's (Joseph Fiennes) composition of Romeo and Juliet. Early in the film, Queen Elizabeth (Judi Dench) attends a production of Two Gentlemen, greatly enjoying William Kempe (Patrick Barlow) being thoroughly outperformed by a dog, and then falling asleep during Henry Condell's (Nicholas Boulton) recitation of Proteus' soliloquy from Act 2, Scene 1. Later, after reading the first draft of Romeo and Ethel, theatre manager Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush) suggests that Shakespeare add a dog to liven it up.

Tragedies

Titus Andronicus

Direct adaptations

• Titus Andronicus: The Movie (1997; USA – Lorn Richey Productions; 138mins)

Straight-to-video adaptation, which cuts back on the violence

Directed by Lorn Richey

Starring Ross Dippel (Titus), Aldrich Allen (Aaron) and Maureen Moran (Lavinia)

• Titus Andronicus (1999; USA – Joe Redner Film; 147mins)

Straight-to-video adaptation, which enhances the gore and violence

Directed by Christopher Dunne

Starring Robert Reece (Titus), Candy K. Sweet (Tamora), Lexton Raleigh (Aaron) and Amanda Gezik (Lavinia)

• Titus (1999; USA/Italy – Clear Blue Sky Productions; 162mins)

Based on Julie Taymor's 1994 stage production from the Theater for the New City in New York, the film relocates the play to an anachronistic Rome which mixes objects, costumes and weaponry from periods spanning the entire twentieth century. As with the stage production, the film begins with a young boy playing with toy soldiers and being whisked away to Ancient Rome, where he assumes the character of young Lucius. A major component of the film is the mixing of the old and modern; Chiron and Demetrius dress like modern rock stars, but the Andronici dress like Roman soldiers; some characters use chariots, some use cars and motorcycles; crossbows and swords are used alongside rifles and pistols; tanks are seen driven by soldiers in ancient Roman garb; bottled beer is seen alongside ancient bottles of wine; microphones are used to address characters in ancient clothing. According to Taymor, this anachronistic structure was created so as to emphasise the timelessness of the violence on show in the film, to suggest that violence is universal to all humanity, at all times. At the end of the film, young Lucius takes Aaron's baby and walks out of Rome as the sun rises in the distance, a symbol which Taymor feels represents a tentative hope for the future. Originally, the film was to end as the 1994 stage production had, with the implication that Lucius is going to kill Aaron's baby, but during production, actor Angus Macfadyen (Lucius), convinced Taymor that Lucius was an honourable man and wouldn't go back on his word.

Directed by Julie Taymor

Starring Anthony Hopkins (Titus), Jessica Lange (Tamora), Harry Lennix (Aaron) and Laura Fraser (Lavinia)

• Titus Andronicus (2000; USA – South Main Street Productions; 167mins)

Straight-to-video adaptation, which relocates the play to modern day Providence, Rhode Island, sets the story within a business milieu, and which tones down the violence

Directed by Richard Griffin

Starring Nigel Gore (Titus), Zoya Pierson (Tamora), Kevin Butler (Aaron) and Molly Lloyd (Lavinia)

Featured in

• Theatre of Blood (1973; England – Cineman Productions; 104mins)

Directed by Douglas Hickox; written by Anthony Greville-Bell

When Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart (Vincent Price), who considers himself the finest Shakespearean actor of all time, fails to win the prestigious Critic's Circle Award for Best Actor, he sets out exacting bloody revenge on the critics who gave him poor reviews, with each act inspired by a death in a Shakespeare play. One such act of revenge involves the critic Meredith Merridew (Robert Morley). Lionheart abducts Merridew's prized poodles, and bakes them in a pie, which he then feeds to Merridew, before revealing all and force-feeding the critic until he chokes to death.

Histories

Edward III

Direct adaptations

• The Death of King Edward III (1911; USA – Vitagraph Studios; 14mins)

This film is thought to be lost, and there is no record of whether or not it was actually based on the play. Vitagraph made many Shakespearean adaptations in the early twentieth century, but at the time, Edward III was not considered to be by Shakespeare. Additionally, Edward does not die in the play, suggesting the source may have been something else.

Directed by J. Stuart Blackton; written by Eugene Mullin

Starring Charles Kent (King Edward) and William Humphrey (Edward, the Black Prince)

Richard II

Direct adaptations

• Richard II (1981; USA – Bard Productions; 172mins)

Straight-to-video production played out on a bare Elizabethan stage modelled after the Globe Theatre. Made as part of a series called Shakespeare in Performance, which produced adaptations using relatively complete texts intended for use as educational tools in schools, with the primary aim being to show how the plays would have looked when originally performed.

Directed by William Woodman

Starring David Birney (King Richard), Paul Shenar (Henry Bolingbroke), John McLiam (John of Gaunt) and DeVeren Bookwalter (Duke of Aumerle)

• Richard the Second (2001; USA – Farrellmedia; 93mins)

Heavily truncated straight-to-video action film adaptation. Set primarily in an army barricks (the film was shot in Fort Strong), Richard is reimagined as an embittered war veteran trying to maintain peace in an unnamed poverty stricken country. The film has a strong military theme throughout; all the characters wear army fatigues and the crown is a West Point cap. Most of the film is told in flashback, as it begins with Richard in jail, having already been deposed by Bolingbroke. Although shot in 1987, the film was not released until 2001.

Directed by John Farrell

Starring Matte Osian (King Richard), Barry Smith (Henry Bolingbroke), Frank O'Donnell (John of Gaunt) and Ellen Zachos (Duke of Aumerle)

Featured in

• The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934; England – London Film Productions; 97mins)

Directed by Harold Young; written by Lajos Bíró, S.N. Behrman, Robert E. Sherwood and Arthur Wimperis (based on the play and subsequent novel by Baroness Orczy)

The film tells the story of an English aristocrat living in France, Sir Percy Blakeney (Leslie Howard), who leads a double life as the heroic Scarlet Pimpernel. Set during Robespierre's Reign of Terror, the main plot involves the Pimpernel attempting to free various French nobles all the while trying to avoid capture by the British ambassador to France, Citizen Chauvelin (Raymond Massey). At the end of the film, Chauvelin takes Lady Blakeney (Merle Oberon) hostage in an effort to defeat the Pimpernel, but the plan fails, and Blakeney and his wife escape France and head for England. During the final confrontation between Blakeney and Chauvelin, Blakeney quotes part of John of Gaunt's "This England" speech. The quote was in neither the original play nor the novel, and was included in the film at Leslie Howard's suggestion.

• Chimes at Midnight (1965; Spain/Switzerland – Internacional Films; 119mins)

Directed by Orson Welles; written by Orson Welles

Adaptation of the Falstaff/Prince Hal scenes from 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV and Henry V into a single narrative arc. The shooting script for the film opens with the death of Richard II, and although the scene was shot, it was not included in the final version of the film. The only material from Richard II to feature are some of Henry IV's (John Gielgud) lines from Act 5, Scene 3, where he enquires if any of his lords have heard from "my unthrifty son." The film is also known as Falstaff, Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight and Campanadas a medianoche.

• The Young Victoria (2009; England/US – GK Films; 105mins)

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée; written by Julian Fellowes

Biopic of the early life and reign of Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt). At one point in the film, Victoria is listening to a radio broadcast of Richard II, and we hear lines from Act 3, Scene 2; Richard's justification of his position as divinely ordained. As Victoria listens to the speech, she is watching an insurrection mounting outside Buckingham Palace.

Henry VI, Part 1

Featured in

• Theatre of Blood (1973; England – Cineman Productions; 104mins)

Directed by Douglas Hickox; written by Anthony Greville-Bell

When Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart (Vincent Price), who considers himself the finest Shakespearean actor of all time, fails to win the prestigious Critic's Circle Award for Best Actor, he sets out exacting bloody revenge on the critics who gave him poor reviews, with each act inspired by a death in a Shakespeare play. One such act of revenge involves the critic Chloe Moon (Coral Browne). Lionheart electrocutes Moon using a pair of hair curlers, whilst he recites excerpts from Act 5, Scene 5 of 1 Henry VI, where Joan la Pucelle is sentenced to burn at the stake.

Henry VI, Part 2

2 Henry VI has never been adapted for film

Henry VI, Part 3

Featured in

• Richard III (1911; England - Co-operative Cinematograph; 23mins)

Filmed as part of a series intended to help promote the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Richard III is pure filmed theatre, with each scene shot on-stage in a single take by an unmoving camera. Each single shot scene is prefaced by a scene-setting intertitle and a brief quotation from the text. Of thirteen scenes in total, the first two are taken from 3 Henry VI; the murder of Prince Edward/banishment of Queen Margaret (Act 5, Scene 5) and Richard's murder of Henry in the Tower of London (Act 5, Scene 6).

Directed by F.R. Benson

Starring James Berry (King Henry), Marion Rathbone (Queen Margaret), Alfred Brydone (King Edward) and F.R. Benson (King Richard)

• The Life and Death of King Richard III (1912; USA - M.B. Dudley Amusement; 55mins)

The oldest surviving American feature-length film, it is also thought to be the first feature-length Shakespearean adaptation ever made. The first two scenes in the film are taken from 3 Henry VI; the murder of Prince Edward (Act 5, Scene 5) and Richard's murder of Henry (Act 5, Scene 6).

Directed by James Keane and André Calmettes

Starring Robert Gemp (King Edward) and Frederick Warde (King Richard)

• The Show of Shows (1929; USA - Warner Bros.; 128mins)

A revue-style production featuring extracts from numerous plays, musicals and novels. Richard's soliloquy from Act 3, Scene 2 is used in the film, recited by John Barrymore (although Barrymore incorrectly attributes the speech to 1 Henry VI), who delivers the speech after the opening dialogue of 3 Henry VI concerning Somerset's head. Barrymore had recently starred in a hugely successful five hour production of Richard III on Broadway, and this speech had been singled out by critics as the best in the entire production. As such, when offered the chance to perform on film, Barrymore chose to reproduce it. Film critics proved just as impressed with the speech as had theatrical critics, and it was generally regarded as the finest moment of the film.

Directed by John G. Adolfi; written by J. Keirn Brennan and Frank Fay

Starring John Barrymore (Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester)

• Richard III (1955; England - London Films; 161mins)

Partially based on a 1944 stage production of the play at The Old Vic, directed by John Burrell, the film begins with the coronation of Edward IV, which happens between Act 3, Scene 1 and Act 3, Scene 2 of 3 Henry VI, and then moves into a shortened version of Act 5, Scene 7; the final scene from 3 Henry VI. After this, the film moves on to the opening soliloquy from Act 1, Scene 1 of Richard III, but mixes in over thirty lines from Richard's 3 Henry VI soliloquies in Act 3, Scene 2 and Act 5, Scene 6.

Directed by Laurence Olivier; written by Laurence Olivier and Alan Dent

Starring Cedric Hardwicke (King Edward) and Laurence Olivier (King Richard)

• Richard III (1995; England - Mayfair Entertainment International; 104mins)

Based on Richard Eyre's 1990 modern-dress stage production of Richard III, the film contains several references to 3 Henry VI. It begins prior to the Battle of Tewkesbury, with Henry VI still in power. However, a surprise attack is launched on his headquarters by Richard, and both Henry and his son are killed. The last line of 3 Henry VI is also used in the film; Edward's "For here I hope begins our lasting joy" appears as a subtitle after the coronation of Edward and is altered to read "And now, they hope, begins their lasting joy," with "they" referring to the House of York. The film then moves on to the coronation of Edward IV, before Richard delivers the opening speech of Richard III as an after-dinner toast to the new king. The film also used a line from 3 Henry VI in its poster campaign – "I can smile and murder whiles I smile" (3.2.182), although "whiles" was changed to "while." This line is also included in the film – after Richard concludes his opening speech to Edward, the line is inserted into Richard's opening soliloquy

Directed by Richard Loncraine; written by Richard Eyre, Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine

Starring Edward Jewesbury (King Henry), John Wood (King Edward) and Ian McKellen (King Richard)

Richard III

Direct adaptations

• Richard III (1908; USA – Vitagraph Studios; 11mins)

Although this film is now lost, Library of Congress holds paper film strips deposited for purposes of copyright. These strips, however, are unnumbered and out of order, with the correct sequence impossible to determine due to the absence of intertitles, which, according to Vitagraph's promotional material for the film, were used. The film is based on both Shakespeare's play and Colley Cibber's 1699 adaptation.

Directed by J. Stuart Blackton and William V. Ranous

Starring William V. Ranous (King Richard) - the rest of the cast is known, but which roles they played is uncertain

• Richard III (1911; England - Co-operative Cinematograph; 23mins)

Filmed as part of a series intended to help promote the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Richard III is pure filmed theatre, with each scene shot on-stage in a single take by an unmoving camera. Each single shot scene is prefaced by a scene-setting intertitle and a brief quotation from the text. The entire play is condensed into thirteen scenes, the first two of which are taken from 3 Henry VI (the murder of Prince Edward/banishment of Queen Margaret and Richard's murder of Henry in the Tower of London).

Directed by F.R. Benson

Starring F.R. Benson (King Richard), Moffat Johnston (Duke of Buckingham), Violet Farebrother (Queen Elizabeth) and Constance Benson (Lady Anne)

• The Life and Death of King Richard III (1912; USA - M.B. Dudley Amusement; 55mins)

The oldest surviving American feature-length film, it is also thought to be the first feature-length Shakespearean adaptation ever made, although the film is based on both Shakespeare's play and Colley Cibber's 1699 adaptation. As early as 1922, the film was thought lost. It was not until 1996 that a print was discovered, when William Buffum, former projectionist at the Bluebird Theatre in Portland, Oregon, donated his copy to the AFI. The AFI restored the print, transferring it from its nitrate film stock and retouching the hand tinting effect used in the original 1912 release. When the film was released in the US, actor Frederick Warde would often appear at screenings, giving a short lecture, and then reading extracts from the play during the changing of the reels. The film itself begins with Warde, in modern dress, emerging from behind a theatrical curtain and bowing, and concludes with him bowing again, and returning behind the curtain. The film also features two scenes from 3 Henry VI (the murder of Prince Edward and Richard's murder of Henry VI).

Directed by James Keane and André Calmettes

Starring Frederick Warde (King Richard), Carey Lee (Queen Elizabeth) and Violet Stuart (Lady Anne)

• Richard III (1955; England - London Films; 161mins)

Partially based on a 1944 stage production of the play from The Old Vic, directed by John Burrell, the credits of the film also cite Colley Cibber's 1699 adaptation and David Garrick's 1741 adaptation of Richard III as sources. The film also includes material from 3 Henry VI; the coronation of Edward IV and several lines from Richard's 3 Henry VI soliloquies in Act 3, Scene 2 and Act 5, Scene 6. Olivier had originally wanted to make the film in 1944 concurrently with the stage production, with Carol Reed as director, but he had been persuaded to make the more patriotic Henry V instead. By 1955, he was no longer interested in making Richard III, and wanted to make an adaptation of Macbeth. Producer Alexander Korda didn't think Macbeth would provide for good box-office and, along with Olivier's wife, Vivien Leigh (who was to play Lady Macbeth), was able to persuade Olivier to do Richard III instead, with the promise that if it was a financial success, they would make Macbeth. Richard III was the first cinematic Shakespeare adaptation shot in widescreen, although Olivier chose to shoot in the 1.66:1 VistaVision as opposed to the wider 2.55:1 CinemaScope, which he believed was a passing fad which detracted from performance. The film also represents the first time in history that a film premiered on US television on the same day it was released to cinemas; against Olivier's objections, Korda had sold the rights of the film to NBC for $500,000. Over thirty million people watched the edited cropped broadcast on 11 March 1956, more than the number of people who had ever seen the play performed live in its entire history. However, the film didn't perform well at the box office, and this, coupled with Korda's death in 1956, meant Olivier never got to make his proposed Macbeth. It was not until the film's re-release in 1966 that it became a critical and commercial success. Richard III was one of the first Shakespearean films in which a character directly addresses the camera. Olivier's mannerisms as Richard, as well as his physical appearance, were famously based on theatrical manager Jed Harris, whom Olivier loathed. Olivier offered the roles of the murderers Dighton and Forrest to John Mills and Richard Attenborough, but Mills turned the offer down, and Attenborough's schedule meant that he couldn't appear. Orson Welles asked Olivier if he could play the role of Buckingham, but Olivier had already promised the role to his lifelong friend, Ralph Richardson. Later, Olivier regretted turning Welles down, as Richard III would have represented their only appearance together on-screen. Vivien Leigh was said to be bitterly disappointed when Olivier offered the role of Lady Anne to up-and-coming actress Claire Bloom. As consolation, Olivier secured for Leigh the starring role in the 1955 film The Deep Blue Sea, directed by Anatole Litvak.

Directed by Laurence Olivier; written by Laurence Olivier and Alan Dent

Starring Laurence Olivier (King Richard), Ralph Richardson (Duke of Buckingham), Mary Kerridge (Queen Elizabeth) and Claire Bloom (Lady Anne)

• Richard III (1986; France – CDNA; 135mins)

Experimental avant-garde style film loosely based on Georges Lavaudant's 1984 theatrical production at the Festival d'Avignon. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986, but was never given a general release.

Directed by Raúl Ruiz

Starring Ariel Garcia-Valdès (Le roi Richard) and Gilles Arbona (Duc de Buckingham)

• Richard III (1995; England - Mayfair Entertainment International; 104mins)

Based on Richard Eyre's 1990 modern-dress stage production of Richard III, which opened at the Royal National Theatre before going on a national and then an international tour, where it was performed in repertory with King Lear (starring Brian Cox). The play is relocated to a fictional 1930s fascist Britain. Ian McKellen began writing the screenplay whilst the play was still touring, with the intention of doing it as a TV movie. However, as the idea grew, he came to realise that the project was too big for TV, and rewrote it as a cinematic film. Initially, McKellen planned for Eyre to direct, using the same cast as the theatrical production, but scheduling conflicts made this impossible. McKellen then began to consider casting; Danny DeVito was offered the role of Buckingham, Patrick Stewart was offered Clarence and Meryl Streep was offered Queen Elizabeth, with Alex Cox set to direct. However, all of these plans fell through, and Richard Loncraine took over direction, rewriting McKellen's script, and making the fascist overtones more overt. The film features various symbols, uniforms, weapons and vehicles that draw from the aesthetic of the Third Reich as depicted in Nazi propaganda (especially Triumph of the Will), mixing such references with British, Soviet and US uniforms, props and visual motives; for example, Sd.Kfz. 251s are seen alongside T-55s, T-34s and M3 Half-tracks. All of Richard's family in the film are played by British actors, whereas all of Queen Elizabeth's are played by Americans; this was done on purpose, so as to emphasise the fact that they are outsiders in the royal court, and as a nod to the real life abdication of Edward VIII. Only about 50% of the original dialogue from the play is used and much is rearranged; for example, Rivers (Robert Downey, Jr.) is killed much earlier in the film than the play, the role of the Duchess of York (Maggie Smith) has been expanded to incorporate some of Margaret's dialogue, and both Richmond (Dominic West) and Princess Elizabeth (Kate Steavenson-Payne) are introduced in the opening scenes (in the play, Richmond doesn't appear until Act 5, Scene 2, and Elizabeth never appears on-stage).

Directed by Richard Loncraine; written by Richard Eyre, Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine

Starring Ian McKellen (King Richard), Jim Broadbent (Duke of Buckingham), Annette Bening (Queen Elizabeth) and Kristin Scott Thomas (Lady Anne)

• Richard III (2005; England – Red Film; 54mins)

Re-imagines the play as a contemporary gang story set in a Brighton housing estate; filming in sections over a two and a half year period.

Directed by Maximilian Day; written by Maximilian Day

Starring Jamie Martin (Richard III), Caroline Burns Cooke (Elizabeth) and Lorraine Woodley (Anne)

• Richard III (2008; USA)

Relocates the play to contemporary Hollywood; never commercially released

Directed by Scott M. Anderson

Starring Scott M. Anderson (Richard III), David Carradine (Duke of Buckingham), María Conchita Alonso (Queen Elizabeth) and Sung-Hi Lee (Lady Anne)

Other adaptations

• Les enfants d'Édouard (1910; France - Film d'Art; 22mins)

Not based on Richard III directly, but on an 1833 play by Casimir Delavigne, which was itself partially based on Richard III. The play concentrates on the Princes in the Tower, especially their relationship with Richard himself, whom they trust implicitly, and their mother. The character of James Tyrrell is also expanded, and Buckingham is the pseudo-hero, attempting, unsuccessfully, to stop Richard having the princes killed. Released in the UK as The Crown of Richard III.

Directed by André Calmettes; written by Carlo Rossi

Starring Phillipe Garnier (Le roi Richard)

• Les enfants d'Édouard (1914; France - Cosmograph; 19mins)

Although the credits list Shakespeare as a source, the film is actually based on the 1833 play by Casimir Delavigne, which was partially based on Richard III. Released in the UK as The Princes in the Tower

Directed by Henri Andréani; written by Paul d'Ivoi

Starring Georges Wague (Le roi Richard), Jean Toulout (Duc de Buckingham), Jeanne Delvair (Le reine Elisabeth), Gabrielle Robinne (Lady Anne)

• Said-e-Havas (1936; India – Indian Stage Films Company; 150mins)

Based on Agha Hashr's play of the same name, the film is an amalgamation of King John and Richard III. Although the borrowing from King John is specific, the references to Richard III are more general and tonal in nature.

Directed by Sohrab Modi; written by Sohrab Modi, based on the play by Agha Hashr

Starring Sohrab Modi (Kazal Beg)

• Tower of London (1939; USA - Universal Pictures; 92mins)

Released in certain countries under the name Richard III, the film is not based on the Shakespeare play, but is instead a horror movie with a similar plot and cast of characters.

Directed by Rowland V. Lee; written by Robert N. Lee

Starring Basil Rathbone (King Richard), Boris Karloff (Mord; i.e. Buckingham), Barbara O'Neil (Queen Elizabeth) and Rose Hobart (Lady Anne)

• Tower of London (1962; USA - Admiral Studios; 86mins)

Remake of the 1939 original

Directed by Roger Corman; written by Leo Gordon, F. Amos Powell and James B. Gordon

Starring Vincent Price (King Richard), Bruce Gordon (Duke of Buckingham), Sarah Selby (Queen Elizabeth) and Joan Camden (Lady Anne)

• Looking for Richard (1996; USA - Fox Searchlight Pictures; 112mins)

Described by writer/producer/director/star Al Pacino as a "docu-drama type thing," the film is essentially a documentary about the never-realised making of a film version of Richard III. Simultaneously, the film examines the importance (or lack thereof) of Shakespeare in contemporary culture and attempts to understand why so many people view Shakespeare as difficult and inaccessible, whilst also laying out the basic plot of the play and depicting the rehearsal and shooting of key scenes. Pacino had toured schools during the 1970s and had been surprised by how little the children knew of even the better known Shakespearean plays. In 1979, he had played Richard, in a poorly received production at the Cort Theatre, directed by David Wheeler. Then, in 1990, he was offered the chance to portray the role on film. However, feeling he couldn't outdo Laurence Olivier's performance in the 1955 film adaptation, he turned the project down. His desire to bring Shakespeare into the mainstream, coupled with the abandoned Richard III film ultimately led to Looking for Richard. Shooting took five years; from 1990 to 1995, and over 80 hours of material was shot. Initially the plan was for a multipart educational tool, then a TV mini-series, with the project only taking the form of a feature film during the latter stages of postproduction. As well as a behind-the-scenes "making-of", the film features interviews with numerous Shakespearean experts; among them actors F. Murray Abraham, Kenneth Branagh, Johann Carlo, Dominic Chianese, Joyce Ebert, John Gielgud, Rosemary Harris, Derek Jacobi, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Michael Maloney and Vanessa Redgrave, playwright Heathcote Williams, theatre director Peter Brook and academics Barbara Everett and Emrys Jones.

Directed by Al Pacino

Starring Al Pacino (Himself/King Richard), Kevin Spacey (Himself/Duke of Buckingham), Penelope Allen (Herself/Queen Elizabeth) and Winona Ryder (Herself/Lady Anne)

• King Rikki (2002; USA – Mistral Pictures; 91mins)

Re-imagines the play as a contemporary Los Angeles gang story; also known as The Street King

Directed by James Gavin Bedford; written by Jesse Graham

Starring Jon Seda (Rikki Ortega; i.e. King Richard), Mario Lopez (Juan Vallejo; Duke of Buckingham), Laura Cerón (Emalita Ortega; Queen Elizabeth) and Tonantzin Carmelo (Anita; Lady Anne)

Featured in

• Peg of Old Drury (1935; England - British & Dominions Film Corporation; 75mins)

Directed by Herbert Wilcox; written by Miles Malleson (based on the play Masks and Faces by Charles Reade and Tom Taylor)

Biopic of 18th century actor Peg Woffington (Anna Neagle). Arriving in London with aspirations of becoming a great actress, she comes under the tutelage of David Garrick (Cedric Hardwicke) and gives celebrated performances in The Merchant of Venice, Richard III (as Lady Anne) and As You Like It.

• Prince of Players (1962; USA - 20th Century Fox; 102mins)

Directed by Philip Dunne; written by Moss Hart (based on the novel by Eleanor Ruggles)

Biopic of 19th century Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth (Richard Burton). After his brother, John Wilkes Booth (John Derek) assassinates Abraham Lincoln (Stanley Hall), Edwin's reputation is destroyed. However, with the help of his wife, Mary (Maggie McNamara), he resurrects his career, culminating in celebrated performances in the starring roles of Hamlet and Richard III.

• Theatre of Blood (1973; England – Cineman Productions; 104mins)

Directed by Douglas Hickox; written by Anthony Greville-Bell

When Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart (Vincent Price), who considers himself the finest Shakespearean actor of all time, fails to win the prestigious Critic's Circle Award for Best Actor, he sets out exacting bloody revenge on the critics who gave him poor reviews, with each act inspired by a death in a Shakespeare play. One such act of revenge involves the critic Oliver Larding (Robert Coote). Lionheart drowns Larding by dumping him into a barrel of wine and sealing the lid.

• L'important c'est d'aimer (1975; France - Albina Productions; 110mins)

Directed by Andrzej Żuławski; written by Christopher Frank and Andrzej Żuławski, based on the novel La nuit americaine by Christopher Frank

When Servais Mont (Fabio Testi) meets soft porn actress Nadine Chevalier (Romy Schneider) he decides to help her fulfill her dream of becoming a Shakespearean actress. Borrowing money from a loan shark, he helps to finance a theatrical production of Richard III, in which Chevalier will play Lady Anne. However, the couple find themselves falling in love, despite the fact that she is married.

• The Goodbye Girl (1977; USA – Rastar; 111mins)

Directed by Herbert Ross; written by Neil Simon

Eliot Garfield (Richard Dreyfuss) is an actor who has recently come to New York, where he is sharing an apartment with a dancer (Marsha Mason) and her daughter (Quinn Cummings). Garfield lands the lead role in a new production of Richard III, but the director (Paul Benedict) wants him to play the role as an exaggerated homosexual stereotype. Garfield reluctantly does so, but the opening night performance is savaged by the critics, especially Garfield's performance, and the play quickly closes.

• Moon Over Parador (1988; USA – Universal Pictures; 103mins)

Directed by Paul Mazursky; written by Charles G. Booth, Leon Capetanos and Paul Mazursky

Little known actor Jack Noah (Richard Dreyfuss) is on location shooting a movie in Parador when he is approached by Chief of Police Roberto Strausmann (Raúl Juliá). Parador's dictator (President Alphonse Simms - also Dreyfuss) has just died unexpectedly, and Noah happens to be a dead ringer for him. Strausmann wants Noah to pretend to be Simms until a smooth transfer of power can be completed. Noah reluctantly agrees, but soon finds himself enjoying his new found position and begins to introduce liberal reforms into the country, much to the chagrin of Strausmann and Simms' government. In the opening scene of the film, Noah is auditioning for a role in a production of Richard III at the New York Shakespeare Festival.

• Freaked (1993; USA – Tommy; 86mins)

Directed by Tom Stern and Alex Winter; written by Tim Burns, Tom Stern and Alex Winter

A comedy about greedy but hugely popular movie star Ricky Coogan (Alex Winter), who is employed by a company that produces toxic chemicals to try to improve their image. He travels to South America to see for himself what effects the chemicals have, but he ends up being turned into a "hideous mutant freek" and joining a freak show. Weekly World News get a hold of the story, and a huge variety show is organised with the freaks, to be broadcast around the world. At the show, Ricky performs the opening soliloquy from Richard III. The director of TV taping includes subtitles during the performance for the "culturally illiterate." The entire speech is subtitled with one subtitle: "I'm ugly. I never get laid."

• For Hire (1998; USA – Fries Film Group; 96mins)

Directed by Jean Pellerin; written by Karen Erbach and Leah Kerr

Mitch Lawrence (Rob Lowe) is a failing actor working as a cabbie. He is approached by novelist Lou Webber (Joe Mantegna), who offers Lawrence money to eliminate a drug dealer who is stalking Webber. Lawrence agrees, only to find out that Webber has set up him, and so he sets out to enact revenge. In the opening scene of the film, Lawrence is rehearsing a scene from Richard III, and several times during the film he quotes from the play.

• Being John Malkovich (1999; USA – Gramercy Pictures; 112mins)

Directed by Spike Jonze; written by Charlie Kaufman

A comedy/drama about unemployed puppeteer Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), who takes up a dull office job to make ends meet. Whilst at work, he accidentally discovers that behind a filing cabinet in his office is a portal into the mind and body of actor John Malkovich (playing himself). As Schwartz 'possesses' Malkovich (unbeknownst to Malkovich himself), he watches the actor go about his daily routine. At one point in the film, Malkovich is seen rehearsing for the role of Richard in a stage production of Richard III, quoting lines from Act 1, Scene 2; "was ever woman in this humour wooed/Was ever woman in this humour won?"

• The Actors (2003; Ireland – Bord Scannán na hÉireann; 91mins)

Directed by Conor McPherson; written by Neil Jordan and Conor McPherson

Veteran actor Anthony O'Malley (Michael Caine) is playing the lead role in a low-budget Nazi-themed production of Richard III in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin and has taken Tom Quirk (Dylan Moran), who plays several small roles in the play, under his wing. For his research into the character of Richard, O'Malley visits a series of Dublin pubs where he and Tom become embroiled in a scam that quickly goes awry, forcing them to use their acting ability to escape their predicament. The film features O'Malley performing the opening soliloquy from Richard III, the wooing scene, and Richard's death.

• The King's Speech (2010; England – UK Film Council; 118mins)

Directed by Tom Hooper; written by David Seidler

Drama which looks at the relationship between George VI (Colin Firth) and speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) as Logue attempts to help George overcome a debilitating stammer. At one point in the film, Logue, an amateur actor, attends an audition for a production of Richard III.

• Jack and Jill (2011; USA – Columbia Pictures; 92mins)

Directed by Dennis Dugan; written by Ben Zook, Adam Sandler and Steve Koren

Comedy in which advertising executive Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler) is visited by his annoying and disruptive twin sister, Jill (also played by Sandler). Jack is currently working to get Al Pacino (playing himself) to appear in a Dunkin' Donuts commercial, and much chaos ensues when Pacino develops a crush on Jill. Pacino is currently playing Richard in a theatrical production of Richard III. At one performance, he verbally attacks a member of the audience whose mobile phone rings, and at another, he himself takes a call in the middle of a speech.