King Lear (1953 film)
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King Lear is a 1953 live television adaptation of the Shakespeare play with stage direction by Peter Brook and starring Orson Welles. It was aired on CBS as part of the U.S. television series Omnibus, and preserved on kinescope.
A heavily abridged version of the play, this production condensed the play by eliminating the Edgar-Edmund subplot.
Welles returned to America to star in this presentation. He was guarded by IRS agents, prohibited to leave his hotel room when not at the studio, prevented from making any purchases, and the entire sum (less expenses) he earned went to his tax bill. Welles returned to England after the broadcast.
The cast included Micheál Mac Liammóir and the British actor Alan Badel. It was hosted by Alistair Cooke.
Cast
Actor | Role |
---|---|
Orson Welles | King Lear |
Natasha Parry | Cordelia |
Arnold Moss | Duke of Albany |
Bramwell Fletcher | Earl of Kent |
David J. Stewart | Oswald |
Margaret Phillips | Regan |
Beatrice Straight | Goneril |
Alan Badel | Fool |
Micheál Mac Liammóir | Poor Tom |
Frederick Worlock | Earl of Gloucester |
Scott Forbes | Duke of Cornwall |
Wesley Addy | King of France |
Fred Sadoff | Duke of Burgundy |
Home video releases
- 2010 E1 Entertainment, Region 1 DVD, February 9, 2010 ISBN 978-1-4172-3287-1