Copyright 16 October 1935 by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Hollywood, 9 October 1935. U.S. release: 8 October 1936 (sic.). U.K. release: October 1935. 17 reels. Australian release: 13 November 1935. 132 minutes (cut to 117 minutes for 1936 release).
SYNOPSIS: A musical comedy. Book by William Shakespeare. Songs by William Shakespeare (lyrics) and Felix Mendelssohn (music).
NOTES: Academy Award, Hal Mohr, Cinematography — a remarkable achievement considering that Mohr was not even nominated! The official nominations were Ray June (Barbary Coast), Victor Milner (The Crusades) and Gregg Toland (Les Miserables).*
Academy Award, Ralph Dawson, Film Editing (defeating David Copperfield, The Informer, Les Miserables, Lives of a Bengal Lancer and Mutiny on the Bounty).
Also nominated for Best Picture (won by Mutiny on the Bounty).
Number 10 on the Film Daily annual poll of U.S. film critics. Film debut of Olivia de Havilland.
Negative cost: $1,300,000. Domestic rental gross: $1,543,447.
Other versions: a German silent film of 1925 starring Werner Krauss as Bottom, Ruth Weyher as Hermia and Tamara as Oberon, directed by Hans Neumann; an animated Czech feature of 1961; a BBC TV movie also of 1961; and a filmed performance of the New York City Ballet in 1966.
COMMENT: A box-office disaster in England and Australia, but a reasonable success in the U.S.A., "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a captivating and enchanting film. True, it has little of Shakespeare's poetry. Perhaps wisely, it concentrates on the fairies and the low humor of Bottom and his pals. The fairies are shown to advantage by the brilliant special effects photography, the low comedy is enhanced by an expert group of players led by Jimmy Cagney and Joe E. Brown — who are absolutely terrific.
Actually, Oberon has all the best lines, and Victor Jory makes the most of them. Similarly, while all the costumes are marvelous, Oberon's enormously billowing cape is an absolute stand-out.
Mickey Rooney makes a delightfully mischievous Puck. Olivia De Havilland (whose first film this was), Dick Powell and Ross Alexander are adequate enough, though we do not see much of them (at least in the 117 minute version). The songs, sets, music and dancers are also a joy.
In all, a most entertaining and visually imaginative movie — the only film directed by Reinhardt, a legendary stage producer, here working in tandem with his one-time protégé, Dieterle. A lavish production which will appeal to and amuse even those of us who can't stand Shakespeare.
* One of my favorite Hollywood anecdotes, the wonderful story of Mohr's Academy Award can be found in that excellent book, "The Art of the Cinematographer" by Leonard Maltin (Dover, New York, 1978).
Sic transit gloria. Ralph Dawson wins the Oscar for Film Editing. So what does the studio do but get in some butcher to hack the movie down to 117 minutes. Thanks a lot, boys!
SYNOPSIS: A musical comedy. Book by William Shakespeare. Songs by William Shakespeare (lyrics) and Felix Mendelssohn (music).
NOTES: Academy Award, Hal Mohr, Cinematography — a remarkable achievement considering that Mohr was not even nominated! The official nominations were Ray June (Barbary Coast), Victor Milner (The Crusades) and Gregg Toland (Les Miserables).*
Academy Award, Ralph Dawson, Film Editing (defeating David Copperfield, The Informer, Les Miserables, Lives of a Bengal Lancer and Mutiny on the Bounty).
Also nominated for Best Picture (won by Mutiny on the Bounty).
Number 10 on the Film Daily annual poll of U.S. film critics. Film debut of Olivia de Havilland.
Negative cost: $1,300,000. Domestic rental gross: $1,543,447.
Other versions: a German silent film of 1925 starring Werner Krauss as Bottom, Ruth Weyher as Hermia and Tamara as Oberon, directed by Hans Neumann; an animated Czech feature of 1961; a BBC TV movie also of 1961; and a filmed performance of the New York City Ballet in 1966.
COMMENT: A box-office disaster in England and Australia, but a reasonable success in the U.S.A., "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a captivating and enchanting film. True, it has little of Shakespeare's poetry. Perhaps wisely, it concentrates on the fairies and the low humor of Bottom and his pals. The fairies are shown to advantage by the brilliant special effects photography, the low comedy is enhanced by an expert group of players led by Jimmy Cagney and Joe E. Brown — who are absolutely terrific.
Actually, Oberon has all the best lines, and Victor Jory makes the most of them. Similarly, while all the costumes are marvelous, Oberon's enormously billowing cape is an absolute stand-out.
Mickey Rooney makes a delightfully mischievous Puck. Olivia De Havilland (whose first film this was), Dick Powell and Ross Alexander are adequate enough, though we do not see much of them (at least in the 117 minute version). The songs, sets, music and dancers are also a joy.
In all, a most entertaining and visually imaginative movie — the only film directed by Reinhardt, a legendary stage producer, here working in tandem with his one-time protégé, Dieterle. A lavish production which will appeal to and amuse even those of us who can't stand Shakespeare.
* One of my favorite Hollywood anecdotes, the wonderful story of Mohr's Academy Award can be found in that excellent book, "The Art of the Cinematographer" by Leonard Maltin (Dover, New York, 1978).
Sic transit gloria. Ralph Dawson wins the Oscar for Film Editing. So what does the studio do but get in some butcher to hack the movie down to 117 minutes. Thanks a lot, boys!