Richard III (1955)

Shakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed king and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.

Director: Laurence Olivier
Cast: Cedric Hardwicke, Nicholas Hannen, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Mary Kerridge, Pamela Brown, Paul Huson, Stewart Allen, Claire Bloom, Russell Thorndike, Wallace Bosco, Norman Fisher, Andrew Cruickshank, Clive Morton, Terence Greenidge, Norman Wooland, Alec Clunes, Dan Cunningham, Douglas Wilmer, Laurence Naismith, Michael Gough, Michael Ripper, Helen Haye, Andy Shine, Roy Russell, George Woodbridge, Esmond Knight, John Laurie, Peter Williams

IMDb

In Richard III, director, producer, and star Laurence Olivier brings Shakespeare’s masterpiece of Machiavellian villainy to ravishing cinematic life. Olivier is diabolically captivating as Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who, through a series of murderous machinations, steals the crown from his brother Edward. And he surrounds himself with a royal supporting cast, which includes Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, and Claire Bloom. Filmed in VistaVision and Technicolor, Richard III is one of the most visually inspired of all big-screen Bard adaptations.

TWO-DVD SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
- New digital master of The Film Foundation’s 2012 4K restoration
- Audio commentary by playwright and stage director Russell Lees and John Wilders, former governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company
- Interview with actor Laurence Olivier from a 1966 episode of the BBC series Great Acting, hosted by theater critic Kenneth Tynan
- Gallery of behind-the-scenes and production stills and posters, accompanied by excerpts from Olivier’s autobiography, On Acting
- Twelve-minute television trailer featuring footage of Olivier, producer Alexander Korda, and other cast and crew
- Restoration demonstration hosted by director Martin Scorsese
- Original theatrical trailer

In Richard III, director, producer, and star Laurence Olivier brings Shakespeare’s masterpiece of Machiavellian villainy to ravishing cinematic life. Olivier is diabolically captivating as Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who, through a series of murderous machinations, steals the crown from his brother Edward. And he surrounds himself with a royal supporting cast, which includes Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, and Claire Bloom. Filmed in VistaVision and Technicolor, Richard III is one of the most visually inspired of all big-screen Bard adaptations.

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