A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

Directors:

William Dieterle
Max Reinhardt

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Charles Kenyon (arranged for the screen by) ...

Release Date:

30 October 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

A New Triumph In Movie History !

Plot:

Theseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Demetrius is engaged with Hermia...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Actor | Magic | Play | Fairy

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ian Hunter	...	Theseus, Duke of Athens
Verree Teasdale	...	Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Philostrate, Master of Revels to Theseus
Dick Powell	...	Lysander, In love with Hermia
Ross Alexander	...	Demetrius, In love with Hermia
Olivia de Havilland	...	Hermia, In love with Lysander (as Olivia de Haviland)
Jean Muir	...	Helena, In love with Demetrius
Grant Mitchell	...	Egeus, Father to Hermia
Frank McHugh	...	Quince, the Carpenter
Dewey Robinson	...	Snug, the Joiner
James Cagney	...	Bottom, the Weaver
Joe E. Brown	...	Flute, the Bellows-mender
Hugh Herbert	...	Snout, the Tinker
Otis Harlan	...	Starveling, the Tailor
Arthur Treacher	...	Epilogue

Runtime:

133 min | USA:117 min (edited version) | USA:142 min (with overture and exit music)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Vitaphone

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #752)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

William Dieterle had full charge as director for about a week because of a breach-of-contract suit filed against Max Reinhardt by a French film company. The judge found in favor of Reinhardt, and lifted the restraining order.

Quotes:

Oberon, King of the Fairies: Ill-met by moonlight, proud Titania!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.32)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Scherzo in E-Minor

SUPERB!

Thalberg's pledge to give back to the people something good is seen in this project realized 66 years ago. Everyone is acting! No one struts or swains, dying to be a star. The young, superlovely Olivia de Havilland is a gorgeous and fun Hermia in her maiden role. Dick Powell and Ross Alexander as the two Athenian youths confused by Puckish Mickey Rooney Robin Goodfellow are wonderful in their entanglement with beautiful Jean Muir's Helena. The players, Frank McHugh, Dewey Robinson, Hugh Herbert, Grant Mitchell and the wonderful snob's snob, Arthur Treacher are topped by Jimmy ("you dirty rat") Cagney [trivia buffs know he never said those lines except in response to Gorshen and Rich Little's impressions of him at a roast before his death] and Joe E. Brown's Flute. Victor Jory, often cast as a villain is great as Oberon, as is lovely Anita Louise as Titania. There's not a weak spot in this cast and the entire play, in living Black and White, is soft, diffused and whispery as a summer night. Erich W. Korngold's music is supplemented by the exquisite Mendelssohn score and look for a tiny Billy Barty as Mustardseed, one of the sprites. There are other fine ones, the RSC's 1968 and the recent 1999 are wonderful, but, fans, take it from an old Shakespeare buff, this one is an immortal production.