Macbeth (1948)

Director:

Orson Welles

Writer:

William Shakespeare (by)
(more)

Release Date:

23 June 1950 (France)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Entertainment Greatness . . . That Only Motion Picture Magic Can Bring !

Plot:

In fog-dripping, barren and sometimes macabre settings, 11th-century Scottish nobleman Macbeth is led...

Plot Keywords:

Prophecy | King | Sword And Sorcery | Scotland | Defeat

Cast

Orson Welles	...	Macbeth
Jeanette Nolan	...	Lady Macbeth
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Macduff
Roddy McDowall	...	Malcolm
Edgar Barrier	...	Banquo
Alan Napier	...	A Holy Father
Erskine Sanford	...	Duncan
John Dierkes	...	Ross
Keene Curtis	...	Lennox
Peggy Webber	...	Lady Macduff / The Three
Lionel Braham	...	Siward
Archie Heugly	...	Young Siward
Jerry Farber	...	Fleance
Christopher Welles	...	Macduff Child
Morgan Farley	...	Doctor
Lurene Tuttle	...	Gentlewoman / The Three
Brainerd Duffield	...	First Murderer / The Three
William Alland	...	Second Murderer
George Chirello	...	Seyton
Gus Schilling	...	A Porter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Alan	...	Third Murderer (uncredited)
Charles Lederer	...	Witch (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Banquet Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Orson Welles

Writing credits
William Shakespeare		(by)
Orson Welles		(adaptation) uncredited
William Shakespeare		(play) uncredited

Produced by
Richard Wilson	....	associate producer
Charles K. Feldman	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Orson Welles	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Jacques Ibert

Cinematography by
John L. Russell		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Louis Lindsay

Art Direction by
Fred A. Ritter		(as Fred Ritter)

Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.
James Redd

Costume Design by
Adele Palmer		(costumes: women)
Fred Ritter		(costumes: men) (uncredited)
Orson Welles		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Peggy Gray	....	hair stylist
Bob Mark	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Lacey	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dan O'Herlihy	....	set designer (uncredited)
Orson Welles	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Garry A. Harris	....	sound (as Garry Harris)
John Stransky Jr.	....	sound

Special Effects by
Howard Lydecker	....	special effects
Theodore Lydecker	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
William Bradford	....	second unit photography
Nels Mathias	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Efrem Kurtz	....	conductor

Other crew
William Alland	....	dialogue director
Charles K. Feldman	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Mercury Productions (as A Mercury Production by Orson Welles)

Distributors

• Republic Pictures (I) (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Republic Picture)
• Chapel Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical) (16mm print)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (1955) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Les Films Fernand Rivers (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Monopolfilm (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical) (????)
• Republic Pictures (195?) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Republic Pictures (19??) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Art Haus (19??) (Germany) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Ermitage Cinema (2003) (Italy) (DVD) (cut) (dubbed)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Les Éditions du 7ème Art (1997) (France) (VHS)
• Olive Films (2012) (USA) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)
• Pantmedia (19??) (Italy) (VHS)
• Punto Zero (2008) (Italy) (DVD) (as Enjoy Movies)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• World Wide Pictures Home Video (2006) (France) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  optical effects

Also Known As:

Runtime:

89 min (cut version) | Germany:92 min | USA:107 min (premiere version) | USA:107 min (restored video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Belgium:16 (Enfants Non Admis) | UK:PG (video rating) (1996) | UK:PG (tv rating) | UK:U | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (certificate #13176) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mercury Productions

Trivia:

The Mercury Theater's first theatrical success had been the "Voodoo Version" of "Macbeth" staged in Harlem in 1936.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Duncan and his men renew their baptismal vows with a prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1884.

Quotes:

[first lines]
The Three Witches:Double,double,toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Lady from Shanghai: A Discussion with Peter Bogdanovich (2000) (V)

A Kingdom of Greed and Blood

In Scotland, Macbeth is a honored nobleman, who listens to the prophecies of three witches: he would become a duke, and later the king of Scotland. Immediately after the information, he is declared to duke by the king. His wife Lady Macbeth and him plot against the king and decide to stab him in the night, blaming his servants. After the death of the king, Macbeth is proclaimed king and can not sleep anymore. Then, guided by his greed and madness, starts killing everybody he thinks may be a menace to him, believing in his interpretation of the prophecies. I am not a great fan of Shakespeare's vocabulary, too much refined and difficult to be understood by a person that is not native in English, but this theatrical version of Macbeth is a great movie. The gothic scenario and the black and white photography are very impressive, as well as the performance of Orson Welles. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Macbeth Reinado de Sangue' (`Macbeth Kingdom of Blood')