Othello (1952)
"The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice" (original title)

Desdemona, daughter of a Venetian aristocrat, elopes with Moorish military hero Othello, to the great resentment of Othello's envious underling Iago. Alas, Iago knows Othello's weakness, ... See full summary »

Director:

Orson Welles

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)

Stars:

Orson Welles, Micheál MacLiammóir, Robert Coote

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Orson Welles	...	Othello
Micheál MacLiammóir	...	Iago
Robert Coote	...	Roderigo
Suzanne Cloutier	...	Desdemona
Hilton Edwards	...	Brabantio
Nicholas Bruce	...	Lodovico
Michael Laurence	...	Michael Cassio
Fay Compton	...	Emilia
Doris Dowling	...	Bianca

Storyline

Desdemona, daughter of a Venetian aristocrat, elopes with Moorish military hero Othello, to the great resentment of Othello's envious underling Iago. Alas, Iago knows Othello's weakness, and with chilling malice works on him with but too good effect...

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Plot Keywords:

jealous rage | innocence | love | shakespeare's othello | tragic love | 

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Taglines:

Orson Welles' magnificent screening of Shakespeare's immortal tragedy

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA Italy France Morocco

Language:

English

Release Date:

June 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Othello

Filming Locations:

Castle, El Jadida, Morocco

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mercury Productions, Les Films Marceau

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 93 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Dolby (re-release) Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Micheal Mac Liammoir and his partner Hilton Edwards founded Dublin's Gate Theatre in 1928. That same year Mac Liammoir served as the first artistic director and Edwards the first technical director of the Taibhdhearc Theatre, Ireland's national Irish-language theatre, in Galway City. Both theatres are still in operation, adding much to the cultural life of their country. Welles acted in the Gate's company early in his career.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: There was once in Venice a moor, Othello, who for his merits is the affairs of war was held in great esteem. It happened that he fell in love with a young and noble lady called Desdemona, who drawn by his virtue became equally enamoured of Othello...

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Connections

Featured in Filming 'Othello' (1978)

User Reviews

One of the great Shakespeare films.

I must be one of the few who saw this film (more than once!) before it vanished in the 60's. I saw it on TV in the last 50's, and later brought it to the small college where I was teaching 63-65. Though heavily cut and more than a little rearranged, it is one of the very finest of Shakespeare films. Performances are generally excellent and unified in style and diction. Welles, or course, is magnificent. Anyone who thinks he was never anything but a self-parodying ham has not seen this film. One could wish than MacLiammoir had had more overt FUN as Iago, who does what he does, in part at least, in an attempt to stimulate himself out of his blunted affect. The film also has some of the finest black-and-white cinematography of all time, and uses architecture in a unique and effective way.