Julius Caesar (1953)

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)
(more)

Release Date:

4 June 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

The assassination of the would be ruler of Rome at the hands of Brutus and company has tragic consequences for the idealist and the republic.

Plot Keywords:

Army | Murder | Speech | Roman | Assassination

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Mark Antony
James Mason	...	Brutus
John Gielgud	...	Cassius
Louis Calhern	...	Julius Caesar
Edmond O'Brien	...	Casca
Greer Garson	...	Calpurnia
Deborah Kerr	...	Portia
George Macready	...	Marullus
Michael Pate	...	Flavius
Richard Hale	...	Soothsayer
Alan Napier	...	Cicero
John Hoyt	...	Decius Brutus
Tom Powers	...	Metellus Cimber
William Cottrell	...	Cinna
Jack Raine	...	Trebonius
Ian Wolfe	...	Caius Ligarius
Morgan Farley	...	Artemidorus
William Phipps	...	Servant to Antony (as Bill Phipps)
Douglass Watson	...	Octavius Caesar (as Douglas Watson)
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Lepidus
Rhys Williams	...	Lucilius
Michael Ansara	...	Pindarus
Dayton Lummis	...	Messala
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Citizen of Rome
Edmund Purdom	...	Strato
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Citizen of Rome
Jo Gilbert	...	Citizen of Rome
John Hardy	...	Lucius
Chet Stratton	...	Servant to Caesar (as Chester Stratton)
Lumsden Hare	...	Publius
Preston Hanson	...	Claudius
Vic Perry	...	Popilius Lena (as Victor Perry)
Michael Tolan	...	Officer to Octavius
John Lupton	...	Varro
Joseph Waring	...	Clitus (as Joe Waring)
John Parrish	...	Titinius
Stephen Roberts	...	Dardanius
Thomas Browne Henry	...	Volumnius
David Bond	...	Citizen of Rome
Ann Tyrrell	...	Citizen of Rome
John O'Malley	...	Citizen of Rome
John Doucette	...	Carpenter, Citizen of Rome
Oliver Blake	...	Citizen of Rome
Donald Elson	...	Citizen of Rome
Alvin Hurwitz	...	Citizen of Rome
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Alderson	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Henny Backus	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
John Call	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Booth Colman	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
James Dime	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Darren Dublin	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Charles Ferguson	...	Citizen of Rome / Centurion Lookout (uncredited)
Michael Frasco	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Robert Fuller	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Chief Leonard George	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Ned Glass	...	Cobbler (uncredited)
Dabbs Greer	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Chester Hayes	...	Roman Soldier (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Neyle Morrow	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Robert Nichols	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Vic Perrin	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Jack Perry	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)
Barry Regan	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Norman Rice	...	Little Man (uncredited)
Irene Tedrow	...	Citizen of Rome (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writing credits
William Shakespeare		(play)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz		uncredited

Produced by
John Houseman	....	producer

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg

Film Editing by
John D. Dunning		(as John Dunning)

Casting by
Mel Ballerino		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Hugh Hunt
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Herschel McCoy

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Al Shenberg	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Howard W. Koch	....	assistant director
Alfred Raboch	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Al Westen	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor
Robert Shirley	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Herbert Fischer	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ted Voigtlander	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Robert James Kern	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Pier Maria Pasinetti	....	technical advisor (as P.M. Pasinetti)
Howard Barnes	....	researcher (uncredited)
Jean Heremans	....	fencing coach (uncredited)
Irene Ives	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Florence O'Neill	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm tinted and 16mm prints)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1954) (Austria) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Intrada  score album released by (Excalibur Collection)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Black and White (tinted) (1969 UK re-release)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (original release) | Stereo (DVD Release)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-8 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16281) | West Germany:12 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The featurette on the DVD, "The Rise of Two Legends", is presented in anamorphic widescreen format (16:9), while the film itself is presented in its original standard "Academy format".

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Near the beginning of the movie, a person in the crowd is wearing eyeglasses. He walks right by Caesar.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Flavius:Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home:/ Is this a holiday? what! know you not,/ Being mechanical, you ought not walk/ Upon a labouring day without the sign/ Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream (2005)

Memorable and classic version based on Shakespeare tragedy full of fine performances

This excellent adaptation of the Shakespeare play concerns on greedy, fighting power and epic-historical treatment in ancient Roman empire . The picture happens after battles of Munda and Farsalia when Pompeyo is defeated by Julius Caesar(Louis Calhern) and one time having conquered Gaul. Caesar(100-40 B.C.) goes back to Rome and crosses the river Rubicon with attempt to do himself sole governor of the empire, a purpose resented by those who still had hopes of retaining the centuries-old Republican form of ruling. Then the aristocratic party , including Bruto(James Mason), supposedly Caesar's bastard son, and Cassio(John Gielgud) prepare a conspiracy at March 15, 44 b.c.-Idus of March- and murdered Caesar. The shooting made an intent at historic realism finishing in the battle of Philippi where the second triumvirate(Marc Anthony,Lepido and Octavius Augustus: Caesar's grandnephew and his heir) defeat Caesar's assassins and posteriorly split the Empire among them.

Displays outstanding performances from James Mason as Brutus, Louis Calhern as memorable Caesar, Deborah Kerr as Brutus's wife, and Greer Garson as Calpurnia ,Caesar's first wife, the second one was Cleopatra who is left out of the action entirely. And of course, an electrifying Marlon Brando who makes a terrific acting using Stanislawski method and extraordinary soliloquy over Caesar's body.Acting enjoyable enough spread correctly to the secondaries roles as Ian Wolfe,George McReady,Michael Pate, Edmund Purdom,Douglas Drumbull and Alain Napier as Cicero. Remains surprisingly faithful to Shakespeare playwright and writing directly from original, unlike many others historic movies of the time. Caesar assassination is well staged and spectacular final regarding the battle of Philippi was added by production film , though Mankiewicz to be opposed because he wished a movie completely theatrical.Deservedly won Academy Award for art direction and production design by Cedric Gibbons. Efficiently produced by actor John Houseman and directed with professionalism and imagination by Joseph L Mankiewicz.This gripping movie will like to Shakespeare devotees but its spirit is intact ,despite are taken a briefs liberties.Shakespeare would have admired this classic film. It's followed by an inferior remake, being the original much better version, and directed in 1970 by Stuart Burge with Charlton Heston(Marlon Brando's role), Jason Robards(James Mason-lookalike),Robert Vaughn(Edmond O'Brien,Casca role-alike), Jill Bennet(Greer Garson), Diana Rigg(Deborak Kerr's character)and repeating acting by John Gielgud as Julius Caesar role substituting his phenomenal previous character as Cassius.