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Richard III
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Richard III (1955) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   1,159 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Laurence Olivier
Writers:
William Shakespeare (play) and
Colley Cibber (textual alterations)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Richard III on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 March 1956 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | History | War more
Plot:
Shakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed king and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins more
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
News: Movie Legend In 2009 Specials?
 (From Kasterborous. 29 April 2009, 3:10 PM, PDT)

Seven Scores: Michael J. Lewis - Upon This Rock
 (From Daily Film Music Blog. 4 February 2009, 8:31 AM, PST)

User Comments:
A bravura vehicle for Olivier more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Cedric Hardwicke ... King Edward IV of England
Nicholas Hannen ... Archbishop

Laurence Olivier ... Richard III
Ralph Richardson ... Duke of Buckingham

John Gielgud ... George, Duke of Clarence
Mary Kerridge ... Queen Elizabeth
Pamela Brown ... Jane Shore
Paul Huson ... Edward, Prince of Wales
Stewart Allen ... Page to Richard
Claire Bloom ... The Lady Anne
Russell Thorndike ... First Priest
Wallace Bosco ... Monk (as Wally Bosco)
Norman Fisher ... Monk
Andrew Cruickshank ... Brackenbury
Clive Morton ... The Lord Rivers
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Additional Details

Runtime:
161 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Company:
L.O.P. more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Filming of Clarence's murder in the Tower of London could have been completed in one day, but was lengthened to three days. The actor playing one of the murderers was short of work and Laurence Olivier was helping him out. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The opening credits read "Laurence Olivier present's" (with an apostrophe) rather than "Laurence Olivier presents". more
Quotes:
Dighton, 1st murderer: Talkers are no good doers. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Goodbye Girl (1977) more

FAQ

What is the band shown on Richard's leg during the conclusion of the film?
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11 out of 11 people found the following comment useful:-
A bravura vehicle for Olivier, 23 June 1999
7/10
Author: Jonathan Boswell (jboswell@sinosa.com) from Sierra Vista, Arizona

Many great actors made their names with this Richard, and it turns out to be Olivier's greatest Shakepearean role as well. He captures the whole production coiling his way around the Crown of England: his asides to us through the camera are lovely. They say all actors love to play a villain. Well, it works for me.

The movie is beautiful, rich; the costumes are awesome; and the dialogue, of course, is wonderful. He patches in that great speech from Henry VI, part 3: "Why, I can smile, and murder whiles I smile . . .": and the movie wouldn't be right without it.

The other actors, Britain's elite of the time, seem to be tyrannized by the boss; and the text should have been edited better, because if you don't know the play and practically the whole history you'll get lost. Not to worry, though; the subplots here aren't really important (but they should be), and the thundering battle at the end will leave you satisfied. Special mention of Sir William Walton's music, the vibrant colors, and of course, England itself.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Richard III (1955)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Kids these days... No respect! funkatizer-101
Terrible! Laura_Krycek
Criterion DVD andersonfamily1999
Music during coronation? Soap82
Richard's first speech imdbcrm114
very interesting illBeSeeingYou
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