Hamlet (1961) (TV) Hamlet, Prinz von Dänemark (original title)

Director:

Franz Peter Wirth

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
A.W. von Schlegel (translation)
(more)

Release Date:

1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle.

Plot Keywords:

Poison | Denmark | Death | Ghost | Play

Cast

Maximilian Schell	...	Hamlet
Hans Caninenberg	...	Claudius
Wanda Rotha	...	Gertrude
Dunja Movar	...	Ophelia
Franz Schafheitlin	...	Polonius
Dieter Kirchlechner	...	Laertes
Karl Michael Vogler	...	Horatio
Eckart Dux	...	Rosencrantz (as Eckard Dux)
Herbert Bötticher	...	Guildenstern
Karl Lieffen	...	Osric
Rolf Boysen	...	Bernardo
Michael Paryla	...	Francisco
Alexander Engel	...	The Ghost
Adolf Gerstung	...	1st Player
Paul Verhoeven	...	Gravedigger #1
Johannes Buzalski	...	Gravedigger #2 (as Horst Budzalski)
Ursula Wolff
Günter Becker
Werner Heyking
Uli Steigberg
Paul Stieber-Walter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Banner	...	Polonius (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Ricardo Montalban	...	Claudius (voice: English version) (uncredited)

Directed by
Franz Peter Wirth

Writing credits
William Shakespeare		(play "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark")
A.W. von Schlegel		(translation) (as A.W. v. Schlegel)
Franz Peter Wirth		(written for television by)

Produced by
Hans Gottschalk	....	producer
Weiler	....	producer

Original Music by
Rolf Unkel

Cinematography by
Kurt Gewissen
Boris Goriup
Hermann Gruber
Rudolf H. Jakob

Film Editing by
Adolf Schlyssleder

Costume Design by
Gerd Richter

Production Management
Lutz Hengst	....	production manager
Helmut Ringelmann	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Guthke	....	assistant director

Art Department
Gerd Richter	....	scenic designer

Sound Department
Fred J. Brown	....	sound editor: English version (as Fred Brown)
Rudolf Möller	....	sound
Edward Dmytryk	....	dubbing supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bavaria Atelier

Distributors

• Emerson Film Enterprises (1968) (USA) (dubbed)
• Nord- und Westdeutscher Rundfunkverband (NWRV) (1961) (West Germany) (TV)

Also Known As:

"Hamlet, Prinz von Dänemark" - West Germany (original title)

Runtime:

152 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12

Company:

Bavaria Atelier

Trivia:

Riffed in Mystery Science Theater 3000, season 10, episode 9.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Laertes has a zipper down the back of his costume.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Hamlet (#11.9)" (1999)

Something is dubbed in the state of Denmark

Although I prefer the darker tale of Macbeth, this is a decent production of Shakespeare's classic. Having seen the English dubbed version, I would have preferred seeing the original in German with subs; dubbing tends to affect the emotional performance(s). This results in actors saying lines which at times come off as mismatched and leaving the viewer scratching their noggin in befuddlement. Having Hamlet being shot in black in white gives the production a bleak, surreal sort of mood. For a second, I had thought that Rod Serling would come out with cigarette in hand saying:

'These guard sentries do not realize it yet, but that shadowy spectre looming off in the darkness..will set off a series of events..all beginning with one Danish prince.'

Kudos to Maximilian for his portrayal of Hamlet. I also strangely enjoyed the leery presence of Hans Caninenberg..he makes you realize that Claudius is just up to no good whatsoever. A few extra points for Denmark being in another dimension..a dimension not only of sight and sound but of...ah, you know the rest!