Falstaff - Chimes at Midnight (1965)
"Campanadas a medianoche" (original title)

The career of Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff as roistering companion to young Prince Hal, circa 1400-1413.

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

William Shakespeare (plays), Raphael Holinshed (book),

Stars:

Orson Welles, Jeanne Moreau, Margaret Rutherford

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Orson Welles	...	Falstaff
Jeanne Moreau	...	Doll Tearsheet
Margaret Rutherford	...	Mistress Quickly
John Gielgud	...	Henry IV
Marina Vlady	...	Kate Percy
Walter Chiari	...	Mr. Silence
Michael Aldridge	...	Pistol
Julio Peña
Tony Beckley	...	Ned Poins
Andrés Mejuto
Keith Pyott
Jeremy Rowe	...	Prince John
Alan Webb	...	Shallow
Fernando Rey	...	Worcester
Keith Baxter	...	Prince Hal

Storyline

Sir John Falstaff is the hero in this compilation of extracts from Shakespeare's 'Henry IV' and other plays, made into a connected story of Falstaff's career as young Prince Hal's drinking companion. The massive knight roisters with and without the prince, philosophizes comically, goes to war (in his own fashion), and meets his final disappointment, set in a real-looking late-medieval England.

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Plot Keywords:

prince | knight | king | stabbed with a spear | dead man | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Details

Country:

France Spain Switzerland

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 March 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Falstaff

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Gross:

ESP 16,501,746 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alpine Films, Internacional Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chimes at Midnight was based on the play Five Kings. It was written by Orson Welles and condensed William Shakespeare's Henry IV, V, VI, and Richard III into one show. He produced the show in New York in 1939 but the opening night, where part 1 was acted, was a disaster and part 2 was never put on. He revamped the show and revisited it in 1960. But again, it was not successful. However, this later production was used as the base for the movie.

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Goofs

During Prince Hal/Henry V's speech immediately following Henry IV's death, a very obvious double for Sir John Gielgud lies slumped on the throne. (Scenes were shot out of sequence, and Gielgud was unavailable for that particular scene)

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Quotes

Falstaff: We have heard the chimes at midnight, Master Shallow.

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Connections

Featured in The 43rd Annual Academy Awards (1971)

User Reviews

A masterpiece (lost?)

It has been at least 35 years since I first saw Chimes at Midnight at one of the art film theaters located near Carnegie Hall, but the memory lingers still of yet another remarkable and visually stunning film by Orson Welles. I remember the soundtrack being inadequate at times, but since I was a theatre student at the time, my knowledge of the text helped fill in any of the garbled lines. What an amazing Falstaff by Welles; he creates a truly human and tragic figure! Moreover, what an enviable cast, especially by today's standards.