The Taming of the Shrew (1967)

Brutish, fortune-hunting scoundrel Petruchio tames his wealthy shrewish wife, Katharina.

Director:

Franco Zeffirelli

Writers:

Suso Cecchi D'Amico (screenplay), Paul Dehn (screenplay),

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Cyril Cusack

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Katharina
Richard Burton	...	Petruchio
Cyril Cusack	...	Grumio
Michael Hordern	...	Baptista
Alfred Lynch	...	Tranio
Alan Webb	...	Gremio
Giancarlo Cobelli	...	The Priest
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Pedant
Ken Parry	...	Tailor
Anthony Gardner	...	Haberdasher
Natasha Pyne	...	Bianca
Michael York	...	Lucentio
Victor Spinetti	...	Hortensio
Roy Holder	...	Biondello
Mark Dignam	...	Vincentio

Storyline

Baptista, a rich Paduan merchant, announces that his fair young daughter, Bianca, will remain unwed until her older sister, Katharina, a hellish shrew, has wed. Lucentio, a student and the son of a wealthy Pisan merchant, has fallen in love with Bianca. He poses as a tutor of music and poetry to gain entrance to the Baptista household and to be near Bianca. Meanwhile, Petruchio, a fortune-hunting scoundrel from Verona, arrives in Padua, hoping to capture a wealthy wife. Hortensio, another suitor of Bianca, directs Petruchio's attention to Katharina. When Hortensio warns him about Katharina's scolding tongue and fiery temper, Petruchio is challenged and resolves to capture her love. Hortensio and another suitor of Bianca, Gremio, agree to cover Petruchio's costs as he pursues Katharina.

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Plot Keywords:

love | merchant | suitor | shrew | tutor | 

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Taglines:

In the war between the sexes, there always comes a time for unconditional surrender.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Italy USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 March 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew

Filming Locations:

Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Royal Films International, F.A.I.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (1973 UK re-release) Mono (Westrex Recording System) 4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before playing Katherina, Elizabeth Taylor had never performed Shakespeare (unlike Richard Burton, who was an experienced Shakesperian and already played roles such as Hamlet, Iago, Edgar, Hotspur and Romeo on stage), and she was said to be very nervous prior to the beginning of the shot. As she found her way into the role, and became more confident, she asked director Franco Zeffirelli if she could shoot everything from the first day of shooting again, as she didn't think her performance was up to scratch. Zefferilli assured her it was, but she was persistent, and on the last day of principal photography, the entire first day was shot again.

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Goofs

In the film, Katharina's angry line to Bianca "[tell] whom thou lovest best" (which Shakespeare actually wrote and which is grammatically correct) is changed to the grammatically incorrect "whom thou dost lovest best". In his review of the film, critic John Simon caught the error.

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Quotes

Petruchio: Will you, nill you, I will marry you.

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Crazy Credits

After the names of the screenwriters are listed,it reads: With acknowledgements to William Shakespeare without whom they would have been at a loss for words.

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Connections

Version of Katharine and Petruchio (1939)

User Reviews

fun every time

Liz and Dick, you gotta love them in this...somehow you feel you may be getting more insight into their personal life than intended. One of the great things about this film is that it's made Shakespeare accessible to many more folks who might not have even bothered otherwise. Zefferili does for Shakespeare what Emeril does for cuisine--makes it entertaining while keeping all the quality. And what a fun production--great costumes, a young Michael York, lots of sexy repartee. A good choice for a snowy night when you'd rather stay in. It keeps you pretty entertained throughout, simplifies some of the plot intricacies. One drawback is that Miss Taylor appears to be a little long in the tooth to be playing a young, never-married, girl.