Henry IV Part I (TV 1979)
"The First Part of King Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry Surnamed Hotspur" (original title)

Henry Bolingbroke has now been crowned King of England, but faces a rebellion headed by the embittered Earl of Northumberland and his son (nicknamed 'Hotspur'). Henry's son Hal, the Prince ... See full summary »

Director:

David Giles

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)

Stars:

Jon Finch, David Gwillim, Rob Edwards

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jon Finch	...	King Henry the Fourth
David Gwillim	...	Henry, Prince of Wales
Rob Edwards	...	Prince John of Lancaster
Robert Brown	...	Sir Walter Blunt
David Buck	...	Earl of Westmoreland
Clive Swift	...	Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Henry Percy, Hotspur
Bruce Purchase	...	Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Robert Morris	...	Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March
John Cairney	...	Archibald, Earl of Douglas
David Neal	...	Scroop, Archbishop of York
Norman Rutherford	...	Sir Michael
Richard Owens	...	Owen Glendower
Terence Wilton	...	Sir Richard Vernon
Anthony Quayle	...	Sir John Falstaff

Storyline

Henry Bolingbroke has now been crowned King of England, but faces a rebellion headed by the embittered Earl of Northumberland and his son (nicknamed 'Hotspur'). Henry's son Hal, the Prince of Wales, has thrown over life at court in favour of heavy drinking and petty theft in the company of a debauched elderly knight, Sir John Falstaff. Hal must extricate himself from some legal problems, regain his father's good opinions and help suppress the uprising.

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Plot Keywords:

long title | sequel | resentment toward mentor | comma in title | punctuation in title | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 December 1979 (UK)

Also Known As:

Henry IV Part I

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Time-Life Television Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

148 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Falstaff (1999)

User Reviews

Excellent, without weakness

These history plays are the least ambitious of the BBC Shakespeare series in terms of directorial approach - an almost semi-documentary feel accompanies the personalities and political machinations that lead to war. There's no attempt here to replicate Vermeer or some other Old Master. That doesn't short-change the work in any way, and if you're curious about this play, don't hesitate.

Anthony Quayle plays a jolly Falstaff who is also a flinty, manipulative SOB. The approach works like a charm. Jon Finch's King Henry IV is part lion, part water buffalo, but always in charge. The potentially tiresome Hotspur is redeemed with a welcome note of humor by Tim Pigott-Smith. John Cairney's Douglas is marvelously peppery, and Brenda Bruce's Mistress Quickly avoids cliché by bringing out touching warmth and humanity.

When David Gwillim first appears as Prince Hal, you wonder "can this glass of milk really grow into Henry V? Has BBC casting lost its senses?" But in fact, he manages the transition to adult responsibility very well, and by the end of the play he's obviously made of the right stuff. So Shakespeare has fooled us successfully once again.

A special note should be made of Clive Swift, in his pre-"Keeping Up Appearances" days. As Worcester, he personifies the actor's dictum that acting is reacting. His voice is plain and his delivery unremarkable, but oh, that man can listen! As The Dumpy Bald Guy in the Corner With a Silent Grievance, he absolutely invents the category.

We should also note the battle scenes, always problematic in the studio and here quite well done. And the lovely outdoor set, including a steep hillside, bursts the bonds of BBC's TC1. The pace is not fast, but it is reasonable. An excellent production all round.