Antony and Cleopatra (1974) (TV)

Director:

Jon Scoffield

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)

Release Date:

4 January 1975 (USA)

Plot Keywords:

Shakespeare's Antony And Cleopatra | Based On Play | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Richard Johnson	...	Marc Antony
Janet Suzman	...	Cleopatra
Rosemary McHale	...	Charmian
Mavis Taylor Blake	...	Iras
Darien Angadi	...	Alexas
Sydney Livingstone	...	Mardian (as Sidney Livingstone)
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	A Fig Seller
Loftus Burton	...	Diomedes
Lennard Pearce	...	Cleopatra's Schoolteacher
Joseph Charles	...	Cleopatra's Messenger
Tony Osoba	...	Cleopatra's Servant
Douglas Anderson	...	Cleopatra's Eunuch
Michael Egan	...	Cleopatra's Eunuch
Paul Gaymon	...	Cleopatra's Eunuch
Wendy Bailey	...	Servant

Runtime:

161 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

One of the last made-for-TV Shakespeare adaptations (to date) to have its American premiere on commercial network television. Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet (1968/I), made for movie theaters, would be telecast by ABC in 1980, but the only other made-for-TV Shakespeare adaptation to have its American premiere on commercial television since 1975 has been the syndicated telecast of the Laurence Olivier King Lear (1983) (TV), which was shown on American television in 1984, after premiering in England in 1983.

Quotes:

Enobarbus: The barge she sat in, like a burnis'd throne/Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold./Purple the sais, and so perfumed/ That the winds were lovesick with them./ The oars were silver, which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made/ The water which they beat to follow faster/ As amorous of their strokes.

Movie Connections:

Version of Antony and Cleopatra (1983) (TV)

Good performances, average movie adaptation

Antony and Cleopatra (1974) follows the relationship of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra.It dates from the time of the Parthian war to Cleopatra's suicide with a snake.William Shakespeare is the author of the play this movie is based on.He is believed to have written that around 1606-1607.I read the play a little while before I borrowed the VHS from the library.It's not the finest works by the Bard but good anyway.This TV movie is something very average.It works mainly because of the fine performances the actors give.There's some strength in the performance by Richard Johnson who plays Marc Antony.Janet Suzman is wonderful as the Queen of Eqypt.Patrick Stewart is really good as Enobarbus.The way he turns and talks straight to camera is just magnificent.It's also a real treat to see the young Ben Kingsley as Thidias.The drama works from time to time.There's a lot of that in the end.So this was worth seeing.