A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

Theseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Demetrius is engaged with Hermia, but Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius. Oberon and Titania, of the ... See full summary »

Directors:

William Dieterle, Max Reinhardt

Writers:

William Shakespeare (by), Charles Kenyon (arranged for the screen by)

Stars:

James Cagney, Dick Powell, Ian Hunter

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian Hunter	...	Theseus - Duke of Athens
Verree Teasdale	...	Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons - Betrothed to Theseus
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Philostrate - Master of Revels to Theseus
Dick Powell	...	Lysander - In Love with Hermia
Ross Alexander	...	Demetrius - In Love with Hermia
Olivia de Havilland	...	Hermia - In Love with Lysander (as Olivia de Haviland)
Jean Muir	...	Helena - In Love with Demetrius
Grant Mitchell	...	Egeus - Father to Hermia
Frank McHugh	...	Quince - the Carpenter
Dewey Robinson	...	Snug - the Joiner
James Cagney	...	Bottom - the Weaver
Joe E. Brown	...	Flute - the Bellows-Mender
Hugh Herbert	...	Snout - the Tinker
Otis Harlan	...	Starveling - the Tailor
Arthur Treacher	...	Epilogue

Storyline

Theseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Demetrius is engaged with Hermia, but Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius. Oberon and Titania, of the kingdom of fairies have a slight quarrel about whether or not the boy Titania is raising will join Titania's band or Oberon's, so Oberon tries to get him from her by using some magic. But they're not alone in that forest.Lysander and Hermina have there a rendezvous, Helena and Demetrius are there, too as well as some actors, who are practicing a play for the ongoing wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Due to some misunderstandings by Puck, the whole thing becomes a little bit confused...

---

Plot Keywords:

boyfriend girlfriend relationship | play rehearsal | romantic rivalry | multiple wedding | bare chested male | 

---

Taglines:

Three hundred years in the making!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ein Sommernachtstraum

Filming Locations:

Stage 11, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min 117 min (edited) 142 min (with overture and exit music)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film's earliest documented telecasts took place in Tucson Tuesday 18 September 1956 on KDWI (Channel 9) and in San Francisco Thursday 27 September 1957 on KPIX (Channel 5); it first aired in Bloomington IN Friday 18 January 1957 on WTTV (Channel 4).

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Theseus - Duke of Athens: Hippolyta, I wooed you with my sword and won your love, doing thee injuries. But, I will wed you in another key: with pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.

---

Crazy Credits

The Warner Bros. "shield logo" is never seen in the credits.

---

Alternate Versions

The original 132-minute roadshow version of this film has been restored, shown on cable, and issued on videocassette and DVD. For many years, though, this film was shown only in its general release version, a 117-minute version painstakingly edited by the studio (so that the cuts would not be noticeable), which shifted the order of some sequences and eliminated others.The 2007 DVD release also restores the Intermission title card, not seen since the film's original roadshow release in 1935, as well as including the overture and exit music.

---

Connections

Version of Ein Sommernachtstraum in unserer Zeit (1914)

---

Soundtracks

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Overture and Incidental Music
(1826) (uncredited)
Music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Adapted by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Heard throughout the film

User Reviews

A classic film of one of Shakespeare's best plays.

What a wonderful congregation of talent! Newer versions may have color and language easier for the modern ear to understand, but lovers of Shakespeare should make a point of watching this classic! Although sometimes dim and patchy, for its time, this movie contained some very inventive visual effects, effectively drawing the viewer into the fairy world. And, considering the materials of the era, one has to wonder at the time and effort involved in the construction of the fairy costumes and environment.

James Cagney's portrayal of Bottom, the tinker, shows a seldom seen side of the actor, who is more often remembered for his tough guys and dancing roles. While wearing a full-face donkey head, he was able to convey all the emotions from fright to joy through body language.

Mickey Rooney's portrayal of Puck, the mischievous wood sprite, showed his early natural talent for mimickry and comedy that would evolve in the coming years.

Other actors, who were known but not yet as famous as they would be in later years, and stars from the earliest years of film also lent their talents to this picture. Joe E. Brown, Hugh Herbert, Olivia de Havilland, Dick Powell, Victor Jory, Ian Hunter, and many others make this film a true Classic!