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...

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

"Our true intent is all for your delight"

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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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

The first stage production of this play was in London, about in 1595.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

The main title reads "Warner Brothers Pictures has the honor to present Max Reinhardt's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare".

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Connections

Version of Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: A Midsummer Night's Dream (1992)

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Soundtracks

Scottish Symphony: Final Movement
(1842) (uncredited)
Music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Lyrics by anonymous
Adapted by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Sung by Olivia de Havilland, Dick Powell, Ross Alexander, Jean Muir, James Cagney, Joe E. Brown and chorus
Conducted onscreen by Frank McHugh

User Reviews

A Magical, Musical, Marvelous Movie

What?! James Cagney, Mickey Rooney & Dick Powell doing Shakespeare? Yes, indeed, and very well, too.

This is one of the most magical films of the 1930's. Warner Brothers lavished great care upon it and it glows like the moonlight in many of its most famous scenes.

The plot is a familiar one to all lovers of Shakespeare. Four desperate lovers steal away into the enchanted forest outside ancient Athens. There they are spied upon by the King of Fairies, Oberon, who is having domestic difficulties of his own with his fair Queen, Titania. Meanwhile, seven intellectually-challenged Athenian rustics have come to the same woods to practice a play they wish to perform at the nuptial celebrations of the local nobility. Puck, the fairy mischief-maker, has a ball causing difficulty for nearly everyone.

Hal Mohr, the Cinematographer, did a marvelous job. He makes you think he was filming by moonlight. For this film he was awarded the only Oscar ever won due to a write-in vote. The dreamy Mendelssohn music is also used to great effect.

The entire cast is excellent and the American accents of many of them does no injury to the Shakespearean verse. This was Olivia de Havilland's film debut and she is beautiful. Others include Ian Hunter, Joe E. Brown, Anita Louise, Victor Jory, Frank McHugh, Jean Muir, Hugh Herbert, Arthur Treacher & Billy Barty. Ross Alexander, groomed for stardom by Warners, had his best role here as one of the young lovers. Fame never smiled on him and two years later, relegated to minor films, he was to die a suicide.