Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
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Title: Macbeth (1948)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Orson Welles | ... | Macbeth | |
| Jeanette Nolan | ... | Lady Macbeth | |
| Dan O'Herlihy | ... | Macduff | |
| Roddy McDowall | ... | Malcolm | |
| Edgar Barrier | ... | Banquo | |
| Alan Napier | ... | A Holy Father | |
| Erskine Sanford | ... | Duncan | |
| John Dierkes | ... | Ross | |
| Keene Curtis | ... | Lennox | |
| Peggy Webber | ... | Lady Macduff / The Three | |
 |
Lionel Braham | ... | Siward |
|
|
Archie Heugly | ... | Young Siward |
|
|
Jerry Farber | ... | Fleance |
|
|
Christopher Welles | ... | Macduff Child |
| Morgan Farley | ... | Doctor | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
In fog-dripping, barren and sometimes macabre settings, 11th-century Scottish nobleman Macbeth is led by an evil prophecy and his ruthless yet desirable wife to the treasonous act that makes him king. But he does not enjoy his newfound, dearly-won kingship... Restructured, but all the dialogue is Shakespeare's. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 June 1950 (France) See more »Also Known As:
Макбет See more »Filming Locations:
Republic Studios - 4024 Radford Avenue, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USAEdit
Box Office
Budget:
$900,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(cut) | (premiere) | (restored video)Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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The Three, The Three, The Three: Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
One of the witches is played by Brainerd Duffield, a man. Some sources mistakenly credit Charles Lederer in the role. See more »Goofs
Duncan and his men renew their baptismal vows with a prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1884. See more »Quotes
[first lines]The Three, The Three, The Three: Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The uncut version of 107 minutes length has dialogue with full Scottish accents, while the more common originally released version of 89 minutes, while still making use of Scotch accents, has long stretches of redubbed, unaccented dialogue. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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This 40s Macbeth is a Shakespeare adaptation with mixed results, created by and starring Orson Welles and released through Poverty Row studio Republic. The costumes are Scandinavian but the accents are definitely Scottish.
Welles is good as the Thane who becomes a king-killer and a tyrant, while Jeanette Nolan appears as the scheming Lady Macbeth. Roddy McDowell is a delicate Malcolm, while Erskine Sanford is Duncan.
The mood of the film is dark, drenched in fog, but the way it is filmed is pure cinema, giving the text new life. There would be better Macbeths but this one is certainly memorable and effective. Welles would go on to tackle Othello and Henry IV (as Chimes at Midnight).
While Olivier was making his mark as a Shakespearian actor/director in British film, Welles was certainly doing the same in the USA. This film stands for all the work which he started and never finished, and is a good example of what he could achieve when at his best.