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estoude01
Reviews
ITV Saturday Night Theatre: Hamlet (1970)
My first exposure to the Bard on any screen
I'm giving this production a 5, because I really don't remember if it was awful or awesome.
i was in 8th grade. Mrs McCracken (actually a fairly young woman at the time; sounds like an old hag) had us reading Hamlet. Perhaps it was a coincidence it aired during the time we were reading the play; perhaps she knew in advance and chose to teach it.
She did not order us to see it, but encouraged us to try; I was happy I was able to see it. It made the printed page come alive, and stands as a moment of clarity for me. I've never lost my taste foe Shakespeare imparted by viewing this production.
That said, it was a two-hour production (including commercial breaks) of a three-to-four- hour play. It HAD to have jettisoned major chunks of story to accommodate that time slot.
And for me, a 14-year-old male, Richard Chamberlain was just the former Dr Kildaire. I didn't know gay from Gevalia.
I hope it will one day be available for viewing.