Shakespeare in Performance: Film
Measure for Measure (1978, Desmond Davis)
| Title | Measure for Measure |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
| Release Locations | GB |
| Director | Desmond Davis |
| Medium | Color video |
| Length | 2 hrs, 30 mins |
| Audience | college and university general public |
| Play Connections | Measure for Measure (teleplay) |
| Series | The Shakespeare Plays |
Description
Desmond Davis' Measure for Measure proved to be the runaway favorite of the audience for the first year of "The Shakespeare Plays" series on North American PBS stations. In view of the play's relative obscurity that was surprising in one way but totally predictable in another. The director was not working in the shadow of past cinematic behemoths, such as Olivier's Henry V or Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. Davis also grabbed every chance to make the production fit the small screen of television. His Measure for Measure identifies with, though in more subtle and complex ways, the ethical dilemmas and emotional roller coasters of the daytime soaps. Add to that, brilliant lighting, superbly designed sets, fine acting by Kate Nelligan and Tim Pigott-Smith, and success was inevitable
Description from Shakespeare on Screen : an International Filmography and Videography by Kenneth S. Rothwell and Annabelle Henkin Melzer. ©1990 Kenneth S. Rothwell. Cited by permission. — Added 2008-11-14
Cast Overview
Production Team and Crew Overview
| Director | Desmond Davis |
|---|---|
| Producer | Cedric Messina |
| Composer | David Lloyd-Jones |
| Composer | James Tyler |
| Adaptor/Translator | Alan Shallcross |
| Costumes | Odette Barrow |
| Lighting | Sam Barclay |
| Production | Stuart Walker |
Production information courtesy of: Kenneth Rothwell