Welcome back to the latest installment of stacy keachs blog, as he reports from the rehearsal room of henry iv, parts 1 and 2 at the shakespeare theatre company. The chimes at midnight airs friday, march 20, 2020 at 10 p. Im telling you, sir, id just as soon be hanged as go fight. Private investigators the chimes at midnight tv episode 2018 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Shallow that we have, that we have, that we have, in faith sir john we have. The quote comes from shakespeare henry iv part ii, act 3, scene 2. Its early in the year, but its already the year of chimes at midnight, orson welless mighty adaptation, from 1965, of shakespeares plays.
The career of shakespeares sir john falstaff orson welles. The most substantial difference is the role of one of shakespeares greatest creations the tragicomic sir john falstaff within both films. Completed in 1965, chimes at midnight is the last major narrative work welles completed in his lifetime, though not for lack of trying. Chimes at midnight, the 1966 film directed by and starring orson welles, constructs a rich, complex, and moving portrait of the largerthanlife sir john falstaff, who appears in three of shakespeares plays and is among the bestknown characters in all of literature. Chimes at midnight the official website for stacy keach.
Arena cinema presents free shakespeare film series. Mar 10, 2016 just in time to relieve the postoscar doldrums comes the reappearance of orson welless chimes at midnight, the 1966 adaptation of shakespeares two henry iv plays it is a work that i believe will come to be regarded as one of welless four greatest films, along with citizen kane, the magnificent ambersons, and macbe. Bullcalf good master corporate bardolph, stand my friend. We have heard the chimes at midnight master shallow. Chimes at midnight gives weight to a shakespearean knave for our ones that got away series, npr film critic bob mondello checks out chimes at midnight. We thought we were purchasing episode 2, the chimes at midnight, but when we clicked on the the chimes at midnight, the episode that ran was episode 5, toil and trouble. Orson welless mighty chimes at midnight the new yorker. With mark benton, jo joyner, patrick walshe mcbride, amber aga. Orson welles late masterpiece chimes at midnight is back on. Considered by some to be welles greatest accomplishment in film, chimes at midnight incorporates elements of five of shakespeares plays to reframe the largerthanlife comedic presence of falstaff to magnificent effect.
His books include orson welles, shakespeare, and popular culture 1999, cinematic shakespeare 2004, and lincoln and shakespeare 2015. Chimes at midnight has become one of my favorite movies. Chimess depiction of falstaff has had a significant impact on the characters representation in late twentieth and early twentyfirst century film adaptations. Dec 05, 2019 chimes at midnight is based on henry iv as well as a few other plays and characters from william shakespeare plays, most notably sir john falstaff. The crucial point about chimes at midnight is that although it was rejected by audiences and many critics on its release, although some of the dialogue is out of sync and needs to be adjusted, although many of the actors become doubles whenever they turn their backs, although he dubbed many of the voices himself, although the film was. Oct 06, 2014 chimes at midnight with stacy keach week 2. Welless extraordinary cinematic career, chimes at midnight was the culmination of the filmmakers lifelong obsession with shakespeares ultimate rapscallion. Jun 19, 1992 though the text is mostly shakespeare s the narration, spoken by ralph richardson, is from holins heds chronicles, chimes at midnight appears to be a thoroughly modern play in terms of its. New chimes at midnight dvd recalls orson welles autobiographical turn as falstaff welles moved shakespeare s mostly peripheral character to the center of. Bongo has debuted a fun new trailer for orson welles classic falstaff chimes of midnight, or just chimes of midnight, the legendary filmmakeractors ambitious take on shakespeare.
He has also published three volumes of a welles biography. Chimes at midnight, the 1966 film directed by and starring orson welles, is about sir john falstaff, who appears in three of shakespeares. We have heard the chimes at midnight, master shallow. William shakespeare we have heard the chimes at midnight, master shallow.
From the context hes talking with a character named shallow talking about how theyre getting older, but i cant tell if they mean weve raised hell or we hear the time of death coming close or what it means. In the text, shakespeares falstaff is an outrageously artificial clown wiles 126, but chimes establishes a. A classic story adapted by a filmmaker near his creative peak, chimes at midnight unites welles and shakespeare and powerfully distills the best of both. Chimes at midnight 1965 is welless final attempt to boil down shakespeare s meditation on kingship, english history, friendship, power, and the relations between fathers and sons into a single workand it is a masterpiece of film. It is one of those rare gems that i can watch over and over again, never getting bored. Campanadas a medianoche, is a 1965 englishlanguage spanishswiss period comedydrama film directed by and starring orson welles. The films plot centres on william shakespeare s recurring character sir john falstaff and the fatherson relationship he has with prince hal, who must choose between. Falstaff shakespeare orson welles vostfr 14 youtube. New chimes at midnight dvd recalls orson welles autobiographical turn as falstaff welles moved shakespeares mostly peripheral character to the center of this 1965 film. While we enjoyed episode 5, we were disappointed that we couldnt view episode 2 that we had paid for. Shakespearemovie soliloquies and orson welless chimes at. The best of chimes at midnight is the best shakespeare on film, and as good as anything orson welles ever made in his careerlong scramble toward immortality. Using material from different plays, he manages to turn the story of falstaff into something entirely new.
A harry ten shilling was a tenshilling coin minted during the reign of henry vii. In this may 2016 interview, callow discusses welless nimble adaptation of several shakespeare plays. Orson welles film chimes at midnight is ringing in a new era. The films plot centres on william shakespeare s recurring character sir john falstaff and the fatherson. He put earlier versions of this work on the stage in the 1930s and the 1950s. Henry iv, part ii we have heard the chimes at midnight enotes. In chimes at midnight 1965, orson welles as sir john falstaff reminisces with robert shallow as the enact the second part of shakespeares. Jan 16, 2018 falstaff commands center stage in chimes at midnight 1965, orson welles groundbreaking film. The crowning achievement of orson welless extraordinary film career, chimes at midnight was the culmination of the filmmakers lifelong obsession with shakespeares ultimate rapscallion, sir john falstaff. Chimes at midnight aka falstaff is a 1965 film directed by orson welles based around the character of sir john falstaff in shakespeare.
Welles felt a strong connection to the character of falstaff and called him shakespeares greatest creation. A mostly forgotten drama in the welles canon it was a cannes pick but widely. Frank hathaway finds an unlikely partner in lu shakespeare during a murder case. Sep 01, 2016 brilliantly adapted from several of shakespeares history playsprincipally henry iv, part i and part iichimes at midnight combines elements of welless characteristic longtake, moving camera style most recently evident in 1958s touch of evil and 1962s the trial with, in the remarkable battle sequence especially, a. In this installment, stacy begins to delve into the role of the fat knight, sir john falstaff. Its early in the year, but its already the year of chimes at midnight, orson welless mighty adaptation, from 1965, of shakespeare s plays featuring the colossal character of falstaff. Significant quotes in william shakespeares king henry the fourth. This is said to be orson welles personal favorite of his films, and perhaps thats due to his admiration of william shakespeares work. First of all, welles interpretation of shakespeare is just brilliant. Welles littleseen 1965 film has been refurbished and looks stunning. Penelope and owain pincott approach luella and frank to investigate acts of sabotage at their rest home so sebastian is sent undercover as a care assistant. He discovers that one resident is a kleptomaniac and owain has an admirer so both become suspects when penelope is murdered.
Welles adapted his kinetic, crushingly sad shakespearean foray primarily from. Chimes at midnight is an independently produced european film from director orson welles. Its high time that orson welless latecareer shakespearean superflick chimes at midnight be given some recognition. Simon callow played falstaff to keith baxters king henry iv in a 1998 production of orson welless stage version of chimes at midnight. Though the text is mostly shakespeare s the narration, spoken by ralph richardson, is from holins heds chronicles, chimes at midnight appears to be. He has john gielgud speak henrys uneasy lies the head speech aloud 2 henry iv 3. Time, however, has been very good to orson welles chimes at midnight. Jun 28, 2015 his third and final shakespeare film, chimes at midnight, was the completion of a project first embarked on when a schoolboy in 1930 as five kings, a conflation of plays about the wars of the roses. His third and final shakespeare film, chimes at midnight, was the completion of a project first embarked on when a schoolboy in 1930 as five kings, a.
Usually a comic supporting figure, falstaffthe loyal, often soused friend of king henry ivs wayward son prince halhere becomes the focus. I know its a line from falstaff in one of the plays about henry v in his younger, wilder days. Brilliantly adapted from several of shakespeares history plays, chimes at midnight combines elements of welless characteristic longtake, moving camera style most recently evident in 1958s touch of evil and 1962sthe trial with, in the remarkable battle sequence especially, a dynamic and complex use of montage. Orson welles uses two methods for rendering soliloquies in the chimes at midnight. In it, they are musing about their youth, and how together they have many times heard when the chimes rang out at midnight when everyone else have long been abed. The film is based on the play henry iv by william shakespeare.
Chimes at midnight gives weight to a shakespearean knave. Sep, 2019 orson welles as falstaff in chimes at midnight. With orson welles, jeanne moreau, margaret rutherford, john gielgud. The crowning achievement of orson welless extraordinary cinematic career, chimes at midnight was the culmination of the filmmakers lifelong obsession with shakespeares ultimate rapscallion, sir john falstaff. And like so many of the movies he made or attempted to make during the last part of his career, its been tied up in rights disputes for decades, making it effectively unknown in america outside of critical and filmmaking circles. He authored supplementary material for the criterion blueray release of chimes at midnight and was interviewed for the olive films bluray of macbeth.