Hamlet at Elsinore
Encyclopedia
Hamlet at Elsinore is a 1964 television version of Shakespeare's play. Produced by the BBC
, in association with Danish Radio, it was shown in the U.S. on NET
in 1965. Winning wide acclaim both for its performances and for being shot entirely at Elsinore
, in the castle in which the play is set, it is the only version (with sound) of the play to have actually been shot at Elsinore. This programme was recorded and edited on video tape (2" quadruplex) and not 'filmed'. The director was Philip Saville
.
Christopher Plummer
took the lead role as the melancholy Prince of Denmark; the actor was nominated for an Emmy Award
for his performance. In supporting roles were Robert Shaw
(as Claudius), and Michael Caine
, in his only filmed Shakespeare performance, as Horatio. Both actors were, at the time, almost completely unknown to American audiences, and just before the presentation's first U.S. telecast, Plummer began to gain popularity in the U.S. because of his appearance in the 1965 musical film The Sound of Music
.
Clips of the programme are very rarely shown on television, and Plummer himself expressed a wish for it to be commercially available. It was released on Region 1 DVD
by the BBC
and Warner on 25 October 2011.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, in association with Danish Radio, it was shown in the U.S. on NET
National Educational Television
National Educational Television was an American non-commercial educational public television network in the United States from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970...
in 1965. Winning wide acclaim both for its performances and for being shot entirely at Elsinore
Elsinore
Helsingør is a city and the municipal seat of Helsingør municipality on the northeast coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Helsingør has a population of 46,279 including the southern suburbs of Snekkersten and Espergærde...
, in the castle in which the play is set, it is the only version (with sound) of the play to have actually been shot at Elsinore. This programme was recorded and edited on video tape (2" quadruplex) and not 'filmed'. The director was Philip Saville
Philip Saville
Philip Saville is a British television direction and screenwriting from the late 1950s...
.
Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
took the lead role as the melancholy Prince of Denmark; the actor was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for his performance. In supporting roles were Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw (actor)
Robert Archibald Shaw was an English actor and novelist, remembered for his performances in The Sting , From Russia with Love , A Man for All Seasons , the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three , Black Sunday , The Deep and Jaws , where he played the shark hunter Quint.-Early life...
(as Claudius), and Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
, in his only filmed Shakespeare performance, as Horatio. Both actors were, at the time, almost completely unknown to American audiences, and just before the presentation's first U.S. telecast, Plummer began to gain popularity in the U.S. because of his appearance in the 1965 musical film The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
.
Clips of the programme are very rarely shown on television, and Plummer himself expressed a wish for it to be commercially available. It was released on Region 1 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Warner on 25 October 2011.