| A Midsummer Night's Dream | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Peter Hall |
| Written by | William Shakespeare (play) |
| Starring | Derek Godfrey Ian Holm Helen Mirren Barbara Jefford Diana Rigg David Warner Michael Jayston |
| Release date(s) | September 1968 |
| Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1968 film of William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Peter Hall. It was the first live-action film version in color of the play, unless one counts the 1966 film version of the New York City Ballet George Balanchine adaptation.
It stars Derek Godfrey as Theseus, Barbara Jefford as Hippolyta, Diana Rigg as Helena, Helen Mirren as Hermia, Ian Holm as Puck, Ian Richardson as King Oberon, Judi Dench as Queen Titania, and Paul Rogers as Bottom, as well as other members of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The film premiered in theatres in Europe in September 1968. In the U.S. it premiered on television on the night of February 9, 1969. It was shown on CBS (with commercials).
The film runs a little more than two full hours and is quite faithful to the play, with few unusual gimmicks, except for all the fairies wearing green body paint. They do not appear or disappear gradually as in the 1935 film version of the play; instead, they literally pop in and out.
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