IMDb RATING
7.4/10
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Shakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed King and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.Shakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed King and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.Shakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed King and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 9 wins & 3 nominations total
Wallace Bosco
- Monk
- (as Wally Bascoe)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMichael Gough got his part (Dighton, the first murderer) by making a fuss to his fellow actor friends about only established stars getting cameo parts and leaving nothing for struggling actors like him. One night he got a phone call, and a voice said "You've been stirring it, haven't you? Right little shit." Gough demanded to know, "Who is this?" only to be stunned by the response, "It's Larry", which of course was Sir Laurence Olivier. Olivier was just having some fun at Gough's expense, had taken on-board his criticisms and was ringing to offer him the part of one of the murderers in this movie. When asked which one he wanted to play, Gough quickly said "Whichever one has the most lines", and he got his wish. Olivier arranged matters so that Gough's scenes were split over several days, instead of all being done in one day, so that Gough would maximize his per diem fee.
- GoofsIn the scene when Richard tells King Edward of Clarence's supposed treason, two monks are singing hymns from a large book: their lips are not only out of sync with their singing, but with each other.
- Quotes
Richard III: I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall,/ I'll play the orator as well as Nestor,/ Deceive more slyly than Ulysses could,/ And, like a Sinon, take another Troy./ I can add colours to the chameleon, /Change shapes with Proteus for advantages, /And set the murderous Machiavel to school./ Can I do this,and cannot get a crown?/Tut, were it farther off,/ I'll pluck it down.
- Crazy creditsMost of the film's credits are shown at the end. The opening credits show only the title of the film, William Shakespeare's name, and the names of the main actors.
- Alternate versionsReleased in Great Britain at 155 minutes; some of the prints released in the USA are 139 minutes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Great Acting: Laurence Olivier (1966)
Featured review
The Hollow Crown
In many ways this is a stage-bound adaptation and with Olivier in the lead role this is not a bad thing. After all he was one of the theatre greats of the twentieth century.
In Richard III, Olivier constantly turns and talks to the audience with his devilish plans to ascend to the throne of England. Aided by his cousin the Duke of Buckingham (Ralph Richardson) he soon replaces King Edward IV (Cedric Hardwicke), rids himself of his other brother George (John Gielgud) and dispatches his young nephews to the tower and then brings their tender lives to a premature end.
The deformed, despicable hunchback even seduces the widow of a man he murdered for his own purposes, Lady Anne (Claire Bloom).
Once Richard ascends to the throne he finds that he has to do battle with a rival who also stakes a claim to the hollow crown.
This is a chance to see Olivier, still in his pomp speaking the Bard's verse. Unfortunately the accompanying music is too bombastic and Olivier's death scene verges on the ham.
In Richard III, Olivier constantly turns and talks to the audience with his devilish plans to ascend to the throne of England. Aided by his cousin the Duke of Buckingham (Ralph Richardson) he soon replaces King Edward IV (Cedric Hardwicke), rids himself of his other brother George (John Gielgud) and dispatches his young nephews to the tower and then brings their tender lives to a premature end.
The deformed, despicable hunchback even seduces the widow of a man he murdered for his own purposes, Lady Anne (Claire Bloom).
Once Richard ascends to the throne he finds that he has to do battle with a rival who also stakes a claim to the hollow crown.
This is a chance to see Olivier, still in his pomp speaking the Bard's verse. Unfortunately the accompanying music is too bombastic and Olivier's death scene verges on the ham.
helpful•30
- Prismark10
- Apr 12, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- 3. Richard
- Filming locations
- La Mancha, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain(Bosworth Field scenes)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime2 hours 41 minutes
- Color
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