King Lear (1983) (TV)

Director:

Michael Elliott

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)

Release Date:

26 January 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An aging King invites disaster when he abdicates to his corrupt, toadying daughters and rejects his one loving, but honest one.

Plot Keywords:

William Shakespeare | Daughter Murdered | Based On Stage Play | Shakespeare's King Lear | Resentment Toward Sister

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Laurence Olivier	...	King Lear
Colin Blakely	...	Kent
Anna Calder-Marshall	...	Cordelia
Jeremy Kemp	...	Cornwall
Robert Lang	...	Albany
Robert Lindsay	...	Edmund
Leo McKern	...	Gloucester
David Threlfall	...	Edgar
Dorothy Tutin	...	Goneril
John Hurt	...	The Fool
Diana Rigg	...	Regan
Brian Cox	...	Burgundy
Edward Petherbridge	...	France
Geoffrey Bateman	...	Oswald
John Cording	...	Lear's Knight
Benny Young	...	Cornwall's Servant
Esmond Knight	...	Old Man
Ian Ruskin	...	Edmund's Officer
Paul Curran	...	Doctor
Ronald Forfar	...	First Officer
Harry Walker	...	Second Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Fielder	...	Man servant (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Elliott

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Shakespeare		play

Produced by
David Plowright	....	executive producer
David Plowright	....	producer

Original Music by
Gordon Crosse

Casting by
Malcolm Drury

Production Design by
Colin Lowrey
Roy Stonehouse

Costume Design by
Tanya Moiseiwitsch

Makeup Department
Lois Richardson	....	makeup supervisor

Art Department
Ray Freeman	....	graphic designer

Sound Department
Alistair Houston	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger England	....	camera operator: studio camera
Mike Turnbull	....	camera operator
Christopher White	....	studio lighting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charlotte Holdich	....	associate costume designer

Editorial Department
Linda Anthony	....	vision mixer
D.L. Heyes	....	editor: video tape
Ron Swain	....	editor: video tape

Music Department
Gordon Crosse	....	conductor
Alex Dobos	....	music recordist

Other crew
Lesley Beames	....	researcher
Jo Day	....	assistant stage manager
Louise Doffman	....	production assistant
Ron Greenhalgh	....	studio supervisor
William Hobbs	....	fight arranger
Ken Jones	....	studio vision
Graham Wild	....	floor manager

Production Companies

• Granada Television

Distributors

• Mobil Showcase Theatre (1984) (USA) (TV)
• Channel 4 Television Corporation (1983) (UK) (TV)
• ClassicLine (Brazil) (DVD)
• Globo Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Kultur (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• The Hallé Orchestra  music played by (as The Halle Orchestra)

Runtime:

158 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G

Company:

Granada Television

Trivia:

The last specifically made-for-television production of a Shakespeare play (to date) to have its American TV premiere on commercial network television, an occurrence that was much more common in the 1950's, '60's, and '70s.

Quotes:

King Lear: You do me wrong to take me out of the grave. Thou art a soul in bliss.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

An All Star Cast Takes on Shakespeare's Greatest Tragedy

An all-star cast takes on Shakespeare's greatest tragedy. Laurence Olivier is Lear -- once a mighty king, now a weak, jealous old man. Tired and in need of rest, he divides his kingdom among his three daughters. Cordelia, the youngest, is good and kind, while Regan and Goneril are wicked schemers who soon turn against the king and try to murder him! Lear has loyal friends, like Kent the noble, and his jester, the Fool. Colin Blakely makes Kent into the perfect, rugged sidekick, as brave and reliable as Sam in LORD OF THE RINGS. And John Hurt makes the haunting, half-crazed fool as helpless and pitiable as Gollum, without all the creepy sliminess.

But the real stars of the play are actually the villains. Diana Rigg is delicious as Regan, the younger of the two "wicked sisters." Even when she is shiveringly evil, (joking about Gloucester's pain as she pokes out his eyes!) she remains a stunningly desirable woman. And the twisted affair between Regan and the studly but wicked Edmund is much more erotic and involving than in most productions. Robert Lindsay captures the gigolo side of Edmund perfectly, always teasing and tempting and making poor love-struck Regan literally pucker up to kiss the empty air. Diana Rigg really plays all sides of the character -- watching her pout and sulk in her tent would be sweetly endearing if she weren't so truly and completely cruel. As a result the viewer is spellbound, unable to resist the evil but horrified by the inevitable tragedy.

With an all-star cast, original scenery and a haunting musical score, this bold production is Shakespeare at the summit!