Richard III (1955 film)
| Richard III | |
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Theatrical re-release poster
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| Directed by | Laurence Olivier |
| Produced by | Laurence Olivier Alexander Korda (uncredited) |
| Written by | Laurence Olivier (uncredited) |
| Based on |
Richard III by William Shakespeare and stage adaptations by Colley Cibber and David Garrick |
| Starring |
Laurence Olivier Ralph Richardson Claire Bloom Cedric Hardwicke John Gielgud Laurence Naismith Norman Wooland |
| Music by | William Walton |
| Cinematography | Otto Heller |
| Edited by | Helga Cranston |
| Distributed by | London Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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161 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £6 million |
| Box office | US$2,600,000 (USA) £400,000 (GB) |
Richard III is a 1955 British Technicolor film adaptation of William Shakespeare's historical play of the same name, also incorporating elements from his Henry VI, Part 3. It was directed and produced by Sir Laurence Olivier, who also played the lead role. The cast includes many noted Shakespearean actors, including a quartet of knights. The film depicts Richard plotting and conspiring to grasp the throne from his brother King Edward IV, played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke. In the process, many are killed and betrayed, with Richard's evil leading to his own downfall. The prologue of the film states that history without its legends would be "a dry matter indeed", implicitly admitting to the artistic licence that Shakespeare applied to the events of the time.
Of the three Shakespearean films directed by Olivier, Richard III received the least critical praise at the time, although it was still acclaimed. It was the only one not to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, though Olivier's acting performance was nominated. The film gained popularity through a US re-release in 1966, which broke box office records in many cities. Many critics now consider Olivier's Richard III his best screen adaptation of Shakespeare. The British Film Institute has pointed out that, given the enormous TV audiences it received when shown in the United States in 1955, the film "may have done more to popularize Shakespeare than any other single work".
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