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Chimes at Midnight (aka Falstaff) is a 1965 film
1965 in film

The year 1965 in film involved some significant events....
 directed by Orson Welles
Orson Welles

George Orson Welles , better known as Orson Welles, was an Academy Award-winning United States actor, director, writer and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television, and radio....
 based around William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
's recurring character, Sir John Falstaff
Falstaff

Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V of England....
. Welles himself played Falstaff, Keith Baxter
Keith Baxter (actor)

Keith Baxter is a Wales theatre, film, and television actor....
 was Prince Hal (who will later become Henry V
Henry V of England

Henry V was one of the most significant English warrior kings of the 15th century. He was born at Monmouth, Wales, in the tower above the gatehouse of Monmouth Castle, and reigned as King of England from 1413 to 1422....
), and John Gielgud
John Gielgud

Sir Arthur John Gielgud, Order of Merit , Companion of Honour was an England actor and singer, particularly known for his warm and expressive voice, which his colleague Alec Guinness likened to "a silver trumpet muffled in silk"....
 played Henry IV
Henry IV of England

Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . Like other kings of England, he also claimed the title of King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke....
. Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau

Jeanne Moreau is a BAFTA Awards and C?sar Awards-winning French people actress, screenwriter and Film director....
 appeared as Doll Tearsheet and Margaret Rutherford
Margaret Rutherford

Dame Margaret Rutherford Order of the British Empire was an Academy Awards-winning England character actress, who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest....
 as Mistress Quickly.

The script contains text from five Shakespeare plays: primarily Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1

Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second of Shakespeare's tetralogy that deals with the successive reigns of Richard II of England, Henry IV of England , and Henry V of England....
 and Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2

Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V ....
, but also Richard II
Richard II (play)

'King Richard the Second' is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's successors: Henry IV, part 1, Henry IV, part...
, Henry V
Henry V (play)

Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in 1599. It is based on the life of King Henry V of England, and focuses on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War....
, and The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597....
.






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Chimes at Midnight (aka Falstaff) is a 1965 film
1965 in film

The year 1965 in film involved some significant events....
 directed by Orson Welles
Orson Welles

George Orson Welles , better known as Orson Welles, was an Academy Award-winning United States actor, director, writer and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television, and radio....
 based around William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
's recurring character, Sir John Falstaff
Falstaff

Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V of England....
. Welles himself played Falstaff, Keith Baxter
Keith Baxter (actor)

Keith Baxter is a Wales theatre, film, and television actor....
 was Prince Hal (who will later become Henry V
Henry V of England

Henry V was one of the most significant English warrior kings of the 15th century. He was born at Monmouth, Wales, in the tower above the gatehouse of Monmouth Castle, and reigned as King of England from 1413 to 1422....
), and John Gielgud
John Gielgud

Sir Arthur John Gielgud, Order of Merit , Companion of Honour was an England actor and singer, particularly known for his warm and expressive voice, which his colleague Alec Guinness likened to "a silver trumpet muffled in silk"....
 played Henry IV
Henry IV of England

Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . Like other kings of England, he also claimed the title of King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke....
. Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau

Jeanne Moreau is a BAFTA Awards and C?sar Awards-winning French people actress, screenwriter and Film director....
 appeared as Doll Tearsheet and Margaret Rutherford
Margaret Rutherford

Dame Margaret Rutherford Order of the British Empire was an Academy Awards-winning England character actress, who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest....
 as Mistress Quickly.

The script contains text from five Shakespeare plays: primarily Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1

Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second of Shakespeare's tetralogy that deals with the successive reigns of Richard II of England, Henry IV of England , and Henry V of England....
 and Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2

Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V ....
, but also Richard II
Richard II (play)

'King Richard the Second' is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's successors: Henry IV, part 1, Henry IV, part...
, Henry V
Henry V (play)

Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in 1599. It is based on the life of King Henry V of England, and focuses on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War....
, and The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597....
. It was based on Welles's play "Five Kings," an adaptation of four Shakespeare plays which he produced in 1939 and again in 1960. The film's narration, spoken by Ralph Richardson
Ralph Richardson

Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....
, is taken from the chronicler Holinshed.

The film was nominated (in 1968) for a BAFTA film award for Welles as Best Foreign Actor. At the 1966 Cannes Film Festival
1966 Cannes Film Festival

The 19th Cannes Film Festival was held on May 5-20, 1966 in film. To honour the festival's 20th anniversary, a special prize is given....
 Welles was nominated for the Golden Palm Award and won the 20th Anniversary Prize and the Technical Grand Prize. In Spain it won (in 1966) the Citizens Writers Circle Award for Best Film.

Welles held this film in high regard and considered it along with The Trial
The Trial (1962 film)

The Trial is a 1962 in film film directed by Orson Welles, who also wrote the screenplay based on the The Trial by Franz Kafka....
 his best work. As he remarked in 1982, "If I wanted to get into heaven on the basis of one movie, that's the one I'd offer up". Many critics, including Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich

Peter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian DePalma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola....
 and Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum

Jonathan Rosenbaum is an American cinema film critic. Rosenbaum was the head film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987 until 2008, when he retired at the age of 65....
, also consider it Welles's finest work. The scene depicting the Battle of Shrewsbury
Battle of Shrewsbury

The Battle of Shrewsbury was a Medieval warfare fought on July 21, 1403, waged between an army led by the House of Lancaster King, Henry IV of England, and a rebel army led by Henry 'Hotspur' Percy from Northumberland....
 has been particularly admired, serving as an inspiration for movies like Braveheart
Braveheart

Braveheart is an Academy Award-Winning, 1995 historical action-drama movie film producer and Film director by Mel Gibson, who also starred in the title role....
 and Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 in film Cinema of the United States war film set during the Invasion of Normandy of Normandy in World War II. It was film director by Steven Spielberg and Screenplay by Robert Rodat....
.

Due to complications concerning the film's ownership, Chimes at Midnight remains unavailable in the United States. It is most readily available as an import DVD from Brazil.

Cast

  • Orson Welles
    Orson Welles

    George Orson Welles , better known as Orson Welles, was an Academy Award-winning United States actor, director, writer and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television, and radio....
     ... Falstaff
    Falstaff

    Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V of England....
  • Jeanne Moreau
    Jeanne Moreau

    Jeanne Moreau is a BAFTA Awards and C?sar Awards-winning French people actress, screenwriter and Film director....
     ... Doll Tearsheet
  • Margaret Rutherford
    Margaret Rutherford

    Dame Margaret Rutherford Order of the British Empire was an Academy Awards-winning England character actress, who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest....
     ... Mistress Quickly
  • John Gielgud
    John Gielgud

    Sir Arthur John Gielgud, Order of Merit , Companion of Honour was an England actor and singer, particularly known for his warm and expressive voice, which his colleague Alec Guinness likened to "a silver trumpet muffled in silk"....
     ... Henry IV
    Henry IV of England

    Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . Like other kings of England, he also claimed the title of King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke....
  • Marina Vlady
    Marina Vlady

    Marina Vlady is a France actress.She won the Best Actress Award Award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival for The Conjugal Bed. She was married to Russian poet and song-writer Vladimir Vysotsky from 1970 until his death in 1980....
     ... Kate Percy
  • Walter Chiari
    Walter Chiari

    Walter Chiari, stage name of Walter Annichiarico , who was an Italy stage and screen actor, mostly in comedy roles.Born in Verona, Chiari achieved a certain degree of international success in films such as The Little Hut , Bonjour Tristesse , Chimes at Midnight , and The Valachi Papers ....
     ... Mr. Silence
  • Michael Aldridge ... Pistol
  • Julio Peña
  • Tony Beckley ... Ned Poins
  • Andrés Mejuto
  • Keith Pyott
  • Jeremy Rowe ... Prince John
    Prince John

    Prince John refers most commonly to the following:*John of England , who was known as Prince John during the reigns of his father and older brother...
  • Alan Webb ... Shallow
  • Fernando Rey
    Fernando Rey

    Fernando Casado D'Arambillet, better known as Fernando Rey , was a Spain film, theatre and TV actor, famous in both Europe and the United States....
     ... Worcester
  • Keith Baxter
    Keith Baxter (actor)

    Keith Baxter is a Wales theatre, film, and television actor....
     ... Prince Hal
  • Norman Rodway
    Norman Rodway

    Norman Rodway was an Irish People actor....
     ... Henry 'Hotspur' Percy
  • Jose Nieto
    José Nieto

    Jos? Nieto , is a Spain musician and composer, best known for his film work....
     ... Northumberland
  • Andrew Faulds
    Andrew Faulds

    Andrew Matthew William Faulds was a United Kingdom actor and politician.Born in Isoko, Tanzania, Tanganyika , to missionary parents, Faulds married Bunty Whitfield in 1945....
     ... Westmoreland
  • Charles Farrell
    Charles Farrell

    Charles Farrell was a notable United States film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor in more than a dozen films, including Seventh Heaven , Street Angel , and Lucky Star ....
  • Fernando Hilbeck
  • Patrick Bedford ... Bardolph
  • Beatrice Welles ... Falstaff's Page
  • Ralph Richardson
    Ralph Richardson

    Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....
     ... Narrator (voice)


Books

Chimes at Midnight: ISBN 0-8135-1339-1 : Rutgers University Press (January 1989) ISBN 0-8135-1339-1 (complete screenplay included)

External links

  • - part of Ebert's "Great Movies" series.