Antony and Cleopatra (1972 film)

Antony and Cleopatra is a 1972 film adaptation of the play of the same name by William Shakespeare, directed by and starring Charlton Heston, and made by the Rank Organisation. Heston and Hildegarde Neil portray the titular roles of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, with a supporting cast featuring Eric Porter, John Castle, Fernando Rey, Carmen Sevilla, Freddie Jones, Peter Arne, Douglas Wilmer, Julian Glover and Roger Delgado. The picture was produced by Peter Snell from a screenplay by Federico De Urrutia and the director.[2]

Antony and Cleopatra
Directed byCharlton Heston
Written byFederico De Urrutia
Charlton Heston
William Shakespeare
Produced byPeter Snell
StarringCharlton Heston
Hildegarde Neil
Eric Porter
John Castle
Fernando Rey
Juan Luis Galiardo
Carmen Sevilla
CinematographyRafael Pacheco
Edited byEric Boyd-Perkins
Music byJohn Scott
Production
company
Distributed byRank Organisation (UK)
Release date
2 March 1972 (UK)
Running time
160 min
CountriesUnited Kingdom
Spain
Switzerland
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.8 million[1]

Cast

Production

Distributors in 21 countries put up 65% of the $1.8 million budget (which was actually $2.7 million but Heston and Snell deferred their fees). A bank put up the remainder 35%. Heston asked Orson Welles to direct, but Welles turned it down, so he decided to do it himself.[1]

The film was shot in Spain. Heston re-used leftover footage of the sea battle from his 1959 film Ben-Hur as well as outtakes from the 1963 Cleopatra.[3]

Charlton Heston had played Mark Antony in two previous Shakespearean films, both adaptations of Julius Caesar, the first in 1950, the second in 1970 (also produced by Peter Snell).

Home video

The film received poor reviews[4] and, as a consequence, a very limited release in the United States. It was released on DVD in March 2011.[5]

References
  1. Mills, Bart. (26 March 1972). "Heston plays hero for Bard". Chicago Tribune. p. j16.
  2. "Antony and Cleopatra : Overview". MSN. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  3. Rothwell, Kenneth S. (28 October 2004). A History of Shakespeare on Screen: A Century of Film and Television. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-54311-8.
  4. Rosenthal, Daniel. "Shakespeare on Film: Antony and Cleopatra". MovieMaker. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  5. Antony & Cleopatra: Movies & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 14 November 2011.
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