This title is also available in the following box set: Olivier’s Shakespeare
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Licensor Information
Janus Films
Directed by: Laurence Olivier
Featuring: Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Claire Bloom, Cedric Hardwicke, Alec Clunes, Laurence Naismith, Mary Kerridge, Norman Woodland, Esmond Knight, John Laurie, Paul Huson, Andy Shine, Pamela Brown, Clive Morton, Dan Cunningham, Douglas Wilmer, Michael Gough, Michael Ripper, Andrew Cruickshank, Stanley Baker
With Richard III, Laurence Olivier-as director, producer, and star-transfigures Shakespeare's great historical drama into a mesmerizing vision of Machiavellian villainy. Olivier's performance, viewed as the greatest of his career, charges Richard with magnetic malevolence as he steals his brother Edward's crown through a murderous set of machinations. His inspired direction brings to the screen superlative performances by veteran theater actors Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud and the young Claire Bloom. Filmed in VistaVision and Technicolor, The Criterion Collection is proud to present the restored full-length version for which Olivier received the 1956 British Academy Film Awards for Best Actor and Best Film.
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Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
DVD
Discs:
DVD-9 (1 Disc)
DVD-5 (1 Disc)
Total: 2 Discs
Regions:
1/2/3/4/5/6 (DVD)
Aspect Ratio:
1.66:1
Audio Options:
English Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Resolution:
480p/29.97
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Audio Commentary, Interview, Gallery, TV Spot, Theatrical Trailer, Insert
- Audio commentary by playwright and stage director Russell Lees and John Wilders, former governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company
- Interview with actor Laurence Olivier from a 1966 episode of the BBC series Great Acting, hosted by theater critic Kenneth Tynan
- Gallery of behind-the-scenes and production stills and posters, accompanied by excerpts from Olivier’s autobiography, On Acting
- Twelve-minute television trailer featuring footage of Olivier, producer Alexander Korda, and other cast and crew
- Original theatrical trailer
- Insert featuring an essay by Bruce Eder
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Film
Picture
Audio
Supplements
Artwork
Release Credits
Producer: Abbey Lustgarten
Artwork: Eva Wah
Release Notes on Restoration
Richard III
Since the original theatrical release of Laurence Olivier’s Richard III in April 1955, durations of the film have been published ranging anywhere from 155 minutes to l61 minutes. In the 1970s, the film reemerged but lacked nearly twenty minutes of the original adaptation. Unfortunately, the most complete version available on home video, Criterion’s 154-minute laserdisc reconstruction, was still missing a number of shots and segments of scenes when compared to the official "release script" filed by London Films In 1956. For this special edition DVD, the digital restoration is drawn from multiple film elements, and while some scenes show noticeable variation in image quality, this version of Richard III finally matches the official release script page for page.
Originally shot in VistaVision, the film is presented here in the European theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. 0n standard 4:3 televisions, the image will appear letterboxed. i0n standard and widescreen televisions, black bars may also be visible on the left and right to maintain the proper screen format. This new 24p high-definition digital transfer was made on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm color reversal intermediate. Missing scenes were inserted from newly rediscovered 35mm prints transferred on a Cintel C-Reality equipped with Oliver electronic wet-gate processing for dirt and scratch removal. The entire feature was restored using the i MTI Digital Restoration System, to remove thousands of Instances of dirt, debris, and scratches. The sound was mastered at 24-bit from several 35mm optical soundtrack prints. The Dolby Digital 1.O signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.
Originally shot in VistaVision, the film is presented here in the European theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. 0n standard 4:3 televisions, the image will appear letterboxed. i0n standard and widescreen televisions, black bars may also be visible on the left and right to maintain the proper screen format. This new 24p high-definition digital transfer was made on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm color reversal intermediate. Missing scenes were inserted from newly rediscovered 35mm prints transferred on a Cintel C-Reality equipped with Oliver electronic wet-gate processing for dirt and scratch removal. The entire feature was restored using the i MTI Digital Restoration System, to remove thousands of Instances of dirt, debris, and scratches. The sound was mastered at 24-bit from several 35mm optical soundtrack prints. The Dolby Digital 1.O signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.