Film adaptations of plays

[kelby_lake]

Plays that worked brilliantly on the stage can come off as too stagey and static when made into a film. So, which plays (yes, this includes Shakespeare) made the transition?

[janesmith]

The Merchant of Venice- Al Pacino/Jeremy Irons

[Sebas. Melmoth]

Doubt is a fascinating film from a play.
http://www.amazon.com/Doubt-Meryl-Streep/dp/B001PA0FFO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1272997300&sr=1-2
Mamet's The Winslow Boy.
http://www.amazon.com/Winslow-Boy-Rebecca-Pidgeon/dp/B0000372I3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1272997366&sr=1-1
Sleuth.
http://www.amazon.com/Sleuth-Laurence-Olivier/dp/B00005R24G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1272997410&sr=1-4
Hamlet.
http://www.amazon.com/Hamlet-David-Tennant/dp/B0038RSJ0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1272997461&sr=1-1

[keilj]

I thought the film of Glenngary Glenn Ross was downright great

[Sebas. Melmoth]

I thought the film of Glenngary Glenn Ross was downright great

Awesome.

Homicide and The Spanish Prisoner as well.

Caveat: avoid Edmond like the plague, however: dreadful with no redeeming value whatsoever.

[kelby_lake]

We have to mention Streetcar :D

[keilj]

I know it's an older movie - but Twelve Angry Men was pretty darn good. I loved Henry Fonda's climactic speech

[Janine]

I have a lot of plays on film. I will have to think about which ones I feel are successful. I agree - some seem too stagey. This applies to film adaptations as well, but now the BBC has gotten away from that stiff format and they have some very fine productions based on plays and books, stories.

[jadrianne]

Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet and Henry V.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Earnest was the better of the two in terms of it's adaptation to film.

A significant number of Hitchcock's films were adaptations from plays, the most successful in my opinion being Dial M for Murder. It translated brilliantly.

Reginald Rose's play 12 Angry Men also made for a stellar film.

There are also adaptations such as 10 Things I Hate About You and O, "modern-day re-tellings" of Shakespeare's works.

[Satan]

12 Angry Men, yes! I would also add Sleuth (both 1972 and 2007), Hamlet, Titus, Amadeus, Equus and Ran to the list.

[hampusforev]

"Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?" is great, believe me, almost too scary at times. There's a BRILLIANT adaption of Pinter's Betrayal... I think it was made for TV so I'm not sure if you can get it, but Jeremy Irons and Ben Kingsley played the main parts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betrayal_(1983_film)

You have Lumet's (who directed 12 Angry Men) version of Long Day's Journey Into Night. I liked Polanski's version of Macbeth... Hm what else is there? Dennis Potter's "Brimstone and Treacle" and the BBC version of Ibsens Ghost, which I loved, perhaps it is a bit "theatrical" though, rather than a visual treat of a film.

Orson Welles did a great version of Othello... Well I could go on ramblin'

[dfloyd]

Richard Burton, Liz, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis was the best. Pygmalion with Leslie Howard (pre World War II) was played the way Shaw wanted it. Streetcar Named Desire with Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Kim Hunter and Vivien Leigh has to be one of the great adaptations to film. Made before Brando got fat.

[Modest Proposal]

Some of these named are my favorites. For some less popular/well-known plays: "Frost/Nixon" is really good and I remember liking "A Few Good Men".

[mal4mac]

The Merchant of Venice- Al Pacino/Jeremy Irons

I'll second that. Others:

Polanski's Macbeth
Brannagh's Much Ado About Nothing. (I'm ambivalent about his Henry V, he's a great actor and director & he's not static or stagey, but I'm not sure he can pull off the King parts...)
Olivier's Henry V
My Fair Lady (does that count as an adaptation of Pygmalion?)

[janesmith]

Joe Orton's "Entertaining Mr. Sloane"

[Janine]

Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet and Henry V.

Yeah!:iagree:

How about his "Much Ado About Nothing" ?

[Janine]

"Girl With a Pearl Earring"...I read the book and it's almost verbatim. Love the movie!

[kiki1982]

Yes, Much Ado about Nothing and the rest of Brannagh's Shakespeare!

[Emil Miller]

John Osborne's The Entertainer was very well adapted from the original stage version.

A spot on adaptation is The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Willams; not the remake but the original version with Jane Wyman and Kirk Douglas which, annoyingly, isn't available on DVD.

Julius Caesar with Marlon Brando, John Gielgud and James Mason is very well done.

[dfloyd]

is a good one. I had forgotten James Mason, aka Humbert Humbert, was in that one. Several Eugene O'Neill plays have film adaptations: The Iceman Cometh and Long Day's Journey into Night are two that come to mind. There are several films of both novels and plays which are not available on DVD. I have seen The Glass Menagerie with Kirk Douglas, and it is excellent. A novel not available, unless you buy an old VHS tape, is The Brothers Karamazov. Not a bad movie with Fyodor Karamazov portrayed by Lee J. Cobb. A young Captain Kirk as Alyosha will be a surprise. Richard Basehart and Yul Brynner are Ivan and Dmitri.

[Vautrin]

I couldn't finish watching Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

I think Gary Oldman is one of greatest actors out there and he did a good job; however, this adaptation of the play did not translate into a good film.

Many people love this movie. I thought it failed in some respects. The cinematography was good, though.

[dfloyd]

he is one of the finest actor on screen today. I try to watch all his films. Next up is an older one which I have watched before: Romeo Is Bleeding. About a woman who, like Pynchon's V., keeps losing parts of her anatomy. I don't know where the filmakers got the story line. but it is a bizarre movie. I have had Rosencranz & Guildenstern checked out from the library twice, but didn't get around to viewing it before it was due back. Well, the third time's a charm.

[OrphanPip]

HBO produced a TV film of Edson's Wit that was pretty good, it starred Emma Thompsom. Harold Pinter also had a small role in it, his last role before his death I think.

[dfloyd]

The first movie I saw Richard Burton in was Osborne's 'Look Back in Anger". This was in the fifties before Elizabeth Taylor.

[Emil Miller]

That was the play which brought John Osborne to public prominence as the original 'Angry Young Man' and was successfully filmed. It heralded the era of 'kitchen sink' drama in the Uk and the theatre has been sinking ever since.
Burton was an actor whose talent was largely misused by Hollywood although there are notable exceptions.

[kelby_lake]

"Girl With a Pearl Earring"...I read the book and it's almost verbatim. Love the movie!

Not originally a play, although it was adapted into one- which bombed and was universally panned.

[Lokasenna]

A couple of people have mentioned Polanski's Macbeth, which is certainly above average. However, is there no love for Trevor Nunn's film version, with Ian McKellan and Judi Dench in the leading roles? It is without a doubt the most powerful piece of drama on film I have ever experienced - dark and nightmarish, a masterpiece of tense psychology. I don't want to spoil the best bits (suffice it to say that this production's sleep-walking scene has woken me up at 3 AM in a cold sweat more than once), but here's a taster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xHlngY6Bgk

{edit} I've changed my mind: here is the sleep-walking scene. If the first clip has convinced you to watch, then save it for the film, but if you just want to see it, then have a watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOkyZWQ2bmQ

[kelby_lake]

That was the play which brought John Osborne to public prominence as the original 'Angry Young Man' and was successfully filmed. It heralded the era of 'kitchen sink' drama in the Uk and the theatre has been sinking ever since.
Burton was an actor whose talent was largely misused by Hollywood although there are notable exceptions.

I prefer the Branagh version (1989) :)

[Emil Miller]

I prefer the Branagh version (1989) :)

I didn't intend to imply that Look Back in Anger was an American film. It was made by a company called Woodfall Productions set up by John Osborne and Tony Richardson to bring the play to the screen, alhough it subsequently went on to produce other films. Burton's sojourn in the USA found him acting in some pretty dire extravaganzas aimed at the broad cinema going public rather than those of a more discriminating disposition. However, films such as My Cousin Rachel and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold ,which were American productions, gave him ample scope to show what a good actor he was.
I don't know much about Branagh except that he is currently playing a rather gloomy Swede called Wallander in a TV series. I haven't seen it but I saw him in a TV play some years ago and was quite impressed.

[mal4mac]

I really liked Brannagh's Wallander, he does 'seedy cop' very well.

Anyone seen Brannagh's Magic Flute? I really liked it, but it's not for purists! The Queen of the Night makes her first appearance in a giant battle tank...

[wessexgirl]

A couple of people have mentioned Polanski's Macbeth, which is certainly above average. However, is there no love for Trevor Nunn's film version, with Ian McKellan and Judi Dench in the leading roles? It is without a doubt the most powerful piece of drama on film I have ever experienced - dark and nightmarish, a masterpiece of tense psychology. I don't want to spoil the best bits (suffice it to say that this production's sleep-walking scene has woken me up at 3 AM in a cold sweat more than once), but here's a taster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xHlngY6Bgk

{edit} I've changed my mind: here is the sleep-walking scene. If the first clip has convinced you to watch, then save it for the film, but if you just want to see it, then have a watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOkyZWQ2bmQ

I agree Lok. I have this version of Macbeth and it's indeed chilling. Very intense, and close-up and dark. Both Judi Dench and Ian McKellen are excellent. I noticed that the Jane Lapotaire version was on the clip too, and I have this but have yet to watch it. Polanski's version is great, but no other actress comes close to JD in that role.

[wessexgirl]

I really liked Brannagh's Wallander, he does 'seedy cop' very well.

Anyone seen Brannagh's Magic Flute? I really liked it, but it's not for purists! The Queen of the Night makes her first appearance in a giant battle tank...

I love Branagh's Wallander, but "seedy" suggests that he's a bit ....well you know.....dubious. I prefer to see him as "angst-ridden". He definitely plays the part of a man on the edge, but full of integrity, exceedingly well, but then he's a wonderful actor. I have yet to see his Magic Flute, but as I love the opera, I will certainly get around to it.

[kiki1982]

I have the impression that Brannagh's Wallander was done differently to the Swedish one which has a lot more atmosphere to it. They are broadcasting it now on BBC4 every Saturday and I like it much better than Brannagh's though I thought his was good.

I just think that firstly, Brannagh, on balance, is much too young. Wallander is close to his retirement. Brannagh is not nearly so old. Secondly, that the emotional content was much too omnipresent in comparison with the overall idea in the Swedish one. The BBC tends to overdo emotional stuff now, at the cost of quality. However, that might be an impression only because as I understand, Brannagh's Wallander was later on in the series of books where the Swedish one has done everything, so is still reasonably at the start... We will see.

If we are looking at minor novels then I'd put up David Suchet's Inspector Poirot. Sublime! He is Belgian, in every aspect. And I am one too. I recognise so much of Belgium in that man: likes to live well, doesn't like mud but 'the concrete under the feet', is very conservative and has his tisane every day at the same time, 'the grey cells' that have to do their work, the fact that he gets angry when people call him French and that kind of quirky stuff. It is amazing how Christie captured that. Although I have learned that the further ITV goes into the series of books, the further they go away from the original plot-line. I still like to watch them though. The difference between Ustinov and Suchet is earth and heaven!

[dfloyd]

enjoyed them very much. I am an admirer of Art Deco architecture and furnishings, and these are given to the viewer in buckets full. Poirot is also quite a dandy in dress; he wears his French cuffs at least a full cuff length below his jacket. I have only seen this on Poirot, and not on any other dandy from that period. I also like his sidekick, Captain ?????, whose name I cannot remember. This actor also played Archie who was always being sent on errands of trust by Nero Wolf who didn't like to leave his New York brownstone with its orchid-growing rooftop. These two roles were similar, but the next time I saw him he played the Duke of Wellington in the Sharp series on Masterpiece Theatre. As a Belgian, you should know the deciding battle won by the Duke over his nemesis, Boney.

[Emil Miller]

enjoyed them very much. I am an admirer of Art Deco architecture and furnishings, and these are given to the viewer in buckets full. Poirot is also quite a dandy in dress; he wears his French cuffs at least a full cuff length below his jacket. I have only seen this on Poirot, and not on any other dandy from that period. I also like his sidekick, Captain ?????, whose name I cannot remember. This actor also played Archie who was always being sent on errands of trust by Nero Wolf who didn't like to leave his New York brownstone with its orchid-growing rooftop. These two roles were similar, but the next time I saw him he played the Duke of Wellington in the Sharp series on Masterpiece Theatre. As a Belgian, you should know the deciding battle won by the Duke over his nemesis, Boney.

I find Poirot to be incredibly camp and the production values for the TV series rather too obvious and so I don't take it seriously. What is ironic, is that the actor who plays Captain Hastings has also portrayed the Duke of Wellington on American TV. The Duke of Wellington was instrumental in creating Belgium after the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo.

[wessexgirl]

enjoyed them very much. I am an admirer of Art Deco architecture and furnishings, and these are given to the viewer in buckets full. Poirot is also quite a dandy in dress; he wears his French cuffs at least a full cuff length below his jacket. I have only seen this on Poirot, and not on any other dandy from that period. I also like his sidekick, Captain ?????, whose name I cannot remember. This actor also played Archie who was always being sent on errands of trust by Nero Wolf who didn't like to leave his New York brownstone with its orchid-growing rooftop. These two roles were similar, but the next time I saw him he played the Duke of Wellington in the Sharp series on Masterpiece Theatre. As a Belgian, you should know the deciding battle won by the Duke over his nemesis, Boney.

The actor who plays Captain Hastings alongside David Suchet is Hugh Fraser. I don't think he was in the Nero Wolfe series, unless it was a different series to the one I've seen here in the UK. Poirot is very good, real quality tv. The stories may be a bit far-fetched, but it's appointment to view tv, with wonderful production values.

I think the BBC Wallander's were filmed out of synch with the books, so we first saw Wallander after some very traumatic experiences which had left him how he was. I don't think Ken is too young, as I didn't think Wallander was near retirement age.

[dfloyd]

One with the actor who played Captain Hastings and one with a very dapper Archie whose name I cannot remember. As I remember, I think the one with Captain Hastings was with Raymond Burr as Nero Wolfe. The other had a very, very overweight actor who was more as Rex Stout envisioned Wolfe. In fact, I think this actor was from eastern Europe. The fictional Wolfe was supposedly from the Balkans somewhere.

[Sebas. Melmoth]

Laurence Olivier's Othello
http://www.amazon.com/Othello-Laurence-Olivier/dp/B000QGE8IS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1273581184&sr=1-1





Georges Simeon's Maigret with Bruno Crémer:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=maigret+cremer&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images

[kelby_lake]

I really liked Brannagh's Wallander, he does 'seedy cop' very well.


I'd say melancholy or depressed...seedy makes him sound like a pervert.

[Emil Miller]

Laurence Olivier's Othello
http://www.amazon.com/Othello-Laurence-Olivier/dp/B000QGE8IS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1273581184&sr=1-1





Georges Simeon's Maigret with Bruno Crémer:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=maigret+cremer&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images

For people living in the UK, the archetypal Maigret was Rupert Davies who played the part brilliantly in the early 1960s. The episodes were filmed in Paris and were entirely authentic in the decor and Gallic attitudes of the time. They were one of the few television programmes I really enjoyed watching. No other detective series that I've seen comes anywhere near it. It is almost magical being able to see these extracts from a time before the proverbial **** hit the fan.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YD98EMPHAM

[Sebas. Melmoth]

For people living in the UK, the archetypal Maigret was Rupert Davies who played the part brilliantly in the early 1960s. The episodes were filmed in Paris and were entirely authentic in the decor and Gallic attitudes of the time.

I should have thought it was rather Michael Gambon, but no one can beat Bruno Crémer as Maigret.

[Emil Miller]

I should have thought it was rather Michael Gambon, but no one can beat Bruno Crémer as Maigret.

I suppose it depends on whether one experienced the series with Rupert Davies. The Michael Gambon attempt wasn't successful because it didn't match the authenticity of the original series. It had to be filmed in Budapest because the Paris of Maigret's day had changed. I saw only one of the Gambon series and it just couldn't compete.
There have been several foreign TV versions of the Maigret stories even one with Jean Gabin I noticed. The Italian version looks pretty good too but, for my part, Rupert Davies will always be the essential Commissaire Maigret.