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Richard III Overview:

Richard III (1955) was a Historical - Drama Film directed by Laurence Olivier and produced by Laurence Olivier and Alexander Korda.

Academy Awards 1956 --- Ceremony Number 29 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorSir Laurence OlivierNominated
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Richard III BlogHub Articles:

Richard III and Disinformation in TOWER OF LONDON (1939)

By Jennifer Garlen on May 8, 2019 From Virtual Virago

One probably doesn't go looking for timely political commentary in a film like Tower of London (1939), which offers a mashup of history and horror in its retelling of the bloody rise and fall of England's most reviled monarch. Much of the plot is familiar to viewers thanks to broad cultural awarenes... Read full article

“Is There a Murderer Here?”: The Great Villainy of Richard III

By Margaret Perry on Apr 17, 2015 From Margaret Perry

It is no secret how much I love the Shakespeare – the Immortal Bard has been the subject of many a post on this blog. Shakespeare’s plays are timeless in that they are often rejuvenated in film form. Movie lovers who wrestled with the gruelling texts during their high school years have r... Read full article

Richard III (Laurence Olivier, 1955)

By Judy on Apr 25, 2014 From Movie Classics

This is my contribution to the Great Villain Blogathon, hosted by the Silver Screenings, Shadows & Satin and Speakeasy blogs. Please do visit and read the great range of postings for this event. For millions who were never lucky enough to see Laurence Olivier play Shakespeare on stage, the n... Read full article

SIFF 2013: Olivier Plots in Bold Color, Richard III (1955)

By KC on Jun 2, 2013 From Classic Movies

</embed> (d: Laurence Olivier c: Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Claire Bloom, Cedric Hardwicke, United Kingdom 1955, 161 min) That English battlefield looked a lot like Southern California to me! The above was said loudly in the line for the ladies' loo after a screening of the... Read full article

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Richard III Quotes:

Richard III: And therefore since I cannot prove a lover,To entertain these fair well-spoken days,I am determined to prove a villain,and hate the idle pleasures of these days.
The Lord Hastings: The cat, the rat, and Lovell the dog / Rule all England under the hog.
Richard III: Conscience is a word that cowards use.
Richard III: I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall,I'll slay more glazers than the basilisk,I'll play the orator as well as Nestor,Deceive more slyly than Ulysses could,And, like a Sinon, take another Troy,I can add colours to the chameleon,Change shapes with Proteus for advantages,And set the murderous Machiavel to school.Can I do this,and cannot get a crown?Tut were it farther off,I'll pluck it down.
Richard III: Look how my ring encompasseth thy finger. Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart. Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
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Richard III Facts
Olivier wanted to cast Orson Welles in the role of Buckingham, but life-long friend Sir Ralph Richardson wanted the role, and Olivier gave it to him. In his autobiography, Olivier says he wishes he had disappointed Richardson and cast Welles instead as he would have brought an extra element to the screen, an intelligence that would have gone well with the plot element of conspiracy.
The liner notes on the Criterion Collection's DVD of this film states mistakenly that NBC-TV's premiere broadcast of the film in March 1956 was in black-and-white. Actually, NBC, the network that prided itself as the color pioneer of the three major U.S. TV networks at the time, did indeed run the movie in color. In fact, the Arts and Leisure section of the New York Times, dated March 11, lists numerous advertisements by Manhattan merchandisers for new color television sets, coinciding with the Sunday afternoon broadcast of the movie.
The line "Richard's himself again" spoken to camera on the morning of the battle of Bosworth is not by Shakespeare. It comes from an acting edition of Shakespeare's text by Colley Cibber (1671-1757). Richard's line "Off with his head! So much for Buckingham" also comes from Colley Cibber's alteration of the play.
Although Laurence Olivier was 47 when the film was made, the real King Richard III was only 32 when he died. King Edward IV was 40 when he died but was played by 61-year-old Cedric Hardwicke.
The actor Bernard Hepton was a technical advisor on the battle-sequence and can be seen in close-up as one of the soldiers putting the knife into Richard.
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