The Taming of the Shrew

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Liz and Dick (a.k.a. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) almost seemed to be importing the psychodramas of their marriage into this 1967 film (of course, the same was true of every film they made together). Adapted from Shakespeare's play and directed by Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet) with his usual eye for sumptuousness, this version of Taming features a particularly boisterous, bawdy, fun performance by its stars. Composer Nino Rota--best known for scoring several of Fellini's best-known works--received a National Board of Reviews award for his vivid soundtrack. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Taming of the Shrew.......2007-08-24

This is a great movie. Liz Taylor and Richard Burton make Shakespeare understandable and fun.

A fun rendition.......2007-08-09

Baptista has two daughters: the eldest is Kate the cursed and beautiful Bianca. Everyone wants to marry Bianca but Baptista insists that it has to be Kate first. Suitors rivaling over Bianca have to find someone desperate enough to marry Kate for economic purpose.

One of the things that make this movie is all the money that was put onto the props and costumes. Of course with the big named actors and Franco Zeffirelli money for the program is naturally available.

Elisabeth Taylor can make squinty eyes and does not use her naturally squeaky voice. The film stays true to the story however it does not come near the professional and just a fun 1980 BBC version production with John Cleese as Petruchio.

The Taming of the Shrew.......2007-07-13

At the time this movie was produced, I had mixed feelings about it,until I went back and viewed it a second time. I watched Richard Burton and Elizabeth and looked at them as as husband and wife. The movie fell into place. They were not only husband & wife, but also, the worlds biggest lovers. Those two people worked good together. I found out later on that Elizabeth didn't know a lot of what happen to her was going to happen. That happen to be one of Richard Burtons little surprises for her. But, Elizabeth did tell us all how she felt about Burton at the end of the film. . . . . It was a wife speaking of her husband, whom she dearly loved. That's one of the films that will live forever.

RedBus 14.

How Fares Thee, Kate? Answer: Fine!.......2007-07-07

In Italy, Franco Zeffirelli is best known for his work in grand opera, and he brought all his experience in this larger than life art form to bear upon the two films for which he is best known, the 1968 ROMEO AND JULIET and the 1967 THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.

Scholars usually consider Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW to be among the playwrights lesser works, but it has been an audience favorite since its first known performance in 1594. Although many suitors beg for Bianca's hand, her widowed father is determined that she may not marry until her elder sister Katherine is wed--and Katherine is a hot tempered, willful, and vicious woman who makes life miserable for all who cross her path. Fortunately for Bianca, Petruchio is in need of money, and he is more than willing to marry Kate, no matter how resistant Kate herself is to the whole idea.

Shakespeare's original script has been trimmed here and there, and while purists may scream about it the result not only works for film, it also manages to capture the flavor of Shakespeare's language much better than any other film version of SHREW both before or since. And the look of the thing is beautiful: Zeffirelli brings his mastery of opera's larger than life visuals to bear upon the project, and the result is eye-popping production values, most particularly in reference to the costuming. Every cent spent shows on the screen.

Although she was a very fine screen actress, Elizabeth Taylor is not a name one would expect to find playing Shakespeare--but she carries it off in fine style, kicking, snapping, and snarling with tremendous panache in the first portion of the film, and then making Kate's "taming" seem entirely plausible in the latter portion. Unlike many later Shakespeare plays, SHREW is not greatly noted for its language; even so, Katherine's final speech is widely known and extremely memorable, and Taylor pulls it off with such credibility that one wishes she had done other classical roles as well.

Taylor's then-husband Richard Burton co-stars as the deliberately uncouth Petruchio, who sets out to tame a shrew and finds himself as much tamed by her as she by him. Burton, of course, was accustomed to the classics in general and Shakespeare in particular, and he plays with tremendous bravado. The supporting cast, which includes a young Michael York, is also very fine, and when all is said and done the 1964 THE TAMING OF THE SHREW is a tremendous amount of fun even if you don't like Shakespeare.

The DVD transfer is very nice. The picture has the occasional blemish, most often in the opening titles and closing credits, but on the whole it is remarkable, showing every detail of every set and every costume to fine effect. The sound is also quite good. Sad to say, there is really nothing in the way of bonus material, but the film is the thing, and Taylor, Burton, York, and Zefirelli do it up brown. More than just worth watching: worth owning.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The Taming of the Shrew.......2007-07-02

One year before his outstanding adaptation of the Bard's "Romeo and Juliet", Zeffirelli displays all his buoyant energy and stylistic flair in making this venerable old comedy fresh and exciting. With the exception of Albee's "Virginia Woolf" made the prior year, on- and off-again spouses Taylor and Burton were never better teamed. A young Michael York and crafty Cyril Cusack stand out with veteran Hordern in a stellar supporting cast. Here's another Kate worth kissing.

The Taming of the Shrew (Broadway Theatre Archive)

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Hilarious and absolutely brilliant
Clear, Concise and REALLY FUN TO WATCH!
If only all Shakespeare productions were this Great!
Energy and Joy
One of the classics!

The Taming of the Shrew (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Starring: Raye Birk , Earl Boen , Ron Boussom , Barbara Dirickson , and Bobby F. Ellerbee
Director: Kirk Browning
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00006G8HO
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Description

San Francisco's prize-winning American Conservatory Theater's rowdy commedia dell'arte production incorporates slapstick, pratfall and earthy humor into William Shakespeare's comedy about the two unmarried daughters of a wealthy Italian merchant. While daughter Bianca is genteel and popular, daughter Kate is foul-tempered and strong-willed. No one dares to marry Kate, until Petruchio arrives in Padua and tries his hand at courtship. "...delivered with such clarity." --The New York Times. With Fredi Olster, Marc Singer, Stephen St. Paul, Sandra Shotwell, and William Paterson.

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious and absolutely brilliant.......2007-07-04

I doubt that I'll ever see a better "Shrew" than this American Conservatory Theatre production, and I've seen several Shrews in my life. William Ball's decision to stage it in the commedia dell'arte style was a stroke of genius that contextualizes the plot and energizes the comedy. It allowed him to drop the awkward and incomplete frame Shakespeare provides in his prologue. In its place he gives us a much more satisfying literal frame in which the bare acting area is surrounded by an "offstage" where the musicians and the clowns sit in view alongside any actors who are not involved in the current scene.

From the moment when the first clowns suss out the space and then tip-toe elaborately onto the stage, we know we're in for something extraordinary. A lesser director and a less talented cast might not be able to sustain this elaborate conceit -- actors acting actors in a play within a play. But the energy, the audacity, the comedy, and the fun never flag. The performance is transporting. And after the bows and the applause, after the players retire, after the last clown stealthily closes the gate like the last fairy at daybreak removing the final evidence of their frolic, we return to ordinary space and understand that theatre like this is as close to magic as we're likely to get.

That brings me to a practical point. I taught high school English for many years and covered a lot of Shakespeare in that time. Without any doubt, I can say that this production is how you seduce teenagers into enjoying Shakespeare. With any class in any year, it works. Ten minutes in, and even a Grade 10 technical class is lapping it up and begging for more. The action so illuminates the lines, and the actors speak so well, that you don't even need texts; they just get in the way. The tomfoolery and the generous eye candy ensure that nobody gets bored, so nobody gets left behind. Commedia dell'arte can be very broad, and this play is as well, so if your school administration or your community is prudish, you should perhaps be cautious. But in any other school, bring it on!

Clear, Concise and REALLY FUN TO WATCH!.......2007-04-05

This is a fantastic version of TAMING OF THE SHREW. For anyone who is interested in really studying the text (and hearing it spoken correctly), this is the version for you! The actors speak clearly and loudly and the main point is that they completely understand what they are saying - (yipee!) They also have an uncanny way of "speaking the speech" which gets it across to the audience as clear as day. You dont need to understand 'Shakespearean verse' to see this performance. The actors breeze through this with ease and simplicity and look like they are having a blast - which I belive they are!

If only all Shakespeare productions were this Great!.......2007-03-11

I saw this live at ACT in San Francisco like another reviewer. I had seen Shakespearean movies before but this was my first attendence at a live staging of one of his plays. Wow! It was fantastic. I was just telling our dinner guests tonight that every production I see of Shakespeare's plays I compare to this one -- because it was The Best.

The stage sets are minimal, but the costumes are vibrant, and the actors are energetic and speak their lines in a way that adds new insight to those who have only read the play. The scenes between Kate and Petruchio are delightful. I wish everyone who loves Shakespeare could have been there to see this version live.

Because of my attendence at this ACT stage peformance, I tend to be critical of many of the Hollywood versions of Shakespeare. They may have superior film quality and cinematography but they just cannot compare to stage versions in the quality of the acting and the clever interpretation of Shakespeare's lines. These stage versions bring Shakespeare to life. The actors make the lines in play come to life, adding humor to lines that did not seem funny when reading the play. The repartee in this stage version is wonderful.

Recommendation (I hope this is released on DVD too):
I do not know if this other ACT Shakespeare play production was filmed but I will mention it too: When the Geary theatre reopened in San Francisco after repairs of the damage from the 1989 earthquake, the ACT christened the opening of the refurbished theatre with a production of The Tempest. This is apparently a stage tradition ensuring good luck for the theatre just as putting on Macbeth is considered bad luck. I convinced my husband that we HAD to go see the Tempest. I told him how wonderful the ACT Taming of the Shrew had been.

While not quite as exciting (for me) as the ACT Taming of the Shrew from the 70s, The Tempest was still very good. I had read the play at least twice before hand and seeing it staged at ACT was eye-opening. Again, lines that did not seem funny when reading the play became hilarious with the interpretion of them by the ACT actors. Again, the stage set was minimal, the costumes superb and the acting excellent. This ACT version also incorporated some very creative puppetry. This was my husband's first exposure to Shakespeare on stage. He was blown away.

Energy and Joy.......2007-01-03

The Taming of the Shrew is not my favorite Shakespeare play - too politically incorrect! - but this is one of my favorite versions of any Shakespeare. The stage is set in a plain manner, making no attempt to gloss over the fact that it is, in fact, a play - as opposed to dazzling and distracting the audience with background. The spareness of the set, even the choice of the colors used for the costumes, keep the attention focused on the actors and Shakespeare's amazing language.

The ascetic nature of the set is more than made up for by the exuberance of the actors and the exaggerated, but breathtaking choreography. Lines come to life in a way that make you laugh aloud: "Methinks you walk like a stranger," and "My eyes were dazzled by the -- sun?" are two memorable examples. Grumio's halitosis, Bianca's sighs, Hortensio and the broken lute - to say nothing of the cheers that erupt whenever Padua is mentioned - these all are instances of the marvelous directing and the cast's ability to manage the split-second pace.

A special tribute must be made to Marc Singer, who, as Petruchio, carries much of the play - as well as many of the other actors! He's extremely easy on the eye, and is explicitly appreciated by Fredi Olster in her role as the cursed Katerina. She brings depth to her role, too, by the expression in her eyes, and you realize that during the course of the play she has tamed Mad Petruchio.

As a DVD, there's not much offered in the way of special features. But don't let that stop you from buying it! It brings Shakespeare to life with both energy and joy, and you will adore having it perform in your living room.

One of the classics!.......2006-09-18

This is another memory in my favorite plays - I saw this on A&E in the '80's and fell in love with Marc Singer - his acting, his looks - this version from the ACT in San Francisco is sensuous, and gives a mighty kick to the play - makes a delightful play even more so.
I have been looking for this version since I saw it and never found it - Now here it is on Amazon!
This series - Broadway Theatre Achives - is a great way to open the world of Shakespeare to those who think Shakespeare doesn't relate to present day - or just want a delightful version of this classics.

The Plays of William Shakespeare - The Taming of The Shrew

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The Taming of the Shrew
Awful at any price

The Plays of William Shakespeare - The Taming of The Shrew
Starring: Franklin Seales , Karen Austin , Kathryn Johnson , and Larry Drake
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000059XTW
Release Date: 2001-01-30

Description

The clearest and most understandable Shakespeare productions ever made. Staged as seen in the 16th Century, featuring award-winning performers. The ever-popular play examining the comedy of courtship. Starring Franklin Seales, Karen Austin, Kathryn Johnson and Larry Drake. 115 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

The Taming of the Shrew.......2004-03-20

I saw this movie years ago and loved it. When I saw it on Amazon I knew I had to have it, especiallly since it was one of my favorite Shakesphere plays. The actors have done an excellent job capturing the fire and wit of the characters, I thourghly enjoyed it.

Awful at any price.......2001-06-29

One star is too high a rating for this production of Taming of the Shrew. It was so campy and cheap that it was a torture to watch. I wanted to throw something at the screen everytime Grumio mugged directly into the camera lens. The tinny and repetitive synthesized music is also extremely grating on the nerves. The cover literature of this cheaply packaged disc makes a point of stating that "English accents... are absent from this series" in order to achieve "clarity of both language and story." Translate this as: "Dumbed-down for North Americans." I'm insulted! This disc is awful at any price.

Average customer rating:

Who Cares That Its Shakespeare?
A Shakespeare Comedy still funny in our day

The Taming of the Shrew
Starring: Joseph Cawthorn , Clyde Cook , Douglas Fairbanks , Dorothy Jordan , and Edwin Maxwell
Director: Sam Taylor
Manufacturer: Telavista
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007TKOGY
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Description

This "talkie" is the only film co-starring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. This print is from the 1966 re-release, the only film Miss Pickford allowed since her retirement. It is faithful to the original except that new music and new sound effects were added by Mr. Marty Kemp of the Mary Pickford Company during his painstaking restoration of the film. Seven minutes of the footage that were in the original were removed in bits and pieces to tighten the editing and the sound of the voices was improved by new re-recording techniques since only the original sound discs, scratched and deteriorated over the years remained as the source material.

Customer Reviews:

Who Cares That Its Shakespeare?.......2005-09-09

Shakespeare is always difficult to watch for most people, especially when it is left in any of the original dialogue. It seems inaccessible and silly for the most part. This version of the Taming of the Shrew retains some of the original dialogue although much has been changed while remaining similar. However, it is acted well and with comprehension which helps the reader to understand the motives behind the words even if the words are not heard absolutely clearly or if they are not completely understood. This is thanks to their training on the stage and the silent screen.

This film is also hindered by its being an early talkie made only in 1929, two years after the first talkie was made. The technology was crude, often planting actors near stationary objects where microphones could be hidden and employing large gaps of silence between spoken word. Unexpectedly though, this film is neither static nor silent. It abounds with action and cleverly placed points for speaking so that the actors could move around when not delivering lines. It also used background music to pad scenes that had no dialogue and sound effects when necessary. What results is a film that technologically was ahead of its time.

Part of the draw to this film was the stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, Hollywood's golden couple. The two were in their downfall, and making this film together contributed to the tension between them. Still, they have tremendous chemistry and talent which enables them to give a wonderful show. However, it seems to be more of a vehicle to showcase Fairbanks than Pickford.

This film, although ridden with a few Shakespearean stereotypes such as quivering jesters and servants, has a modern comedic flair. Mary Pickford's excellent screwball-esque timing and Douglas Fairbanks' overbearingly forward personality prove that the two should not have been on the decline. Sadly, the public wanted new stars to replace the ones they had loved so dearly during the silent era. This is the only reason that this film was not the large success that it should have been. For a Shakespeare film, it is wonderful.

A Shakespeare Comedy still funny in our day.......2005-06-16

This is a rather unusual and special old film, originally made in 1929 and restored with new music and some editing for a re-release in 1966, and which has now been digitally remastered for this DVD. The main thing to strike the general viewer as unusual or special is its blend of Shakespearian dialogue, medieval European setting and slapstick-style comedy, but once accustomed to the language, this farcical story is as fresh and funny as any contemporary comedy. Needless to say, the material of Shakespeare's best-known work is timeless, and "The Taming of the Shrew" is no exception. The story is about a rich merchant who wants to marry off his eldest daughter, Katherine, but no one will have her because of her bad temper and penchant for whip-cracking and throwing objects across the room. Then along comes Petruchio who happily embraces the challenge to tame this shrew, and does so by using reverse psychology and giving her a taste of her own medicine by deliberately irritating, humiliating and contradicting her at every turn. But will she weaken, or work out what he's doing and reverse the psychology? Anyone with a good sense of humour will find plenty of laughs such as Petruchio's loud chomping on an apple during the wedding ceremony to annoy Katherine and break her wild spirit, and one wonders how much of this approach might really work for such shrewish personalities!

The main characters of Katherine and Petruchio are masterfully portrayed by Hollywood's most popular couple of the 1920s: Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, and "The Taming of the Shrew" was their first - and alas, last - picture they made together. Fairbanks grew up with Shakespeare and began his acting career in a Shakespearian play, but ended up doing comedies on Broadway before his famous decade of action/adventure films in the 1920s, playing characters like Zorro, Robin Hood and D'Artagnan. When the sound era began in 1929, Fairbanks was no doubt eager to do a Shakespeare play with the new medium of sound film. Although some audiences might not have liked the sudden change in characters for both of these big stars, I personally enjoyed seeing them in very different roles, especially Mary Pickford as the bad-tempered shrew which is in total contrast to her famous "America's Sweetheart" screen persona. Both of them give a powerful and memorable performance, and this new DVD edition has very good picture and sound quality. My only quibble is that the speech is a bit difficult to understand at times; perhaps a combination of the Shakespearian dialogue and the age of the recording, but not bad enough to lose the plot or miss any witty remarks in this timeless farce about shrews, marriage and the men who attempt to tame a shrew.

The Shakespeare Collection - Romeo and juliet/Taming Of The Shrew / Twelfth Night/The Tempest (Boxset)

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The Shakespeare Collection - Romeo and juliet/Taming Of The Shrew / Twelfth Night/The Tempest (Boxset)

ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NGIPEE

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Shakespeare: The Taming Of The Shrew

Manufacturer: Morningstar
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000CA1F2
Release Date: 2004-07-27

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Taming of the Shrew
Starring: Karen Austin , Franklyn Seales , Bruce Davison , Larry Drake , and Jeremy Lawrence
Director: John Allison (III)
Manufacturer: Tapeworm Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305239436
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Average customer rating:

Taming of the Shrew
A fun rendition
The Taming of the Shrew
How Fares Thee, Kate? Answer: Fine!
The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew [Region 2]
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor , Richard Burton , Cyril Cusack , Michael Hordern , and Alfred Lynch
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000059X0J

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Taming of the Shrew.......2007-08-24

This is a great movie. Liz Taylor and Richard Burton make Shakespeare understandable and fun.

A fun rendition.......2007-08-09

The Taming of the Shrew.......2007-07-13

How Fares Thee, Kate? Answer: Fine!.......2007-07-07

The Taming of the Shrew.......2007-07-02

The Taming of the Shrew / Ukrocshenie stroptivoj

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The Taming of the Shrew / Ukrocshenie stroptivoj

Manufacturer: Krupnyj Plan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Polnaja restavracija izobrazhenija i zvuka. JEta zamechatel'naja jekranizacija komedii Uil'jama SHekspira ne ostavit vas ravnodushnymi. Gordaja krasavica, doch' bogatogo patricija delaet vse vozmozhnoe, chtoby unizit' svoih zhenihov, kotoryh podyskivaet ej neschastnyj otec. No odnazhdy nashelsja chelovek, kotoryj sumel podchinit' sebe ee neukrotimyj nrav.

Taming of the Shrew- tThe Comedies, Histories and Tragedies of William Shakespeare

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Taming of the Shrew- tThe Comedies, Histories and Tragedies of William Shakespeare

Manufacturer: Ambrose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

John Cleese
BBC
Time-Life

ASIN: B000PGHEQM

DVD:

DVD

DVD