Campanadas a medianoche (1965)

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

William Shakespeare (plays)
Raphael Holinshed (book)
(more)

Release Date:

17 March 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Plot:

The career of Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff as roistering companion to young Prince Hal, circa 1400-1413.

Plot Keywords:

Deep Focus | Historical | William Shakespeare | Based On Multiple Works | Shakespeare's Henry IV

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Orson Welles	...	Falstaff
Jeanne Moreau	...	Doll Tearsheet
Margaret Rutherford	...	Mistress Quickly
John Gielgud	...	Henry IV
Marina Vlady	...	Kate Percy
Walter Chiari	...	Mr. Silence
Michael Aldridge	...	Pistol
Julio Peña
Tony Beckley	...	Ned Poins
Andrés Mejuto
Keith Pyott
Jeremy Rowe	...	Prince John
Alan Webb	...	Shallow
Fernando Rey	...	Worcester
Keith Baxter	...	Prince Hal
Norman Rodway	...	Henry 'Hotspur' Percy
José Nieto	...	Northumberland
Andrew Faulds	...	Westmoreland
Charles Farrell
Fernando Hilbeck
Patrick Bedford	...	Bardolph (as Paddy Bedford)
Beatrice Welles	...	Falstaff's Page
Ralph Richardson	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luis Ciges	...	(uncredited)
Juan Estelrich	...	(uncredited)
Goyo Lebrero	...	(uncredited)
Luis Morris	...	(uncredited)
Ingrid Pitt	...	(uncredited)
Hector Roa	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Orson Welles

Writing credits
William Shakespeare		(plays "Henry IV", "Part I; Henry IV" and "Part II; Henry V; Richard III; The Merry Wives of Windsor")
Raphael Holinshed		(book "Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande")
Orson Welles		(writer)

Produced by
Ángel Escolano	....	producer
Emiliano Piedra	....	producer
Harry Saltzman	....	producer
Alessandro Tasca	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Angelo Francesco Lavagnino

Cinematography by
Edmond Richard

Film Editing by
Elena Jaumandreu
Frederick Muller		(as Fritz Muller)
Peter Parasheles

Set Decoration by
José Antonio de la Guerra

Makeup Department
Francisco Puyol	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gustavo Quintana	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jesus Franco	....	second unit director
Tony Fuentes	....	assistant director

Art Department
Rafael Ablanque	....	storyboard artist
José Antonio de la Guerra	....	executive art director

Camera and Electrical Department
Adolphe Charlet	....	camera operator
Jorge Herrero	....	camera operator: second unit
Alejandro Ulloa	....	director of photography: second unit
Alejandro Ulloa	....	second camera operator

Music Department
Carlo Franci	....	conductor
Carlo Franci	....	musical director
Luigi Urbini	....	conductor

Other crew
Miguel Ángel Bermejo	....	production assistant
Juan Cobos	....	assistant to director
Julián Marcos	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Alpine Films
• Internacional Films

Distributors

• Continental Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Peppercorn-Wormser (1967) (USA) (dubbed)
• Planet (UK)

Also Known As:

Falstaff (France) (Switzerland: German title)
Campanades a mitjanit (Spain: Catalan title)
Chimes at Midnight (UK)

Runtime:

Argentina:117 min | Spain:113 min | Switzerland:119 min | USA:115 min

Country:

France | Spain | Switzerland

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Alpine Films

Trivia:

In August 2004 restoration work began on the film by the same team that restored Welles's The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1952).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The corpse of Hotspur opens and closes his mouth several minutes after his death.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nuit américaine, La (1973)

A masterpiece (lost?)

It has been at least 35 years since I first saw Chimes at Midnight at one of the art film theaters located near Carnegie Hall, but the memory lingers still of yet another remarkable and visually stunning film by Orson Welles. I remember the soundtrack being inadequate at times, but since I was a theatre student at the time, my knowledge of the text helped fill in any of the garbled lines. What an amazing Falstaff by Welles; he creates a truly human and tragic figure! Moreover, what an enviable cast, especially by today's standards.