The Hallmark Hall of
Fame Shakespeare
The Kansas City greeting card company produced several Shakespeare
productions for American television between 1953 and 1970. For many Americans, this was their first
taste of Shakespeare, but it gave many of them the false impression that
Maurice Evans was the only actor capable of playing Shakespeare’s leading
men.
- Hamlet
broadcast on Sunday, April 26, 1953 from 3:30-5:30 with Maurice Evans as
Hamlet, Sarah Churchill as Ophelia, and Ruth Chatterton as Gertrude.
2.
Richard II broadcast on
Sunday, January 24 from 4:00-6:00 with Maurice Evans as Richard and Sarah
Churchill as the Queen.
- Macbeth
broadcast on Sunday, November 28, 1954 from 4:00-6:00 for the first
time in color. With Maurice
Evans as Macbeth and Judith Anderson as Lady Macbeth.
- The
Taming of the Shrew broadcast on Sunday March 18, 1956 from
4:00-5:30 with Lilli Palmer as Kate and Maurice Evans as
Petruchio.
- Twelfth
Night broadcast on Sunday, December 12, 1957 from 6:30-8:00 with
Maurice Evans as Malvolio, Rosemary Harris as Viola, Denholm Elliot as
Sebastian, Alice Ghostley as Maria, and Frances Hyland as Olivia.
- The
Tempest broadcast on Sunday, February 3, 1960 from 7:30-9:30 with
Richard Burton as Caliban, Maurice Evans as Prospero, Roddy McDowall
as Ariel, and Lee Remick as Miranda.
- Macbeth
broadcast on Sunday November 20, 1960 from 6:00-8:00. This was a new, second production
with Maurice Evans as Macbeth and Judith Anderson as Lady Macbeth.
- Hamlet
broadcast on Tuesday November 17, 1970 from 9:00-11:00 with Richard
Chamberlain as Hamlet, Michael Redgrave as Polonius, and Margaret
Leighton as Gertrude.
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