A Midsummer Night's Dream

First Air Date:

Overview - A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1968 film of William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Peter Hall. It was the first live-action color film version of the play, unless one counts the 1967 film version of the New York City Ballet George Balanchine adaptation. It stars Derek Godfrey as Theseus, Barbara Jefford as Hippolyta, Diana Rigg as Helena, Helen Mirren as Hermia, Ian Holm as Puck, Ian Richardson as King Oberon, Judi Dench as Queen Titania, and Paul Rogers as Bottom, as well as other members of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The film premiered in theatres in Europe in September 1968. In the U.S., it was sold directly to television rather than playing in theatres, and premiered as a Sunday evening special, on the night of February 9, 1969. It was shown on CBS. The film runs a little more than two full hours and is quite faithful to the play, with few unusual gimmicks, except for all the fairies wearing green body paint. They do not appear or disappear gradually as in the 1935 film version of the play; instead, they literally pop in and out.