The Tempest (1960)

Count me in too. I saw this as a kid and still recall with great pleasure that it was my introduction to Shakespeare and has lead to a lifetime love. As was the case for several other films of plays, the clever camera work was a definite plus. Loved making Ariel a sprite by playing with size. Having him ride on Prosperos shoulder certainly worked for me. What a lovely conceit! It made the scenes between them as magical as they were meant to be. Calaban is a bit of a monster but one with Burton's voice. All in all, even thinking about it and the wonderful cast brings a smile to my face. I visited the site and wasn't surprised to see the high rating and generally positive reviews. I feel exactly the same way. Well done all around and a wonderful introduction for kids that lingers on the mind and in the heart as well.

Of the very few versions of THE TEMPEST which are available as videos, this may be the best. It is not bowdlerized (as claimed by another commenter) but simply edited for limited television time, and rather cleverly adapted at that. Maurice Evans' Prospero is warm and generous of spirit. He chooses to forgo some of the majesty of the role in favor of delightfully quirky and very human touches. Roddy Macdowell gives a detailed portrait of Ariel, and Richard Burton succeeds in capturing the ingenuous side of Caliban. Lee Remick and William Bassett are young and sexy and speak verse well. The toughest transition in the story-- Prospero's abandonment of his vengeance-- occurs too quickly, with too little effort, but this is a common failing for THE TEMPEST.Actors not credited in this listing may be found on the IMDb page under "Hallmark Hall of Fame." They are William LeMassena as Antonio, Geoffrey Lumb as Alonso, and Chris Gampel as the Boatswain.

Hollywood has never done justice to William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and it is this 1960 TV version which I recommend to this day. It is short, to the point and has an amateurishness about it although the cast is superb. The lovely Lee Remick is in the role of Prospero's daughter, Miranda. Richard Burton plays the evil Caliban. If it were up to me, I would have cast Burton as Prospero. Burton was a heavyweight and would have brought a dignity to the character which is otherwise lacking. Roddy McDowell fits the part of Ariel. He prances around like one of Arnold's "girlie-men." The Tempest is one of Shakespeare's most likable plays. There is something comforting about its island setting, the storm and an old man working his magic to ensure his daughter's future. We know beforehand that good will triumph over evil.

I saw this on TV when it came out. I would have been 6 years old. I was enchanted, and to this day, The Tempest is still my favorite Shakespeare play, which I credit to this production. No, you wouldn't want it to be your only experience of the play, as the previous post points out. But if you get a chance to see it, give it a look. It's a good introduction, and a good way to "get your feet wet" if you feel challenged (as I confess I often do) by more authentic presentations of Elizabethan drama.