Richard Chamberlain's Hamlet: 85 minutes of beautiful agony with Gielgud's ghost.
Hamlet suspects his uncle has murdered his father to claim the throne of Denmark and the hand of Hamlet's mother, but the prince cannot decide whether or not he should take vengeance.
Acting
Chamberlain broods magnificently; Gielgud's ghost is pure theatrical thunder.
Direction
Peter Wood condenses the bard without losing the poison.
Production
Intimate TV staging that feels like front-row velvet seats.
Director
Peter Wood
Richard Chamberlain
Hamlet
Michael Redgrave
Polonius
Margaret Leighton
Gertrude
Richard Johnson
Claudius, King of Denmark
John Gielgud
The Ghost
Ciaran Madden
Ophelia
Alan Bennett
Osric
Robert Coleby
Fortinbras
Godfrey James
Marcellus
Nicholas Jones
Laertes
James Laurenson
Rosencrantz
Norman Rossington
The Gravedigger
Martin Shaw
Horatio
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was part of a 1970s trend of 'Shakespeare for television' that made the bard accessible to millions.
Chamberlain was hot off Dr. Kildare—casting a TV heartthrob as Hamlet was deliberate bait for younger audiences.
US
