The Taming of the Shrew

Director: Franco Zeffirelli Franco Zeffirelli

Overview

"William Shakespeare's comic tale of 16th century male chauvinism gets the royal treatment as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor star in this delightful adaptation of one of the Bard's most comically delightful works. Presented in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for widescreen TVs) and featuring a closed-captioned English Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack, this release also offers alternate Spanish and Portuguese Dolby Digital Mono tracks in addition to English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai subtitles. Extra features include production notes, theatrical trailers, a bonus trailer, and talent files."

Product Details

Release Date:	10/26/1999
UPC:	0043396011090
Original Release:	1967
Rating:	NR
Source:	SONY PICTURES
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[monaural, Dolby Digital]
Language:	English
Time:	2:02:00

Special Features

Digitally remastered audio & anamorphic video; Production notes; Interactive menus; Audio [mono]: English, Spanish, Portuguese; Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai; Theatrical trailer; Bonus trailers; Talent files; Scene selections

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Elizabeth Taylor	Katharina
Richard Burton	Petruchio
Cyril Cusack	Grumio
Michael Hordern	Baptista
Alfred Lynch	Tranio
Alan Webb	Gremio
Vernon Dobtcheff	Pedant
Giancarlo Cobelli	The Priest
Ken Parry	Tailor
Anthony Gardner	Haberdasher
Natasha Pyne	Bianca
Michael York	Lucentio
Victor Spinetti	Hortensio
Roy Holder	Biondello
Mark Dignam	Vincentio
Bice Valori	The Widow
Anthony Garner	Haberdasher
Alberto Bonucci	Nathaniel
Gianni Magni	Curtis
Lino Capolicchio	Gregory
Roberto Antonelli	Philip
Tina Perna	Actor
Milena Vucotich	Actor
Alfredo Bianchini	Actor
Valentino Macchi	Actor
Salvatore Billa	Complementary role
Liana del Balzo	Bit Part
Michael Wilding Jr.	Complementary role
Christopher Wilding	Complementary role
Nino Rota	Composer

Technical Credits

Franco Zeffirelli

Paul Dehn

Suso Cecchi d'Amico

William Shakespeare

Franco Zeffirelli	Director,Screenwriter,Producer
Paul Dehn	Screenwriter
Suso Cecchi d'Amico	Screenwriter
Richard Burton	Producer
Elizabeth Taylor	Producer
Augie Lohman	Special Effects
Richard McWhorter	Executive Producer,Producer
William Shakespeare	Screenwriter
John Aldred	Sound Effects
Janet Davidson	Sound Effects
Aldo De Martino	Sound Effects
Graham Harris	Sound Effects
David Hildyard	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

Sometimes art and real life combine in fortuitous ways, as when the rocky marriage of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor gave fire and brimstone to their performances as the feuding couple in this 1967 film version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. In 1963, the couple's romantic spark had added sizzle to Cleopatra, but, by 1966, their alcoholic rages in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf had seemed almost painfully authentic. Their marital problems were public knowledge by the time they were cast in The Taming of the Shrew by Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, and their celebrity brought the film millions of curious viewers. They saw a phantasmagorically lit and vibrant staging, featuring violent physical confrontations between the two stars. The big-budget Hollywood production was the first major filming of the story since the 1929 version, which starred Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Soon after the film was released, Taylor and Burton were divorced.