Playmates

Synopsis: Feature film. John Barrymore, in his final film, plays a Shakespearean actor caricaturing himself. His attempts to tutor an aspiring star arouse jealousy. The various references to Shakespeare include a spoof ‘Julius Caesar’, the swing number ‘Romeo Smith and Juliet Jones’, and Barrymore reciting the Hamlet soliloquy (III i). The music is by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke.
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Film
Technical information: Black-and-white / Sound
Year of release: 1941
Duration: 96 mins; 8,620 feet

Director

David Butler

Producer

Cinematographer

Writer

Music

Art Direction

Cast

John Barrymore	Himself (Hamlet)
Kay Kyser	Himself/William Shakespeare
Lupe Velez	Carmen de Torre

Reviews: Lanier, Douglas ‘Film Spin-Offs and Citations’ in Burt, Richard (ed). Shakespeares After Shakespeares: an Encyclopedia of the Bard in Mass Media and Popular Culture. 2 vols. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006. (p. 342, entry 1446).

Kinematograph Weekly. n. 1815 (29 January 1942).

Name: RKO
Notes: Home Video rights in the UK are handled bu Universal Home Video (qv). TV rights in the UK are held by the BBC. US rights are held by Warner Home Video.

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