Learning on ScreenOthello
- Synopsis
- Earliest extant British televised production of the play with black American actor, Gordon Heath, in the title role.
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Television
- Transmission details
- 15 Dec 1955 at 19:30 (Channel: BBC)
- Duration
- 120 mins
Credits
- Director
- Tony Richardson
- Producer
- Tony Richardson
- Writer
- William Shakespeare
- Music
- Leonard Chase
- Art Direction
- Reece Pemberton
- Cast
Additional Details
- Production type
- Television and Radio Drama
- Plays
- Othello
- Subjects
- Drama
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Black actors
Notes
- Notes
- The videotape held by the BFI National Archive is from a telerecording of the actual broadcast.
The Birmingham Shakespeare Library holds a 25 minute script; this could be for the live recording. - General
- The first televised version of the play to feature a black actor in the title role. Gordon Heath, an American, came to Britain in 1947 and was cast by Kenneth Tynan to play Othello in his 1950 Arts Council production.
- History
- The original production was part-live, with recorded ‘Venice’ sequences because two sets could not be accommodated in the studio.
- Reviews
- Elwyn Jones, ‘Bringing Othello to Television’, Radio Times, 11-17 December 1955, p.5.
John Wyver, ‘Othello (BBC, 1955)' , Screenplays, 3.3.2012 http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/othello-bbc-1955/ (accessed 3/2012)
Production Company
- Name
BBC
- Notes
- The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Archive
- Name
BFI National Archive
- Web
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
- Phone
- 020 7255 1444
- Fax
- 020 7436 0165
- Address
- 21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
Record Stats
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