Imposters, The

Alternative title: Ship of Fools
Synopsis: Slapstick comedy feature film set in the Depression. Maurice (Platt) and Arthur (Tucci) are two struggling actors who insult a famous hammy and declamatory Shakespearean actor, Jeremy Burtom (Molina) who is playing Hamlet on Broadway. Chased by him they stow away on a liner sailing to France to find that Burtom is also on board. There are several references to Hamlet throughout including an ill-fated recitation of the ‘to be or not to be ' speech. Lanier (op cit) believes Burtom’s performance is a parody of John Barrymore in the final stages of his career.
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Television
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Year of release: 1998
Duration: 101 mins

Director

Stanley Tucci

Producer

Elizabeth W. Alexander; Stanley Tucci

Cinematographer

Screenplay

Music

Costume

Art Direction

Cast

Alfred Molina	Jeremy (Hamlet)
George Guidall	Claudius in ‘Hamlet’ (Claudius)
E. Katherine Kerr	Gertrude in ‘Hamlet’ (Gertrude)
Matt Malloy	Mike/Laertes in ‘Hamlet’ (Laertes)
Oliver Platt	Maurice
Stanley Tucci	Arthur
Ted Blumberg	Francisco in ‘Hamlet’ (Francisco)
William Hill	Barnardo in ‘Hamlet’ (Barnardo)

Notes: Available from amazon.co.uk on DVD Region 1 only.
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. 174, entry 726).

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British Universities Film & Video Council