Chimes at Midnight

"A Distinguished Company Breathes Life Into Shakespeare’s Lusty Age of FALSTAFF"

1965 1h 55m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 253

ComedyDramaHistoryWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Henry IV usurps the English throne, sets in motion the factious War of the Roses and now faces a rebellion led by Northumberland scion Hotspur. Henry's heir, Prince Hal, is a ne'er-do-well carouser who drinks and causes mischief with his low-class friends, especially his rotund father figure, John Falstaff. To redeem his title, Hal may have to choose between allegiance to his real father and loyalty to his friend.

“A Distinguished Company Breathes Life Into Shakespeare’s Lusty Age of FALSTAFF”

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Cast

Orson Welles
Falstaff
Keith Baxter
Prince Hal
John Gielgud
Henry IV
Jeanne Moreau
Doll Tearsheet
Margaret Rutherford
Mistress Quickly
Marina Vlady
Kate Percy
Walter Chiari
Mr. Silence
Michael Aldridge
Pistol

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Orson Welles
Writers: Orson Welles
Languages: English, Spanish, German
Countries: Spain, Switzerland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

61 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Spanish, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Spain, Switzerland.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Orson Welles, shot by Edmond Richard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Elena Jaumandreu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Orson Welles and Keith Baxter and John Gielgud carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Orson Welles directs. Edmond Richard behind the camera. Angelo Francesco Lavagnino scores. Elena Jaumandreu cuts. Produced in Spain, Switzerland. Dialogue in English, Spanish, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
261 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Spanish, German.
4International production across 2 countries: Spain, Switzerland.
5Directed by Orson Welles, shot by Edmond Richard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Elena Jaumandreu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Orson Welles and Keith Baxter and John Gielgud carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "A Distinguished Company Breathes Life Into Shakespeare’s Lusty Age of FALSTAFF".
10IMDB entry: tt0059012 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 8 themes, including "double life", "england", "generations conflict", "virtue".
12Released under 11 different titles around the world.