Helen Mirren & Diana Rigg A Midsummer Night's Dream

[tsunchoo]

thigh-high boots! bloody hell! what's going on here?

[skinwalkerxxx]

I always thought that blond guy was a great movie villain

[MrsEmmaPeel07]

I think Diana Rigg as Helena is prettier.

[NYdrone]

Is that Judy Dench on the left at 1:50?

[2011TREADSTONE]

A YOUNG DAVID WARNER

[vuotopiuscuro]

who R the boys?

[blakeyonthebuses]

i don't understand what they're saying, but i think they're setting things up for an orgy

[fantasyfan2010]

thank-you  I would love to see this.

[felixlinquist]

Oh, my ears...............

[don417]

what the fuck did he just say?

[DukeBoy660]

It Blows goats

[CurlythePirate]

does Lysander's expression EVER change?

[Di0genesus]

05:44 - I came

[KyrieEleison46]

That is a very young Helen Mirren.

[bluephoenix52]

Lysander reminds me of someone, but I can't think who D:

[557011]

you have a bloody cheack

[jackodiamonds888]

Did anyone else notice how much David Warner looked like Rhys Ifans when he was young?

[gazereths1982]

Mmmmm Mrs Peel.

[monarcheelrcp]

Helen is one of the unforgettable celebrity

[captainbadd]

I am beloved of beauteous Hermia.

[PaintedMaypole26]

I was Hermia in my casts production (with a 10 year old as my Demetrius - he was such fantastic creeper!) in my shakespeare youth theater, and it annoys me to know end in movies when they cut (even though I know why they have to). It just feels like something is missing!

but regardless, the cast did a very good job in this, and it's one of the better versions of this play :)

[chanel2711]

Helen looks so much more beautiful now :) she looks amazing and shes like, 65!

[TheWhitehall]

The young Miss Mirren had such a look of "Want"......and who wouldn`t " Give" it?

[chcknpie04]

this seriously doesn't do David Warner justice. If he wasn't one of my favorite Hamlets of all time, and one of my favorite old school Shakespearean actors to begin with, I don't know that this video would have convinced me

[MistyOjaiGirl]

Pause it at 0:58 it looks like Russel Crowe in a bad wig!

[TheSnowballEarth]

@MistyOjaiGirl Reminds me more of Peter Cook, although I know it's not him.

[DathVada]

"Tell me Demetrius...how many lights do you see?"

[euginam91]

helen mirren is russian...

[kybelian]

@euginam91 Oh darn. Aren't there any Englishwomen to play the role of Queens?

[eurobaby460]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[fstop77]

helen mirren is hot.

[DonswatchingtheTube]

We should all go back to speaking like this!

[asmethers1]

This is so cool! I'm doing this play right now and I'm hermia!

[bigkitten]

David Warner....brilliant!

[git1958]

The Special Effects weren't up to much and there was no car chase. They at least could have gotten their tits out...

[coramunroe]

I find it interesting that they gave the men more or less Elizabethan costumes, but the women have short, more modern dresses.

[Pisces31660]

so 60's and the actor playing Demetrious was in Brother Son Sister Moon and Taming of the Shew w/ Liz Taylor.

[katebien]

OH... MY...GOD!!!! they were both so young!!! But OMG i think i'm in complete shock right now, because i almost didn't realize that was Helen. then i saw the nose and eyes, but she was so beautiful!

[dkfelix]

@katebien yes they were!

[simplystreeptacular]

Oh.

My.

GOD.

I knew Helen Mirren was hot, but this is a whole other level of gorgeousness.

[MilkAndSugarPlease]

omg wtf

i needed to hear helena's speech! it cut off the line b4... nooo

[awakenedrosebud]

lol smmmooottth

[4121h]

Beautiful then as now.

[DaVinciChianti]

wow, the acting is ummmm plain

[Bozpot]

Hmm...anyone else get the idea at around 6:20 that Lysander rather fancies both the girls even before the addition of love potion?

[daniellefilm]

Need to add the David Warner tag!  Cool to see him so young.

[Midgit291]

Thats scary I look quite alot alike Helen Mirren and my names Mirren.

[vonKressenstein]

Her real name is Mironov. Her Russian father changed his (and her) name in the 1950's when she was young.

[kybelian]

@vonKressenstein Isn't that something? So many of the beautiful English actresses are from other countries. sigh. Despite the surname of the father its her English mother which makes her English. England is a 'Mother' country. She is from English soil, her Mom. The paternity is an artificial construct though it seem common. Jews understand, the Mother is the Matrix.

[ineedanewkilnfrank]

WAtching this, i was dissapointed that they cut the part of the conversation between hermia and helena "i frown upon him yet he loves me still-oh that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill". I feel like that area of dialogue is really strong. other than its alight... i guess.

[goback3spaces]

The acting is top-notch, the cast star-studded; why, then, are the camerawork and lighting so infernally wretched? Were it not for the cast, it would look like an amateur production done by some neighborhood playhouse with equipment borrowed from the local TV station.

[jblacktree]

this was tv in 1968, that's all--plus it was raining through the whole production as I remember reading.

[wisesatyr72]

English women are the best

[MrCarvind]

@wisesatyr72 yes they are!

[vonKressenstein]

Helen, of course, is half Russian....

[zackhanscom]

@wisesatyr72 most overrated

[vuotopiuscuro]

@wisesatyr72

well, may B

[AlexHeudebert]

@wisesatyr72

No man, my dick is the best

[tsuba14]

@wisesatyr72 ironically, she is Russian ethnically speaking

[wisesatyr72]

@tsuba14 well she grew up in England and is knighted ?? Dame I dont know so she is considered English rather

than Russian..lol

[ashburnhouse]

@wisesatyr72 They're actually better-looking in the colonies. Sorry

[Nosmos]

Everyone is beautiful here, men and women!!! Helen Mirren, David Warner, Michael Jayston, Diana Rigg all attractive!!! Has there ever been a better looking cast than this?

[Hoopermazing]

@Nosmos - I don't see it. They look like your garden variety homely Brits to me.

[madmax8903]

@Nosmos 1968 was the Summer of Love, and it's indeed curious how every young person seemed attractive then. But if you want an even "better-looking" Shakespearian cast look at the 1968 Zeffirelli version of Romeo and Juliet, with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.

[kingofsmiles]

brilliant!... thank you for this!

[brcbrtn]

Lysander is the bad guy in Tron! Demetrius is Michael Jayston, the actor that played Czar Nicholas in"Nicholas and Alexandra.Wow what a cast!

[PleiadesSeven]

I love how the women really are better looking in this.

[sfabraham]

why is helena dark and hermia fair? that completely confuses the whole play! the lovers' quarrel wont make any sense!

[nycuthere]

Hermia and Lysander don't have much chemistry and what is with the camera angles??? Helena is pretty good, though.

[OneandAHalfMexicans]

hahaha 6:09 to 6:11 was a terrible transition. they need a new camera guy

[yvettegr]

And all the controversy was about Judi Dench's (played Titania) costume, or lack of costume (excerpts are on youtube). Other than some pasties she's nude from the waist up (yes Judi Dench!) All the press was about Dench, not Mirren or Rigg. Yet, it did play uncut on American TV because the censors didn't think anyone would watch it because it was Shakespeaere.

[Pawluk44]

Damn. She was hot!

[kesmit3]

Warner was great as Sark in Tron!

Not sure about the collars here ... I'm more for him in cyber-morph.

[cutiepiesweets99]

I might try out for this play =D

It's a very fun story.

Quite enjoyable.

[mayaistheshit]

Hmm...the Lysander wasn't very good, but Helen Mirren was amazing.

[zardozy]

David warner's collar fits in well with the swingin 60s. It's all very groovy!

[feuzintheglass]

who would have known then that she would end up being the hottest 60'something, still rocking a bikini!

[lippi9777]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[lippi9777]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Poodlepups]

How much hair product! And what's up with the horrid Peter Pan collars!

That said, David Warner is very sexy.

[notenut]

I am reminded of Emma Thomoson by Dianna Riggs preformance

[Elric33239]

I remember seeing a "Shakespeare in the Park" presentation live from Central Park, NY on the local ABC station with Christine Baranski playing Helena and Kevin "Batman The Animated Series" Conroy as Lysander! I'll have to hunt this version down as well! The Dames Helen and Diana were BOTH luscious on this!

[ksol1460]

Helen Mirren! Diana Rigg! Judi Densch! Whatsisname that played Oberon! What more could anyone ask!

[notenut]

what is his name I do recognize him

[ksol1460]

notenut - IAN RICHARDSON! He was in a whole bunch of stuff. I saw all his John LeCarre stuff on PBS in '79.

[UncleBym]

I was hooked when just a lad and with such performance by dear Dame Rigg I remain enthralled! Thanks for the posting and thanks, Guy, for the link!

[mutinyonthekitkat]

The fair Hermia doth inspirest an enormous boner.

[tenorismo]

That toupe must weigh al least 10 pounds

[rockjeanbrodie]

oooh! david warner _and_ helen mirren.....! two of my favourites.. just love their boat scene here.. mmmm *:)

[christentze]

helen mirren's such a wonderful hermia.

[ShakespeareFlix]

Thanks for posting this. I've added a link to it on ShakespeareFlix.

[JiggleSmax]

I just did this play last week! I was Theseus!!!

[goldenavatar1984]

wow, Helen Mirren was lovely in her day

[notenut]

still is

[notenut]

he has hardly aged I had no idea he was so smooth his Ian I mean I have seen him as villans but here he is really great.I had no idea Dianna did classics

[goodsoninc]

which year?

[ohreally2667]

1968, I think

[tillytabby22]

This version of A Midsummer Nights Dream sucks!

[christentze]

definitely doesn't have the special effects of the modern day version, but i'd say this version is wonderful just because of dame helen's performance. i have no idea how people act shakespeare. it's all a strange puzzle in my head since i am not an actress, but i admire those who can, and dame helen surely can! and she's lovely. :)

[thequeenofsin]

wow... is it bad that I can say the script along with them? :S I have been searching for clip of Diana Rigg as Helena FOREVER.. so THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!

[wsaylors]

I see a young David Warner, too. All the Engilsh actors must pass through Shakespeare before they can really be called actors.

[11spike7]

Where's the damn fairies in the moonlit forest?

[encorebc]

Scornful Lysander! True he hath my love!

WOW! ROTFLMAO

[LRay]

That guy looks like Robert Vaughn

[Oblane]

je connais très bien la magnifique Diana Rigg mais pas Helene Mirren !

[celticbelle]

wow...Hermia's hair is reminiscent of a bad homeschooler dance.

[ekateri28]

oh my god!

[PacificBlueNavyBlue]

These two are great! I love them both, thanks for posting the video.

[DADRENO]

This must be a long time ago! That's Claude Raines!

[DADRENO]

Helen Mirren (born 26 July 1945) 63 this year and looking fit.

[elsa8001]

That is not Claude Raines...Claude Raines would have been about 80 in 1968

[coolygirl9]

I get to play Helena in The school play.

[majamariamaja]

I am also Helena in the school play :D im so exited!

[511300]

I'm Hermia in my school play.

Only our director sees her as an arrogant airhead. =/

[majamariamaja]

what?!

Helena is neither arrogant nor an airhead!

she is a deeply confused, young woman who is driven to despair because the love of her life hates her. which makes her doubt in both herself and in others, especially when they say that they love her. thats why she may seem "arrogant", but she is not. she is just not used to being loved, and finds it easier to believe that everybody hates her.

[majamariamaja]

oh.. i thought you ment Helena. my bad..

[511300]

I said they think Hermia i an airhead...only she's not really that arrogant shes just kind of like spoiled and popular.

[madmouth]

Lysander is really irksome in this version. Very bad cast. Mirren and Rigg are AWESOME, though.

[chicha115]

were is the real A Midsummer Night's Dream!!!!!

[ephiny513]

HEY i jsut saw another clip of her as titania!! liek this play then does she?

[Jrnen2darkness]

wow Helen is gorgeous

[badmichelle1978]

helen mirren ..sexy girl

[joenoir83]

Helen Mirren, at 22, is so much better than the more established actors prattling on around her.

[operacaster]

diana is so beautiful and sexy. a real natural beauty instead of so many of the "actress'?" of today

[faxness]

if we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended: that you have but slumbered here whilst these visions did appear, i n this weak and idol theme, no more yeilding but a dream.give me your hand if we be friends, and robin shall restore amends.  -William Shakespear

[RedRabbit1983]

I can dig it, man. Hermia's boogying in Iambic Pentameter. And there's a groovy chick in leather. Classic Shakespeare.

[imagos]

Helen Mirren was well fit then, time has not been kind though, she's as wrinkly as the Queen now..

[ArieltheMermaid101]

i must say, our production of midsummers was much better, and us only in lower high school!! although of course, the mains were 9+10 but they were absoloutly fantastic!!!

[GarKee]

very old skool .

[or8m8]

is this a good adaptation?

[kalindoscopy]

!!! utter shit

[ManfredDeJesus]

Peter Hall, who directed this, certainly won plenty of recognition for his stage work, but he really had no concept of how cinema worked

[Perculsor]

The many close-up and medium shots were composed for the television broadcast.

[veramour]

Mod Shakespeare! Groovy!

[Aznmoose65]

l like their voices..ooooh

[gingerpartington]

you can order it from amazon. I lived in NYC for 12 yrs. and often rented it from the Lincoln Center Branch Public Library. otherwise, it's a rare treat!

[misterniceguy1960]

Should have been Diana Rigg in that leather minidress, of course....

[gouvyrock]

to be helen or not to be!!!! great ! i love this woman and actress!!!!!

[cultusstultus]

mirren iz teh hotness

[mirrenmaniac]

It's very hard to find Dame Helen's early work and, this video provides us with a rare treat.

Thanks for the post.

BTW, nice to see the pre"Avenger" Diana Rigg as well.

[realchic1999]

Pre? The long hair makes me think post-Avengers. She sported longer hair in the late 60s-early 70s.

[kapo23]

I love the younger mirren... she looks so inocent ... i hope to see that movie...!!! thanks for sharing

[Yvon62100]

Which face of angel...!

Thank you for this vidéo.

[BelitSheri]

So GREAT! I was looking desperately for this movie but I cannot find it anywhere... If you can upload more clips of this it would be so fantastic! Thanks for posting! (you got five stars!) ;)