Shakespeare "Henry IV, pt 1" (1979 TV) Falstaff on Honor

[JoJoJingoist]

How can anyone NOT like this Falstaff? His physical resemblance to a mischievous, fat man-child is perfect! And he knows it. His eyes and halting voice…just brilliant! Short of Cartman doing Falstaff I can’t think of anyone better in the role.

[MasterFosca]

I'm not even slightly fond of that delivery. Too level. Too boring for me. There is a lot of possible depth to that speech that he sort of passes over.

[mtotaman]

This performance is exactly how I picture Sir John in my head when I read.

[JudgeJulieLit]

Sir Anthony Quayle (interpretive thespic genius emeritus) is (perhaps par with Orson Welles) a definitive Falstaff for all eternity ... as is the BBC televised tetralogy of Richard 2, 1 and 2 Henry 4, and Henry 5. Utterly fantastic, out of all whooping! A time-capsule eavesdrop revisit of the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries. An embarrassment of riches: glorious verisimilitude, casting, ensemble acting, staging, directing. Superb too are David Gwillim and Jon Finch as the Henrys.

[aznzero12]

his expression when he says "AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR"

[GREENBINGBONG]

shakespeare was a piece of shit, boring and a mother fucker

[McGrenzer]

Thank God for actors like Anthony Quayle...and closeups that show them at their best!

[usernameofpain]

totally fantastic!!!!!!!

[Aubury]

Great acting indeed.

[Flowbee79]

Ah, the great Anthony Quayle, the best I have ever seen him, and yet he seems at the twilight of his career. He was very strong in Guns of Navarone and Lawrence of Arabia, but he is superlative here.

[ShakespeareAndMore]

Check out Quayle playing the title role in "Oedipus at Colonus" I uploaded on YouTube. Fine performance!

[Flowbee79]

Yeah, I mean were this a movie, this would be excellent supporting Oscar material. Of course, in this play, Falstaff is really the crowd-pleasing role, because as flawed as he is, he's a lovable old huckster.

[ludachris475]

Alas, my Middle English needs more work than Joan Rivers. Please excuse the doggerel.

[ludachris475]

Alas, my Middle English needs more work than Joan Rivers. Please excuse the doggerel.

[ludachris475]

This man is neither bestride nor is he betwixt but almost in between.

I am sorry to relate he hath no honour.

Sir Walter shalt not commingle with such squalid street trash.

[DollTearSheet]

Anthony Quayle was wonderful as Falstaff - this was a fine production, a Falstaff to love and laugh with. A truly great speech and when actors are this good they encourage people to love and understand Shakespeare, we are forever in their debt. Thank you for this.

[Lytton333]

Very well put mine hostess..

[Mauricebear]

Its spelt HONOUR you dumb Yanks

[ShakespeareAndMore]

it is spelt both ways in the Folio (1), and only "honor" in the Quarto.

[Mauricebear]

At that time spellings were not set down. But as the Baird was English I would expect people to use English, English now but thanks for pointing that out

[kentamitchell]

Perhaps people could just *chill* *out* a little bit about different dialects, spellings and pronunciations. I once told an English friend that if he wants to call his distant ancestors "Keltics", fine, but we call the basketball team in Boston the "Seltics", and the Cathedral in Paris is called "Notre Dahm", but the university in Indiana is "Notre DAME"

If you want to eat 'yahgurt', go right ahead. I'll stick with 'yogurt'.

[JudgeJulieLit]

@Mauricebear It's spelled "Honour" in FRENCH ye twit Brit !

[ashburnhouse]

@Mauricebear It's "thou" Yanks.

[anikinkid]

i love the way he says "no" but i was quite surprised. i thought that pistols were an invention after shakespeare's time, the original text of the play does have it then so *shrug*

[wldbwriter]

Ah, the likeable Lord of Misrule! What memorable speeches, and what brilliant acting!

[amicofragile]

I study this passage at school last year..

very good