On this day in movie history - Joe MacBeth (movie & play):

Joe MacBeth

directed by Ken Hughes,

written by Philip Yordan and Ken Hughes,

based on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare,

released in the United Kingdom on October 18, 1955.

Music by Trevor Duncan.

Cast:

Paul Douglas, Ruth Roman, Bonar Colleano, Grégoire Aslan, Sidney James, Harry Green, Walter Crisham, Kay Callard, Robert Arden, George Margo, Minerva Pious, Philip Vickers, Mark Baker, Bill Nagy, Al Mulock, Victor Baring, Jess Conrad, Shirley Douglas, Beresford Egan, Louise Grant, Launce Maraschal, Robert O'Neil, Johnny Ross, Nicholas Stuart, Teresa Thorne, Sheila Woods.

Recommended reading:

Macbeth

By William Shakespeare.

Edited by Barbara A. Mowat & Paul Werstine.

Folger Shakespeare Library.

Published by Simon & Schuster.

First published 1623.

ISBN-10: 0743477103

ISBN-13: 9780743477109

Description:

The authoritative edition of Macbeth from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers.

In 1603, James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne, becoming James I of England. London was alive with an interest in all things Scottish, and Shakespeare turned to Scottish history for material. He found a spectacle of violence and stories of traitors advised by witches and wizards, echoing James’s belief in a connection between treason and witchcraft.

In depicting a man who murders to become king, Macbeth teases us with huge questions. Is Macbeth tempted by fate, or by his or his wife’s ambition? Why does their success turn to ashes?

Like other plays, Macbeth speaks to each generation. Its story was once seen as that of a hero who commits an evil act and pays an enormous price. Recently, it has been applied to nations that overreach themselves and to modern alienation. The line is blurred between Macbeth’s evil and his opponents’ good, and there are new attitudes toward both witchcraft and gender.

This edition includes:

Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play.

Newly revised explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play.

Scene-by-scene plot summaries.

A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases.

An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language.

An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play.

Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books.

An up-to-date annotated guide to further reading.

Essay by Susan Snyder.

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs.