Becket (1964)
- Starring:
- Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, (more)
- Director(s):
- Peter Glenville
- Category:
- Foreign
Member Rating
My RatingTheatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
A high-class costume drama with a substantive historical basis, Becket is the true story of the friendship between King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and Thomas à Becket (Richard Burton), a royal courtier and confidant whom Henry appoints as Archbishop of Canterbury. As Becket takes his duties with the Church seriously, he finds himself increasingly at odds with the King, who finally orders the death of his once-close companion when he continues to defy the throne. Burton is very good and O'Toole is even better: both men were nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, while Edward Anhalt's screenplay, based on the stageplay by Jean Anouilh, won for Best Adapted Screenplay. The basic theme of separation of church and state still reverberates today, while the top-notch production values ensure Becket's place as one of Britain's better historical epics. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 150 mins
Complete Cast:
- Richard Burton - Thomas Becket
- John Gielgud - Louis VII
- Martita Hunt - Queen Matilda
- Gino Cervi - Cardinal Zambelli
- David Weston - Brother John
- Inigo Jackson - Duke of Leicester
- Veronique Vendell - Pretty French Girl
- Jennifer Hilary - Peasant's Daughter
- John Phillips - Bishop of Winchester
- Hamilton Dyce - Bishop of Chichester
- Geoffrey Bayldon - Brother Philip
- Victor Spinetti - French Tailor
- Percy Herbert - Baron
- Peter Jeffrey - Baron
- Edward Woodward - Clement
- Peter O'Toole - Henry II
- Donald Wolfit - Bishop Folliot
- Pamela Brown - Queen Eleanor
- Paolo Stoppa - Pope Alexander III
- Felix Aylmer - Archbishop of Canterbury
- Sian Phillips - Gwendolen
- Gerald Lawson - English Peasant
- Riggs O'Hara - Prince Henry
- Frank Pettingell - Bishop of York
- Linda Marlowe - Farmer's Daughter
- Graham Stark - Pope's Secretary
- Niall MacGinnis - Baron
- Christopher Rhodes - Baron
- Patrick Newell - William of Corbeil
- Director(s):
- Peter Glenville
- Writer(s):
- Edward Anhalt, Jean Anouilh
- Producer(s):
- Hal B. Wallis
- Categories:
- Foreign
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- 1964 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Color Cinematography
- 1964 - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Drama
- 1964 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
- 1964 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Drama
- 1964 - National Board of Review - Best Picture
