Romeo and Juliet (1954)

Rent DVD by Mail

We're sorry: this movie is not available for rent by mail.

Theatrical Release Information  |  See Details About All Versions

Generally forgotten today, Romeo and Juliet is a satisfactory, if perfunctory, adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal tragedy. Cast as the "star cross'd lovers" this time out are Laurence Harvey, who's quite good, and Susan Shentall, who isn't. Whether or not Shentall would have improved with experience is a moot point, since she retired from the screen to get married soon afterward. Director Renato Castellani was showered with praise for his decision to lens the story on location in Italy. Less popular was his decision to delete several of Shakespeare's more famous passages, arguing that they held up the progress of the story (sometimes whole scenes, including the one with the apothecary, were chopped out). The supporting cast includes Dame Flora Robson as Nurse, Mervyn Johns as Friar Laurence, Bill Travers as Benvolio, Norman Wooland as Paris, John Gielgud as the (unseen) Chorus, and Sebastian Cabot as Capulet; the rest of the major roles were filled by Italian actors. Though overshadowed by later film versions, this Romeo and Juliet was impressive enough in 1954 to win the Grand Prix at the Venice Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Complete Cast:


Director(s):
Renato Castellani
Writer(s):
Renato Castellani
Producer(s):
Joseph JanniSandro Ghenzi
Closed Captioning:
Check All Versions
Subtitles:
Check All Versions
Awards:
  • 1954 - Romeo and Juliet - National Board of Review - Best Director
  • 1954 - Romeo and Juliet - National Board of Review - Best Foreign Film
  • 1954 - Romeo and Juliet - Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion

Other Ways to Watch*

Rent DVD In-Store

Preferred Store:
No preferred Stores.
Check for In-Store Rental
* Not all titles are available for download to rent or buy.

BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster Inc. © 2009 Blockbuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Portions of Content Provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.© 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.