Romeo and Juliet Overview:

Romeo and Juliet (1936) was a Drama - Romance Film directed by George Cukor and produced by Irving Thalberg.

SYNOPSIS

MGM production chief Thalberg lavished his personal attention on this reverent treatment of Shakespeare's classic love story as his wife, Shearer, was cast in the lead. Shearer and Howard make an earnest pair, but the fizz in the production comes from Barrymore's delightful Mercutio. Interesting as a comparison of the classic acting style of the '30s with the more naturalistic treatment of the 1968 British-Italian version directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

.

Academy Awards 1936 --- Ceremony Number 9 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActorBasil RathboneNominated
Best ActressNorma ShearerNominated
Best Art DirectionCedric Gibbons, Fredric Hope, Edwin B. WillisNominated
Best PictureMetro-Goldwyn-MayerNominated
.

BlogHub Articles:

Romeo and Juliet (1968)

By Beatrice on Jan 25, 2020 From Flickers in Time

Romeo and Juliet Directed by Franco Zefferelli Written by Franco Brusati, Masalino D’Amico, and Franoco Zefferelli from Shakespeare’s play 1968/UK/Italy https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063518/reference Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant This dreamy, romantic, lush film has held up beautifully o... Read full article


Romeo and Juliet (1936) (2)

By Beatrice on Aug 24, 2013 From Flickers in Time

Romeo and Juliet Directed by George Cukor Adapted by Talbot Jennings from the play by William Shakespeare 1936/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer First viewing This lavish production of the Shakespearian tragedy has a lot going for it but is marred by some inappropriate casting. ?With Leslie Howard as Romeo,... Read full article


Romeo and Juliet (1936) (1)

By RBuccicone on Aug 27, 2011 From MacGuffin Movies

Romeo and Juliet (1936) Romeo and Juliet (1936) ???? I have been avoiding the various incarnations of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” for a number of years based on the conclusion that the story is far too compelling and therefore horribly depressing. My aversion, to put it simply... Read full article


Romeo and Juliet (1)

By Alyson on Aug 9, 2011 From The Best Picture Project

Franco Zeffirelli?s Romeo and Juliet is usually the more favored film version of Shakespeare’s play. ?The filming feels wonderfully modern, while only showing us a long ago period. ?The actors are young, full of uninhibited youthful energy, just as their characters are. ?Best of all, this vers... Read full article


Romeo and Juliet (1936) (3)

By Judy on Sep 18, 2010 From Movie Classics

The last Shakespeare production I wrote about was Orson Welles’ moody take on Macbeth. ?George Cukor’s movie of Romeo and Juliet was made only 12 years earlier, but seems to belong to another world. Where Welles’ Poverty Row film looks rough around the edges, Cukor’s gives th... Read full article


See all Romeo and Juliet articles

Quotes from

Juliet: Romeo. Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo?


read more quotes from Romeo and Juliet...

Facts about

One minor complaint about this film version, according to many fans of the play, would be that Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer were physically too old to portray teenage lovers. At the time of this film's release, Howard was 43 years old; Shearer was 34 years old.
William Randolph Hearst campaigned heavily for Marion Davies (Hearst's mistress) to star as Juliet. However, MGM thought Davies would be miscast and should only stick to comedies.
The role of Romeo was originally offered to John Gielgud, who had just had a triumph in a stage production of the play in London in which he alternated the roles of Romeo and Mercutio with Laurence Olivier. Gielgud not only turned the part down (thinking that Shakespeare couldn't effectively be presented on screen), but was so disgusted by the finished film that he walked out of the theater after watching only fifteen minutes of it.
read more facts about Romeo and Juliet...
Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
Best Picture Oscar 1936











See more Best Picture awards>>
Also directed by George Cukor




More about George Cukor >>
Also produced by Irving Thalberg




More about Irving Thalberg >>
Related Lists
Create a list


See All Related Lists >>
Also released in 1936




See All 1936 films >>
More "Based on Play" films



See All "Based on Play" films >>