Product Description

An innovative approach to a classic. One of the two "unofficial" films (the other being Peer Gynt) Heston appeared in before his 1950 "debut" film, Dark City. Independently produced in and around the Chicago area, it tells the familiar tale of Caesar, with Heston cast as Marc Anthony, a role he would again tackle in the 1970's Julius Caesar. With a budget of less than $15,000, director Bradley relied on ingenuity: for example, shooting Caesar's funeral on the steps of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry - a building modeled after early Roman architecture. Bonus Features: Scene Selection| Bios| Promo Trailer| Photo Gallery| Bonus: "Beware the Ides of March" an analysis of Marc Anthony's Funeral Speech. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital; 106 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1950; SRP - $19.99.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89282 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-07-25
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 106 minutes

Customer Reviews

"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Julius Caesar (1950)"
VCI Entertainment presents "Julius Caesar" (1950) (93 min. B/W)...under director, producer & screenwriter David Bradley, producer Owen Davis Sr., author of the play William Shakespeare, cinematographer Louis McMahon, music score by John Becker...the cast includes Charlton Heston (Antony), David Bradley (Brutus), Theodore Cloak (Emil Lepidus), Mary Sefton Darr (Portia), Homer Dietmeier (Artemidorus), Alfred Edyvean (Flavius), George Gilbert (Strato), Grosvenor Glenn (Cassius), Russell Gruebner (Cinna-the poet), Walter Hardy (Cimber), George Hinners (Lucius), Bob Holt (Octavius Caesar), Sam Needham (Pindarus), John O'Leary (Marullus), Cornelius Peeples (Popilius), Frederick Roscoe (Decius), Helen Ross (Calpurnia), Arthur Sus (Cinna), Don Walker (Soothsayer), Jeffrey Hunter (Third Plebian). . . . . . our film Julius Caesar (1950) was a film adaptation of the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar...was produced and directed by David Bradley using actors from the Chicago area...the lead was Charlton Heston, who had known Bradley since his youth, Heston was establishing himself in television and theater in New York, played Mark Antony...Heston was the only paid cast member. Bradley himself played Brutus, and Harold Tasker had the title role...Bradley recruited drama students from his alma mater Northwestern University for bit parts and extras, one of whom was future Hollywood star Jeffrey Hunter...outstanding drama tells of the powerful rise of emperor Julius Caesar along with his swift fall in this adaptation of William Shakespeare's play.

Special footnote, the 16 mm film was shot in 1949 on locations in the Chicago area, including Soldier Field, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Elks National Veterans Memorial, and the Field Museum...the Indiana sand dunes on Lake Michigan were used for the Battle of Philippi...one indoor set was built in the Chicago suburb of Evanston...in order to save money, about eighty percent of the film was shot silently, with the dialogue dubbed in later by the actors...this innovative approach to a Shakespearean classic and one of the two "unofficial" films (the other being Peer Gynt) Heston appeared in before his 1950 "debut" film, Dark City....after its premiere in Evanston in 1950, the film had only limited showings in the United States, mainly in schools, until it played at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 1951, opened in New York City in late 1952, and tied for first place at the Locarno International Film Festival in 1953...on the basis of a private screening in Hollywood, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer hired Bradley as a directing intern in 1950.

EXTRAS:
1. Scene Selection
2. PHOTO GALLERY
3. PROMO TRAILER
4. "Beware the Ides of March" - an analysis of Marc Anthony's Funeral Speech.

SPECIAL FEATURE BIOS:
1. Charlton Heston (aka: John Charles Carter)
Birth Date: 10/04/1924 - Evanston, Illinois
Died: Still Living
2. David Bradley (Director/Actor/Producer/Cinematographer)
Birth Date: 4/06/1920 - Winnetka, Illinois
Died: 12/19/1997 - Los Angeles, California

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the "Julius Caesar" (1950), digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with the classics that only VCI Entertainment (King of the Serials) can deliver...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 93 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video 8394 ~ (7/25/2006)

What do Moses, Ben-Hur, and Antony have in common?
What do Moses, Ben-Hur, and Antony have in common? Answer: They all look like Charlton Heston.

If somehow you missed the play or the history, basically Julius Caesar let his status go to his head and is about to take on the role of emperor. It is up to a handful of Noble Romans to see that this does not happen. The play is about these individuals, their individual purposes and what happens to them after the attempt to stop him. The focus is on Caesar's right arm (Mark Antony).

This is a 1970 rendition of Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" that is well adapted for the screen. Hence the characters are well known contemporaries. You will notice the major players and might miss some of the others such as Preston Lockwood (Trebonius) who played the Judge in "Strong Poison". With many movies the actor out shine the character and totally changes the emphasis of the story. However this version is well done with maybe the exception of Jason Robards (Brutus) who sometimes seems like Jason Robards playing Brutus at other times he is quite exceptional. Diana Rigg (Portia) who looks like a little girl is the only person that sounds like she is speaking in meter. Everyone speaks clearly and pauses long enough for you to think before moving on. Facial expressions are important to the story and they do not look like they are yelling at you (except in speeches).

You will notice that the background music is also of 70's vantage and is used to emphasize certain scenes. However the volume is not so high that you can not hear the clear pronunciation of the lines. Also the costumes made with satin are distracting. At one point Antony looks like Carol Burnett when she was wearing a curtain and left the rod in.

As the play proceeds you will be so wrapped up in it that you will not care about the little differences in form and be totally absorbed in the film. There may be better versions and/or more favorite versions but that doe not make this version any less worth having.

Julius Caesar ~ Marlon Brando

Not High School Friendly
this was not the movies that I had expected for my high school class, I had to order a more "teen-friendly" version. I think it is more suitable for junior college and university students.