Omnibus

King Lear

Directed by Andrew McCullough
Not Rated
S2 • E3    Oct 18, 1953
6.9
King Lear is a 1953 live television adaptation of the Shakespeare play with stage direction by Peter Brook and starring Orson Welles. It was aired on CBS as part of the U.S. television series Omnibus, and preserved on kinescope.

A heavily abridged version of the play, this production condensed the play by eliminating the Edgar-Edmund subplot.

Welles returned to America to star in this presentation. He was guarded by IRS agents, prohibited to leave his hotel room when not at the studio, prevented from making any purchases, and the entire sum he earned went to his tax bill. Welles returned to England after the broadcast.

The cast included Micheál Mac Liammóir and the British actor Alan Badel. It was hosted by Alistair Cooke.

Where to Watch Omnibus - S2 • E3

  • Alistair CookeSelf - Host
  • Alan BadelFool
  • Beatrice StraightGoneril
  • Bramwell FletcherEarl of Kent
  • Orson WellesKing Lear
  • Natasha ParryCordelia
  • Arnold MossDuke of Albany
  • Wesley AddyKing of France
  • Lloyd BochnerFirst Gentleman
  • Micheál Mac LiammóirPoor Tom
  • Scott ForbesDuke of Cornwall

 

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