"Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, partly I suppose because of the great Peter O'Toole - Richard Burton double-act, and Edward Anhalt's Oscar winning adaptation of Jean Anouilh's play, in which once great friends go on their different paths, leading ultimately to a shocking and true murder in Canterbury Cathedral which was never punished (that would in itself have been quite an interesting detail to have been in the screenplay).
Geoffrey Unsworth (won BAFTA) photographed John Bryan's huge and amazing sets (also won BAFTA) in a kind of faded tapestry colour. Despite the innovations of Lawrence of Arabia, Anne Coates is still using dissolves a lot to move from one location to another.
Third billed John Gielgud (Oscar nominated despite short appearances) doesn't even appear until 80 minutes in. With David Weston (loyal monk), Donald Wolfit (bishop), Martita Hunt, Pamela Brown, Sian Phillips, Felix Aylmer.
Roger Corman swiftly moved in and filmed The Masque of the Red Death on still standing sets!
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