Cromwell
Short description
Cromwell is a 1970 historical drama directed by Ken Hughes, who also wrote the screenplay. Set in seventeenth-century England, it follows Oliver Cromwell, a man so opposed to the policies of King Charles I that he intends to take his family to the New World. Before he can leave, he is pulled into the religious and political struggle between the Crown and Parliament, a conflict that grows into civil war. Richard Harris plays Cromwell, with Alec Guinness as Charles I, Robert Morley as the Earl of Manchester, Dorothy Tutin as Queen Henrietta Maria, Frank Finlay as John Carter and Timothy Dalton as Prince Rupert. The film was produced by Irving Allen for Columbia Pictures and Irving Allen Productions on a budget of 8 million dollars, and runs 140 minutes.
It was released in July 1970, between Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Sextette in Hughes's directing career. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7 out of 10 from around 7,900 votes, while on TMDB its rating is 6.6 out of 10 from 109 votes, so the audience scores are broadly favourable, with far more voters recorded on the first.
What's left behind the scenes
- Ken Hughes became passionate about filming this movie in the early 1960s after reading a biography of Oliver Cromwell. Over the next nine years, he read more than 120 books about Cromwell, and in between filming sessions, he traveled across England, visiting historical sites and spending time in museums and archives. He came closer to realizing his dream when he met Irving Allen, who shared his passionate fascination with Cromwell. Allen became one of the film's producers.
- As a result of reducing the overall length of the film, all scenes featuring characters played by Felix Aylmer, Brian Pringle, Peter Bennett, Tony Carter, and George A. Cooper were removed. Patrick Magee was left with less than a minute of screen time, despite his name appearing among the first in the credits.
- Director and screenwriter Ken Hughes wanted Peter Finch to play Oliver Cromwell, but the studio decided he was not yet famous enough for such a role. Richard Harris, who eventually played the part, was in fact the least likely candidate to portray the Puritan who—as many historians claim—was responsible for what was practically a genocide unleashed in Ireland. A fierce Irish nationalist, Harris nevertheless became interested in Cromwell, seeing in him a "symbol of integrity" and a "drive to implement reforms." Harris insisted that an actor does not necessarily have to believe in the character they are playing. He drew inspiration from Cromwell's idealism, his "firm intention" to strip the aristocracy of power in the country, and his inner discipline, which the actor sincerely admired.
- A significant portion of the film was shot in England. The London square where the Parliament building is located was recreated on the stages of Shepperton Studios. The battle scenes were filmed in Spain. The original version of the film ran for 3 hours and 15 minutes, but director and screenwriter Ken Hughes cut it down to 2 hours and 24 minutes. At Shepperton Studios, over 200 workers constructed a square on two acres of land, which became the largest set in a British film. The square, featuring the Parliament building and about 50 other buildings, was designed to look as it did in 1642.
- Nearly 4,000 costumes, 16,000 props, and thousands of wigs ordered from various European countries were produced for the film.
- The actors wore heavy makeup to ensure they resembled the portraits of the respective historical figures.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
