Henry V: The Chronicle History (1944)

A production of the Shakespeare play. The initial scenes are depicted as if we were in the Globe Theatre at the time of the original performances. However the treatment is rather heavy handed and ponderous for full enjoyment nowadays, notwithstanding the appearance of a whole range of accomplished actors and not a few up-and-coming ones. The film was made in the darkest days of World War 2 and had government support as a morale booster.

After the prologue, we follow two characters backstage, and among a confusion of people getting ready for their performance, we see that Mistress Quickly is getting ready, played by a man. In Shakespearian times women were not allowed to perform in public entertainments, and female roles were played by young men.

However when we return to the stage, the relatively few female parts are played by actresses, including Mistress Quickly.

HF November 2007

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