How long did Orson Welles take to film Macbeth in 1948?
Orson Welles shot Macbeth in 23 days, with one additional day reserved for retakes. He had the cast pre-record their dialogue before shooting began in order to accommodate the tight schedule.
Questions about Macbeth (1948 film)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was the budget for Orson Welles's 1948 Macbeth?
Welles guaranteed to deliver a completed negative of Macbeth for $700,000. He signed a contract agreeing to personally pay any production costs above that amount.
Who played Lady Macbeth in the 1948 Orson Welles film?
Jeanette Nolan played Lady Macbeth. The role was her feature film debut. Welles had first sought Vivien Leigh and then Tallulah Bankhead, but neither took the part.
Why was Orson Welles's Macbeth withdrawn from the 1948 Venice Film Festival?
The film was compared unfavorably against Laurence Olivier's adaptation of Hamlet, which was also competing at the festival, and was abruptly withdrawn.
What changes did Orson Welles make to Shakespeare's Macbeth in the 1948 film?
Welles expanded the role of the witches, who create a clay figurine of Macbeth at the film's opening. He added a new character, the Holy Man, a priest meant to embody the struggle between pagan Druidical religion and Christianity. The line "Peace, the charm's wound up," spoken in the first act of Shakespeare's play, was moved to the film's final moments.
When was the original uncut version of Orson Welles's Macbeth restored?
The original uncut version, with the Scottish-accented soundtrack intact, was restored in 1980 by the UCLA Film and Television Archive and the Folger Shakespeare Library. The truncated 1950 re-release had been the version in circulation until that restoration.