HotToastyRag Everyone knows Lee Remick is beautiful. If you watch Days of Wine and Roses, it's clear she can act, too. Lots of people don't know this, but she can also sing and dance, as seen during her Broadway stint of Anyone Can Whistle and her role in the concert version of Follies. But did you know she can speak Shakespeare, too? I didn't, and when I saw her name in the opening credits of The Tempest, I decided not to hold my breath for a believable performance. She was absolutely lovely. Her hair in tendrils, and dressed in a typical white toga, she looked like she just popped out of the forest from A Midsummer Night's Dream. And not only did she look the part, but she delivered her lines beautifully. Very few actors can make me pay attention during Shakespearian plays, and Lee has just joined that list.I'll admit I consulted Marcia Williams's Tales of Shakespeare before watching this taped live performance. I didn't know the plot, and Marcia helped me out immensely. The Tempest is the story of a father and daughter, isolated on an island. The father has the power to conjure storms, or tempests, and to force sprites to do his bidding. One storm shipwrecks a young man to the island, and sparks fly between the visitor and the daughter. I like this story, and this version was very fun to watch. The costumes were pretty, and all the actors knew their way around the difficult prose. This play walks the fine line between comedy and tragedy, so for those who like their Shakespeare without blood and guts, this one's good for you.

rsternesq Count me in too. I saw this as a kid and still recall with great pleasure that it was my introduction to Shakespeare and has lead to a lifetime love. As was the case for several other films of plays, the clever camera work was a definite plus. Loved making Ariel a sprite by playing with size. Having him ride on Prosperos shoulder certainly worked for me. What a lovely conceit! It made the scenes between them as magical as they were meant to be. Calaban is a bit of a monster but one with Burton's voice. All in all, even thinking about it and the wonderful cast brings a smile to my face. I visited the site and wasn't surprised to see the high rating and generally positive reviews. I feel exactly the same way. Well done all around and a wonderful introduction for kids that lingers on the mind and in the heart as well.

fowler-16 Of the very few versions of THE TEMPEST which are available as videos, this may be the best. It is not bowdlerized (as claimed by another commenter) but simply edited for limited television time, and rather cleverly adapted at that. Maurice Evans' Prospero is warm and generous of spirit. He chooses to forgo some of the majesty of the role in favor of delightfully quirky and very human touches. Roddy Macdowell gives a detailed portrait of Ariel, and Richard Burton succeeds in capturing the ingenuous side of Caliban. Lee Remick and William Bassett are young and sexy and speak verse well. The toughest transition in the story-- Prospero's abandonment of his vengeance-- occurs too quickly, with too little effort, but this is a common failing for THE TEMPEST.Actors not credited in this listing may be found on the IMDb page under "Hallmark Hall of Fame." They are William LeMassena as Antonio, Geoffrey Lumb as Alonso, and Chris Gampel as the Boatswain.

RubyJ29 I saw this on TV when it came out. I would have been 6 years old. I was enchanted, and to this day, The Tempest is still my favorite Shakespeare play, which I credit to this production. No, you wouldn't want it to be your only experience of the play, as the previous post points out. But if you get a chance to see it, give it a look. It's a good introduction, and a good way to "get your feet wet" if you feel challenged (as I confess I often do) by more authentic presentations of Elizabethan drama.