Joe MacBeth
Joe MacBeth is a 1955 British–American crime drama, directed by Ken Hughes[1] and starring Paul Douglas, Ruth Roman and Bonar Colleano.[2] It is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth, set in a 1930s American criminal underworld. The film's plot closely follows that of Shakespeare's original play.[3][4][5]
| Joe MacBeth | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ken Hughes |
| Produced by | M.J. Frankovich George Maynard (executive producer) |
| Written by | Ken Hughes Philip Yordan |
| Based on | the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare |
| Starring | Paul Douglas Ruth Roman Bonar Colleano |
| Music by | Trevor Duncan |
| Cinematography | Basil Emmott |
| Edited by | Peter Rolfe Johnson |
Production company | Film Locations |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
A similar adaptation, Men of Respect, was released in 1990, starring John Turturro, Rod Steiger and Dennis Farina.
Plot
Hit man Joe MacBeth goes directly from the assassination of crime boss Duke's second-in-command Tommy to his own wedding, where bride Lily scolds him for being two hours late.
Duke rewards him with a mansion by a lake. A fortune teller persuades Lily, however, that Joe's destiny is to be the leader, not a follower. Lily is ruthlessly ambitious. After he personally eliminates Duke's gluttonous rival, Big Dutch, at a restaurant, Lily continues to goad Joe into going after his own boss.
After eliminating his crime ally Banky and alienating Banky's son Lennie, an evening at the lakeside mansion ends with Duke inviting the lovely Lily to go for a swim. Once in the water, though, Duke is stabbed in the back by Joe and left to die. Lily dives in to make sure.
Although he expresses outrage that someone has murdered their boss, Joe is not believed by Lennie, who suspects the truth. Joe begins to be haunted by nightmares and visions. One night, when he believes Lennie's men have come to kill him, Joe takes a machine gun and opens fire at a moving curtain. Lily falls dead. Joe's own violent end is about to follow.
Cast
- Paul Douglas as Joe MacBeth
- Ruth Roman as Lily MacBeth
- Bonar Colleano as Lennie
- Grégoire Aslan as Duca, a.k.a. "The Duke"
- Sid James as Banky
- Harry Green as Big Dutch
- Walter Crisham as Angus
- Kay Callard as Ruth
- Robert Arden as Ross
- George Margo as Second Assassin
- Minerva Pious as Rosie
- Philip Vickers as Tommy
- Mark Baker as Benny
- Bill Nagy as Marty
- Nicholas Stuart as Duffy
- Teresa Thorne as Ruth
- Shirley Douglas as Patsy
- Alfred Mulock as First assassin
- Louise Grant
- Beresford Egan
Reception
Critical response
Author Geoff Mayer wrote in his book Historical Dictionary of Crime Films: "Although this bizarre gangster film was an attempt to update William Shakespeare's play to contemporary America ... less-than-subtle alterations to the play with name changes..."[6]
The Variety staff of Variety wrote in their review: "Joe Macbeth is far removed from the famous Shakespearean character, but there is an analogy between this modern gangster story and the Bard’s classic play. Although made in Britain, the film has an American setting. It is expensively mounted, expertly staged and directed with a keen sense of tension."[7]
References
Citations
- Shakespeare & Williams 2006, p. 29.
- "BFI | Film & TV Database | JOE MACBETH (1954)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
- Jackson 2007, pp. 310–311.
- Mayer 2003, p. 216.
- Hatchuel, Sarah; Vienne-Guerrin, Nathalie; Bladen, Victoria (2014). Shakespeare on screen : Macbeth (in French). Rouen: University of Rouen Press. ISBN 979-1024000381.
- Mayer 2012, p. 233.
- Variety Staff (31 December 1954). "Joe Macbeth". Variety. United States: Variety Media, LLC. (Penske Media Corporation). Retrieved 6 April 2020.
Sources
- Shakespeare, William; Williams, William Proctor (2006). Macbeth. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks. p. 29. ISBN 978-1402206887.
- Jackson, Russell (2007). The Cambridge companion to Shakespeare on film. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 310–311. ISBN 978-0521866002.
- Mayer, Geoff (2003). Guide to British Cinema. Reference Guides to the World's Cinema. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 216. ISBN 978-0313303074.
- Mayer, Geoff (2012). Historical Dictionary of Crime Films. Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts (1st ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-0810867697.