A Midsummer Night's Dream

US (1935): Fantasy/Comedy/Romance

German experimental theater director Max Reinhardt's only sound feature is now most often remembered for casting an energetic James Cagney as Bottom and 15-year-old Mickey Rooney in the role of Puck. Hollywood's first major talking attempt at Shakespeare, it also featured the film debut of Olivia de Havilland as Hermia, Victor Jory as Oberon, and Joe E. Brown as Flute. Replacement cinematographer Mohr was awarded an Oscar^® for his lush images, the only time a write-in candidate has won. Mohr re-did all of Ernest Haller's original cinematography. When the forest designed for the production could not be properly lit, Mohr sprayed the trees with aluminum paint and covered them with cobwebs and tiny metal particles that reflected the light. Mendelssohn's music was adapted by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and some sophisticated ballet sequences created by Bronislawa Nijinska were later re-choreographed as if they were Busby Berkeley production numbers. The film also features Dick Powell, Ross Alexander, Anita Louise, Ian Hunter, Verree Teasdale, Frank McHugh, Jean Muir, Hugh Herbert, Arthur Treacher and Billy Barty. (amctv.com)

William Dieterle had full charge as director for about a week because of a breach-of-contract suit filed against Max Reinhardt by a French film company. A judge found in favor of Reinhardt and lifted the restraining order. The movie was banned in Germany by the Nazi government because Reinhardt and composer Mendelssohn were Jews and considered undesirable.

 Use this link to view the trailer for the wide release of A Midsummer Night's Dream on TCM.com.

2 nominations, 2 write-in nominations, 2 Awards (1 from a write-in nomination)