---
title: 'Richard III (1955)'
type: 'film'
director: 'Laurence Olivier'
released: '1955-01-01'
runtime_minutes: 161
genres:
  - 'Drama'
  - 'Adventure'
  - 'History'
countries:
  - 'United Kingdom'
canonical: 'https://cinepixo.com/movies/richard-iii-1955'
review_count: 0
imdb: 'https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049674/'
publisher: 'CinePixo'
---

# Richard III (1955)

1955 · 161 min · Drama, Adventure, History · United Kingdom


## Synopsis

Richard III is a 1955 British Technicolor film adaptation of William Shakespeare's historical play of the same name, also incorporating elements from his Henry VI, Part 3. It was directed and produced by Laurence Olivier, who also played the lead role. Featuring many noted Shakespearean actors, including a quartet of knights, the film depicts Richard plotting and conspiring to grasp the throne from his brother King Edward IV, played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke. In the process, many are killed and betrayed, with Richard's evil leading to his own downfall. The prologue of the film states that history without its legends would be "a dry matter indeed", implicitly admitting to the artistic licence that Shakespeare applied to the events of the time.

## Credits

- **Director:** [Laurence Olivier](https://cinepixo.com/people/laurence-olivier)
- **Screenplay:** [Laurence Olivier](https://cinepixo.com/people/laurence-olivier), [David Garrick](https://cinepixo.com/people/david-garrick)
- **Producer:** [Laurence Olivier](https://cinepixo.com/people/laurence-olivier), [Alexander Korda](https://cinepixo.com/people/alexander-korda)
- **Original Music Composer:** [William Walton](https://cinepixo.com/people/william-walton)
- **Director of Photography:** [Otto Heller](https://cinepixo.com/people/otto-heller)
- **Editor:** [Helga Keller](https://cinepixo.com/people/helga-keller)

## Cast

- [Dan Cunningham](https://cinepixo.com/people/dan-cunningham) as Richard Grey
- [Russell Thorndike](https://cinepixo.com/people/russell-thorndike) as First Priest
- [John Phillips](https://cinepixo.com/people/john-phillips) as John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
- [Douglas Wilmer](https://cinepixo.com/people/douglas-wilmer) as Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
- [Esmond Knight](https://cinepixo.com/people/esmond-knight) as Richard Ratcliffe
- [Clive Morton](https://cinepixo.com/people/clive-morton) as Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers
- [Alec Clunes](https://cinepixo.com/people/alec-clunes) as William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
- [Timothy Bateson](https://cinepixo.com/people/timothy-bateson) as Ostler
- [Ralph Richardson](https://cinepixo.com/people/ralph-richardson) as Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
- [Paul Huson](https://cinepixo.com/people/paul-huson) as Edward V of England
- [Laurence Olivier](https://cinepixo.com/people/laurence-olivier) as Richard III of England
- [John Laurie](https://cinepixo.com/people/john-laurie) as Francis Lovell, 1st Viscount Lovell
- [Cedric Hardwicke](https://cinepixo.com/people/cedric-hardwicke) as Edward IV of England
- [Michael Gough](https://cinepixo.com/people/michael-gough) as Dighton, 1st murderer
- [Helen Haye](https://cinepixo.com/people/helen-haye) as Cecily Neville, Duchess of York

## Criticism on CinePixo

No reviews published yet.

Source: https://cinepixo.com/movies/richard-iii-1955
Film facts: Wikidata (Q1968853); synopsis from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Reviews, themes and notes are the work of this site's members.