John Gielgud  (1904 - 2000)

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Acting Shakespeare by John Gielgud, John Miller

The celebrated actor offers his insights on William Shakespeare and his works, describing the challenges and rewards of acting in the Bard's works, and presenting portraits of Ashcroft, Evans, Olivier, Redgrave, and Richardson.

"I was expecting more of a how-to book when I bought this but was not at all disappointed. This funny and inspiring book gave some insight into the life, work and thoughts of one of our time's greatest actors. This is an good book for both fans of Shakespeare and of biographies." -- Anonymous Review

Prospero's Books (1991)

Greenaway's kaleidoscopic, hallucinatory spin on Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is sure to leave the viewer with a visceral reaction -- some will delight in his orgiastic vision, while others may be nauseated and others still will simply be left dumbfounded in the sheer audacity of an endless procession of naked bodies and a level of bacchanalian spectacle never before seen in cinema. Gielgud not only stars as Prospero but also gives voice to every other character in the film. While the film sketchily follows the narrative, Greenaway pays more attention to the thematic content of the Bard's work and plays it up as an allegory for the conquering of the magical New World (read: the Americas). For adventurous viewers of cinema, this is a must, but be warned that a knowledge of "The Tempest" is extremely helpful in one's comprehension of the film. No gay content in the film.

Director:  Peter Greenaway

Starring:  John Gielgud, Michael Clark, Michel Blanc, Erland Josephson

John Gielgud Filmography:

Sir John Gielgud

Sir John Gielgud is one of the most respected actors of this century. His work in Shakespearean theatre includes Hamlet, Richard II, Macbeth, and the role of Mark Antony in Julius Caesar.

Hear Sir John Gielgud read from Sonnets of William Shakespeare.

Sir John Gielgud

From Encarta

Excerpt:

English actor, director, and producer. Born in London and educated at the Westminster School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Gielgud made his stage debut in London in 1921 with the Old Vic Repertory Company. His success in the title role of Richard II in 1929 established him as a leading Shakespearean actor. He is perhaps best known for his interpretation of the title role in Hamlet, which he first played in 1929 and has repeated many times. Gielgud also became a director of Shakespearean and other plays...

World Famous Faces:  Sir John Bielgud

From The BBC; this site includes Real Audio and Real Video clips.

Excerpt:

Arthur John Gielgud, known in his youth as Jack was born in Campden Hill, Kensington, London in 1904, the only son of a prosperous stockbroker. He caught the stage bug early and started in rep in his teens instead of going to Oxford. He made his first appearance in 1904...

John Gielgud

From The Knitting Circle

John Gielgud was given a knighted in the coronation honours list in June 1953.

He began a relationship with Paul Anstee.

On the night of 21st. October 1953 John Gielgud was arrested for homosexual importuning in Chelsea and ordered to appear before a magistrate the following morning. On the charge sheet he described himself as 'Arthur Gielgud, 49, a clerk, of Cowley Street Westminster' and he pleaded guilty and apologised. He was fined £10. He had followed the usual practice of the time of giving a false job description in the hope that the press would not pick up on the incident. If he had been more bold he might also have given a false name but the best that he could bring himself to do was to give his name as Arthur Gielgud. The morning desk sergent tried to help keep the matter out of the press by getting a duty magistrate to come in early. However, a journalist from the Evening Standard was in the court and the story appeared in the lunchtime edition under the headline 'Sir John Gielgud fined: See your doctor the moment you leave here'. His humiliation became very public and painful and he was afraid of what the reaction of the audience might be when he next appeared on stage. In fact the play (N. C. Hunter's A Day by the Sea) was brought to standstill by a standing ovation when John Gielgud first made his entrance. However, there was a public backlash led by the press which complained of the 'homosexual menace'. The choreographer Frederick Ashton said 'He's ruined it for us all'. Paul Anstee burnt all his letters out of fear...

Names Index:
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| Authors Index | Scholars Index |