Shakespeare in Hollywood |
It may seem surprising, but William Shakespeare’s 400-year-old plays have been a part of American movies from the very beginning. In the early silent era, his plays made perfect subjects for quick-moving, action-packed films that sometimes lasted no more than ten to twelve minutes. Even then, there were two kinds of Shakespeare movies: movies of the plays themselves, and other projects inspired by Shakespeare—including a Hamlet dream sequence with Buster Keaton and a Romeo and Juliet interlude with funnyman Will Rogers. The Shakespeare-Hollywood connection has not only endured, but thrived, ever since, from major studio projects in the 1920s, 30s, and 50s to televised productions, independent and experimental films, and popular teen movies.