Julius Caesar (1953 film)

Julius Caesar is a 1953 MetroGoldwynMayer film adaptation of the play by Shakespeare, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who also wrote the uncredited screenplay, and produced by John Houseman. The original music score is by Mikls Rzsa. The film stars Marlon Brando as Mark Antony, James Mason as Brutus, John Gielgud as Cassius, Louis Calhern as Julius Caesar, Edmond OBrien as Casca, Greer Garson as Calpurnia, and Deborah Kerr as Portia.

Brandos casting was met with some skepticism when it was announced, as he had acquired the nickname of The Mumbler following his performance in A Streetcar Named Desire 1951. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz even considered Paul Scofield for the role of Mark Antony if Brandos screen test was unsuccessful. Brando asked John Gielgud for advice in declaiming Shakespeare, and adopted all of Gielguds recommendations. Brandos performance turned out so well that the New York Times stated in its review of the film Happily, Mr. Brandos diction, which has been guttural and slurred in previous films, is clear and precise in this instance. In him a major talent has emerged. Brando was so dedicated in his performance during shooting that Gielgud offered to direct him in a stage production of Hamlet, a proposition that Brando turned down. During filming, James Mason became concerned that Brando was stealing the audiences sympathy away from him and his character, Brutus, so Mason appealed to Mankiewicz, with whom he had bonded earlier while making the filmFingers, requesting that the director stop Brando from dominating the film and put the focus back where it belongs. Namely on me The subsequent shift in directorial attention didnt escape Brando, who threatened to walk off the film if Mankiewicz threw one more scene to Mason, alleging a mnage trois between Mankiewicz, Mason and Masons wife Pamela. Despite the feuding, production continued with only minimal disruption, thanks to what Gielgud called, Mankiewiczs consummate tact that kept us together as a working unit.O. Z. Whitehead is listed on the Internet Movie Database as having played Cinna the Poet in the film and not receiving screen credit, but his one scene was deleted before release, and it is not included in any DVD or video releases of the film. However, Cinna the Conspirator does appear he is played by actor William Cottrell. ........

Source: Wikipedia