University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2010 "Not for an age, but for all time": Shakespeare's Romantic Comedies on Film Kelly A. Rivers University of Tennessee - Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Film and Media Studies Commons, and the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Recommended Citation Rivers, Kelly A., ""Not for an age, but for all time": Shakespeare's Romantic Comedies on Film. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2010. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/744 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Kelly A. Rivers entitled ""Not for an age, but for all time": Shakespeare's Romantic Comedies on Film." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in English. Robert E. Stillman, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Charles J. Maland, Heather A. Hirschfeld, H. Phillip Hamlin Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Kelly Ann Rivers entitled “‘Not for an age, but for all time’: Shakespeare’s Romantic Comedies on Film.” I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in English. Robert E. Stillman Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Charles J. Maland Heather A. Hirschfeld H. Phillip Hamlin Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) “Not for an age, but for all time”: Shakespeare’s Romantic Comedies on Film A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Kelly Ann Rivers May 2010 Copyright © 2010 by Kelly Ann Rivers All rights reserved. ii This dissertation is dedicated to my family—past, present, and future. “What’s past is prologue, what to come/ In yours and my discharge.” The Tempest, II, i, 254-5 To my parents who inspired me to be whoever I wanted. “Such as we are made of, such we be.” Twelfth Night, II, ii, 32 To Robert, for loving the result. “Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.” Twelfth Night, III, i, 156 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The successful completion of this dissertation would not have been possible if not for the altruistic inspiration, steadfast support and unwavering encouragement of several significant people. I take this opportunity to attempt to convey the depth of my thanks and gratitude. While I entered college with a set career goal in mind, my remarkable faculty mentors from Elon University helped me recognize and embrace an alternative path. For that and more, I owe a significant debt to Dr. Steve Braye, Dr. Nancy Midgette, and Dr. Kathy Lyday-Lee. Dr. Clyde Ellis deserves special note for his helpful comments and willingness to read this dissertation even though as a professor of History he has no experience or background with Shakespeare; I thank him for his inclination to indulge his “frustrated former English major” within. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the English Department at the University of Tennessee and the members of my dissertation committee: Dr. Chuck Maland, Dr. Heather Hirschfeld, Dr. Phil Hamlin, and especially my chair, Dr. Rob Stillman for his patience throughout the entire writing process and for his enthusiastic support during the final push. I am also indebted to Pam Whaley and Leanne Hinkle. Pam, your stern glares and finger wags were well-appreciated and well-deserved. And Leanne, I owe you more favors than I have fingers to count them. The staff in the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment deserves my gratitude far beyond what a paragraph can convey. You offered me a second academic “home” and accepted me into your “family” for the last five years. To the late Dr. Don Scroggins: thank you for warning me about the fickle muse and for reaffirming the value of a pot of Earl Grey. To Elizabeth Pemberton: thank you for taking a chance on me, helping support and encourage iv everything I have done—even when you thought it might not be the smartest choice—and for reading this project throughout its various stages. You have been more than a supervisor and office-mate; you have been a friend and a cheering squad when I needed them the most. My amazing family deserves special recognition for their unconditional love and support for an endeavor that, at times, may not have made much sense to anyone but me. To my parents Ken and Linda Rivers: you indulged a romantic dreamer, taught me the value of laughter, and continue to prove that romantic comedy is not just found in the movies. To my brother Jeff: you took me to my first Shakespeare film and unknowingly started me on this journey. To my sister- in-law Stephanie: you never doubted even when I did. To my niece Caroline: just because. To my grandmother Ruth Rivers: thanks for bragging about me to anyone who would listen and making sure I knew about it. To Zoë: your unconditional affection and comfort got me through many difficult days. And to my in-laws Phil and Jennie Baird: you accept me as I am and love me anyway. I reserve my final acknowledgement for my partner in life, in love, and in laughter, Robert Baird. No words can possibly express the depth of my affection and appreciation for everything you have given me during our time together. You are my champion, my sounding board, my life-preserver, and my best friend. Forever is not long enough. v ABSTRACT From Sam Taylor’s 1929 Taming of the Shrew to Kenneth Branagh’s 2000 Love’s Labour’s Lost, nine comedies have been filmed and released for the mainstream film market. Over the course of the twentieth century a filmic cycle developed. By the late 1990s, the films of Shakespeare’s romantic comedies included cinematic allusions to films produced and distributed in the 1930s. This cycle indicates an awareness of and appreciation for the earlier films. Such awareness proves that the contemporary films’ meaning and entertainment value are derived in part from the consciousness of belonging to a larger tradition of Shakespeare comedy on film. Recognizing the intertextuality of Shakespeare’s comedies on film challenges the notion that Shakespeare’s comedies do not merit the same critical attention as their tragic counterparts. The cinematic conversation between directors—as played out on screen—illustrates the relevance and cultural significance of Shakespeare’s comedy. This dissertation explores these comedic adaptations chronologically and offers analysis of the films as they enter the cinematic Shakespeare tradition. Each decade in which the comedies were produced reveals a unique view or understanding of the role of comedy in Shakespeare. For 1930s audiences, the three comedies offer innovative performances by big- name stars as some of them transitioned from silent films to talkies while others tried to flex their acting muscles. 1960s movie audiences saw Shakespeare comedy that was less about the theatrical tradition and more about cinematic realism and social relevance. Kenneth Branagh would move to capitalize on this approach and take populism to the next level with his two comedies in the 1990s. Branagh’s contributions to the comedy tradition proved to be both monumental and overconfident; however, the impact Branagh himself had on the field of vi Shakespeare on film is undeniable. His influence would inspire other directors (including Trevor Nunn and Michael Hoffman) who pay homage to Branagh stylistically and thematically. Recognizing the history of Shakespeare’s comedies on film allows us the opportunity to revisit and reexamine the comedies’ place on the Shakespeare-on-film canon by calling attention to what these films attempt to accomplish through cultural, social or cinematic means. vii Table of Contents Chapter One: Shakespeare’s Comedies on Film: An undiscovered history ......................... 2 The theatrical stage versus the soundstage ................................................................................. 7 It’s not all hearts and flowers: Romantic Comedy as a Film Genre ......................................... 10 Representation of Shakespeare on Film: Why does it matter and to whom? ........................... 18 Shakespeare’s Comedies on Film: An undiscovered history .................................................... 23 Chapter Two: Shakespeare in the 1930s: Taming the Dream As [They] Like It ............... 37 The Taming of the Shrew (United Artists, 1929) ...................................................................... 42 A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Warner Brothers, 1935) ..........................................................