Becket (1964)

Director:

Peter Glenville

Writers:

Jean Anouilh (play)
Lucienne Hill (play)

Release Date:

11 March 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

An age of rampant lusts, abandon, runaway passions. An age brought bristling to life by two of the most exciting stars of our time!

Plot:

An English king comes to terms with his affection for his close friend and confidant, who finds his true honor by observing God's divine will rather than the king's.

Plot Keywords:

British History | Tony Award Source | England | Historical | Murder

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 12 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Thomas à Becket
Peter O'Toole	...	King Henry II
John Gielgud	...	King Louis VII of France
Gino Cervi	...	Cardinal Zambelli
Paolo Stoppa	...	Pope Alexander III
Donald Wolfit	...	Bishop Folliot
David Weston	...	Brother John
Martita Hunt	...	Empress Matilda
Pamela Brown	...	Queen Eleanor [of Aquitaine]
Siân Phillips	...	Gwendolen (as Sian Phillips)
Felix Aylmer	...	Archbishop of Canterbury
Percy Herbert	...	Baron
Inigo Jackson	...	Robert de Beaumont
Niall MacGinnis	...	Baron
Christopher Rhodes	...	Baron

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and violence.

Runtime:

148 min | Argentina:150 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (2004 restoration) | Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Dolby SR (2004 restoration) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:Atp | USA:Not Rated | Hungary:14 | Finland:K-16 | Portugal:17 | Sweden:15 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Paramount Film Service

Trivia:

Final film of Sir Christopher Rhodes.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Contrary to one of the film's central plot lines, Thomas à Becket was a Norman (Thomas Bequet), not a Saxon. Jean Anouilh admitted he discovered this after having finished his play, having based it on the outdated 1825 work "The History of the Conquest of England by the Normans", by Augustin Thierry; but he decided that it made a better story the way he had written it.

Quotes:

King Henry II: Do you know how much trouble I went through to make you a noble?
Thomas a Becket: Yes, as I recall, you lifted your finger, pointed at me and said, "Thomas Becket, you are noble."

Movie Connections:

Featured in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

2 movie giants in their prime!

This movie is a classic. It is so wonderful, my praises can't do it justice. The acting is second to none. The dialogue is incredible. The story magnificent. It's truly a masterpiece. I have seen this movie at the very least 25 times. It is one of those movies you can watch again and again. This movie has so many memorable scenes. Only Casablanca can be compared in that way. And it stands up over time, some great old flicks get outdated, this one has not. It's a rare movie. You can read the other posts about the storyline. If this movie was released today, it would win every academy award. DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE. You will never see 2 actors this great starring together ever again. One of the all time best films.