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A Midsummer Night's Dream
(1935)
In this romantic/fantasy comedy adapted from Shakespeare's
play of the same name, co-directed by William Dieterle and Max Reinhardt:
- the sequence of beautiful, shimmering fairies appearing
in the forest mist, running through the woods, and their ascent
into the moonlit sky
- the argument scene between two fairies: disobedient
Queen of the fairies Titania (Anita Louise) and King of the fairies
Oberon (Victor Jory), leading to their estrangement
- the scene of Oberon applying a love-potion from a
flower onto the eyelids of a sleeping Titania - hoping that she would
fall in love with the first creature to see her upon awakening: ("Be
as thou wast wont to be, See as thou wast wont to see, Dian's bud
o'er Cupid's flower Hath such force and blessed power, My Titania,
my sweet queen, now awake") - her eyes happened to fall on Nick
Bottom/Pyramus (James Cagney) who had been turned into a donkey
- the character of Oberon's mischievous young elf Puck
(Mickey Rooney), who came upon the sleeping bodies of both Lysander
(Dick Powell) (mistaken for Demetrius (Ross Alexander)) and Hermia
(Olivia de Havilland): ("This is he, my master said. Despised
of the Athenian maid. And here's the maiden, sleeping sound. On the
damp and dirty ground. Pretty soul. She dares not lie near this lack-love.
Fool. Fool, upon thy eyes I throw All the power this charm doth hold
When thou wak'st, let love forbid Sleep his seat on thy eyelid So
awake when I am gone For I must go to Oberon") -
- Puck was quickly reprimanded by Oberon for mistaking
Lysander for Demetrius, and applying the 'love-juice' to the eyes
of Lysander instead of Demetrius: ("What has't thou done? Thou
has't mistaken quite. And laid the love juice on some true love's
sight"); later, the sleeping Lysander was awakened by Helena
(Jean Muir), and he immediately fell in love with her
- the Pyramus and Thisbe play-within-a-play scene during
a wedding, performed by Bottom and his fellow actors
Oberon's Young Elf Puck (Mickey Rooney)
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- the final line, spoken in a farewell soliloquy by
Puck suggesting that everything seen before was a 'slumber'd' dream,
after which he bowed and the word "Finis" appeared: ("If
we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended. That
you have but slumber'd here while these visions did appear. And
this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but to dream. Gentles,
do not reprehend, if you pardon, we will mend. Else the Puck, a
liar call, so good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we
be friends and Robin shall restore amends!")
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The Shimmering Forest
Dancing Fairies
Oberton with Sleeping Titania
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