Points in favor:
- This is an American film of an English play, directed by two Germans, featuring a Javanese/Danish ballerina, choreographed by a Russian.
- By 1935, special effects were pretty impressive, considering that most of them were done in the camera. The digital effects we see in today's films are (for me) no more believable than the state-of-the-art effects you will see in this. The creativity plus trial-and-error formula of the 1930's makes the 21st Century CGI effects look cheap and lazy by comparison.
- James Cagney as Bottom. Apparently, critics hated his performance back in the day (and there are valid points there, like he was too handsome, too Brooklyn, too, well, wrong for the part), but he committed to the role and made it pay off. Maybe not as Bottom, but certainly as Bottom playing Pyramus.
- Joe. E. Brown. You'll recognize him from Some Like it Hot. If you don't, put down the computer and go find a copy of Some Like it Hot, watch it, and come back. I can't imagine I will see a better Flute/Thisbe.
- Victor Jory as Oberon. Olivia de Haviland and Jane Muir as Helena and Hermia. Their readings of the script might not be perfect, but they do a great job of bringing the characters to life.
- It's black and white, which isn't a problem for me, but may be a problem for some.
- I'm pretty good at the Willful Suspension of Disbelief thing, but the masks on the elves and gnomes are pretty bad.
- Mickey Rooney's obnoxious cackilng! Oy! According to the special features, Max Reinhardt loved the laugh Rooney developed for the audition, and this is what got him the part. I found it extremely irritating.
Watch this one a second time with the commentary on. It might not explain much about Shakespeare or A Midsummer Night's Dream, but you will learn quite a bit about cinema in the 1930's.
