There are both advantages and disadvantages to adapting a play for the big screen (or TV). It can certainly save the filmmakers the cost and time of writing a screenplay for the movie, but it also adds a new set of complexities. Scripts for plays are usually restricted to a few venues, or in many cases, to a single venue, which may be a home, apartment, office, or large hall.
However, moviegoers expect more from movies and may find the restriction of the story to a few locales too monotonous. Here, a director has to decide on adding a few scenes at other sites, either by modifying a scene or two in the script or by writing in a new scene in the screenplay.
The sets for the movie must be well-constructed and designed with fine decor to make the movie more alluring. Finally, plays usually have more dialogue and require amplified emotions. This is why movies based on plays often have limited locales but feature strong veteran thespians as their lead characters. Sometimes the most talented actors, young and old, make up a large ensemble cast of a play.
In this series of articles, we will look at several movies that are based on plays. I have written detailed reviews for each of them in earlier posts. Click on their respective links in the descriptions to go to the earlier posts dedicated to describing the films in detail.
Death and the Maiden (1994)
Death and the Maiden is a film directed by Roman Polanski with Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley and Stuart Wilson in its cast. Based on a play by Ariel Dorfman and set in an unnamed South American country, the screenplay narrates the story of the wife of a successful lawyer suspect that the person who gave him a ride on a stormy night is the one who tortured and raped her in the past. The story unfolds in a seaside apartment on a stormy night with violent winds and heavy rain in the background. It is a tense riveting thriller that packs many surprises.
Sorry, Wrong Number (1958)
Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster star in “Sorry, Wrong Number,” a neo-noir thriller based on a radio play written by Lucille Fletcher.
The story begins with a wealthy bedridden heiress alone in her mansion who accidentally overhears two men conspiring to commit murder. Soon, she realizes she is their intended target and desperately tries to contact her husband. The plot is filled with flashbacks of her past and her history with her husband. Surprises and revelations emerge throughout the narrative, leading to a chilling climax.
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Directed by Billy Wilder and based on a play by Agatha Christie, “Witness for the Prosecution” is a riveting courtroom drama starring Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, and Elsa Lanchester in its cast.
The plot, laced with humor and twists, revolves around a veteran attorney defending a man suspected of conning and murdering a wealthy widow to gain control of her inheritance.
Wait Until Dark (1967)
Directed by Terrence Young and adapted from a play of the same name by Frederick Knott, ‘Wait Until Dark’ is a terrifying psychological thriller with Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna in lead roles. The plot involves three crooks playing an elaborate con game on a blind woman to locate a doll, stuffed with drugs that is hidden in her apartment. Directed by Terrence Young and adapted from a play of the same name by Frederick Knott, “Wait Until Dark” is a terrifying psychological thriller starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, and Richard Crenna in lead roles. The plot involves three crooks playing an elaborate con game on a blind woman to locate a doll stuffed with drugs hidden in her apartment.
Dial M for Murder (1954)
“Dial M for Murder” is another play adapted to the big screen by the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. With Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, Anthony Dawson, and John Williams in its cast, the plot tells the tale of a jealous husband who hires a petty thief to murder his unfaithful but wealthy wife.
I hop you enjoyed the first installment in this series of movies. A second installment with even more movies based on plays will be featured in a later post
Bay Area Bloke 