This is a black and white video of a live performance of Burton's Hamlet on Broadway, and requires a little patience to sit through, as it doesn't hold up as a film or even a television broadcast from the period. You're pretty much always watching the full proscenium and when they do focus on one portion of the action it's often at the expense of what we need to see elsewhere - particularly in the final scene. The sound, however, is fine and you don't miss a word.

The main attraction is Burton and you sense the crowd's there to see him take on the role, as actors facing these challenges were a big deal at the time. He's about 40 here and his melancholy seems like world-weariness. He brings almost too much intelligence to the role. He's in great voice throughout, though when he conveys passion with that keening cry of his he sometimes sounds like a parody of himself. When he puts on his antic disposition he's perversely funny, if a little self-conscious. And though he leaps about occasionally, he doesn't have much physical grace. You sense that all this must have been something to see onstage, and when this was finished I felt more teased than pleased.

Having seen pictures of this production I always assumed Alfred Drake was an older gentleman at the time. Here he appears younger than Burton. He's a little effete with a posture that's almost comically erect, but he's impressively well spoken. His confession scene - a speech that obsessed Lincoln - is very nicely done. Eileen Hurlie's good, but not as compelling as in Olivier's film, and sports a distracting hairstyle (wig?) Hume Cronyn's Polonius is a clear favorite with the audience, but seems to be doing his own thing and doesn't connect with other actors. John Cullum's athletic Laertes is a little too honey-baked -- Elsinore by way of Virginia. The Ophelia of Linda Marsh is very effective, though I don't know what became of her after this. John Gielgud's voicing of the ghost is a distraction.

The minimal extras include the ridiculous hyping at the time of the technology involved in presenting this in movie theaters. Electronovision! -- now gone the way of Sensoround, but described by Burton as "perhaps epoch making."

Happily, the practice of audiences applauding at the end of each scene or an actor's exiting the stage has ended on Broadway. I'm not sure they still applaud a star's entrance anymore, except on rare occasions. Here there's an ovation for the third act entrance of George Voskovec (?)

This was taped or filmed in the 1960s so the quality is not the best and it takes a litle time to get accustomed to it.

Burton growls, whimpers, plays with his voice the way a musician plays with an instrument while tuning it. Yet the end result is.... well, not to be hyperbolic, etherial and marvelous.

A dream cast is present which includes Hume Cronyn , Alfred Drake (of musical fame),John Cullum (Northern Exposure), and an offstage appearance by John Gielgud, just to name a few.

Burton had become noted for having won the heart of Elizabeth Taylor . This performance shows how brilliant he was, an accomplished actor in his own right and not a Mr Elizabeth Taylor.

I am not going to debate which of the DVD versions of Hamlet is the best, I find that a difficult if not impossible decision to make. However I am saying this is a version worth watching, and hopefully there will be none gainsaying me on that opinion.

Over three hours of wonderful entertainment, Richard Burton is quite magnificent as Hamlet, the direction is superb, watch how wonderfully everyone on stage can be seen at any one time - blocking to die for. The supporting cast are exceptional, only in one place are some words lost because of background noise. A truly inspiring experience.

The new, sealed, DVD arrived even before the scheduled delivery date. It would have been very informative if Amazon had published more information about this version of Hamlet. It had been a long time since I had seen this version, but I remembered that the actors wore "street" clothes.I discovered, after opening the DVD, that this was filmed during the final rehearsal (prior to dress rehearsal) and was directed by Sir John Gielgud. The film was supposed to have been destroyed, but Burton kept a copy archived. Amazon should also include that critics hailed this version as the height of Burton's vocal powers and charisma.

This is priviledged viewing. Burton's Hamlet is everything Hamlet should be; virile, impassioned, needling, damaged. The fact that it is a filmed play is obvious. Clarity is not brilliant and you do miss the close-ups of a cinema experience. But in light of the performance, it hardly matters. Hugh Cronyn as Polonius is very good, wry and comical but it is Burton's performance that dominates. The way he paces the stage, the unexpected rhythms of that incomparable voice. No-one has ever depicted the soul in torment like Burton.