With all the attention paid to restoring the image of a 25-year old video for DVD release, it's a crime that the quality of the audio was not remedied as well. Finally, an impatient note about the sound. Brenda Bruce continues to bring out the humanity in Mistress Quickly, and Frances Cuka's Doll Tearsheet is surprisingly contemporary. And Bryan Pringle's Pistol seems almost more Dickensian than Shakespearean. Otherwise, I don't know whether to admire Gordon Gostelow's Bardolph more for his acting or his makeup - either way he's quite a picture. Your mileage may differ, but I grew impatient with his less-than-royal wallowing. When Finch errs, he does on the side of moistness, and much his work here strikes me as squishy and sentimental. Jon Finch's performance as Henry IV was sturdy in Part 1, but unravels along with the King's health in Part 2.
The rest of the proceedings are not quite on this level. In this way, Quayle's Falstaff is remarkable. We feel for the rogue knight and regret his collapse, but we also know that the new King is right to do what he does.
However, as embodied by Anthony Quayle, we accept that it is absolutely necessary and understandable that Hal reject Falstaff. In other productions, Falstaff is often an endearing Santa Claus-like scamp who is wronged by a callous and arbitrary King (see Orson Welles in the wonderful "Chimes at Midnight"). Given Anthony Quayle's vinegary, often bilious stage persona, the result is a Falstaff who calculates, ruthlessly exploits all around him, relies on his charm to lie his way out of scrapes, and thoroughly deserves his humiliation at the end. He constructs a Falstaff with top, bottom and sides, with every action and reaction motivated as something the man might do, rather than as yet another chance to seduce the audience with a cute bit of business, or as the Gaels refer to it, shtik. Anthony Quayle does something completely different. The part of Falstaff is written with so many opportunities for funny tableaux, then finishing off with a heart-rending bid for tears, that it brings out the shameless exhibitionist in just about anyone who's ever tried the role.
99% of actors want to be loved by the audience, even the villains. This video features a towering performance by Anthony Quayle as Falstaff that will live in your memory.
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