Cromwell (film)

Cromwell
Theatrical poster by Howard Terpning
Directed byKen Hughes
Written byKen Hughes
Produced byIrving Allen
StarringRichard Harris
Alec Guinness
Robert Morley
Nigel Stock
Geoffrey Keen
Michael Jayston
CinematographyGeoffrey Unsworth
Edited byBill Lenny
Music byFrank Cordell
Production
company
Irving Allen Productions
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • 16 July 1970 (1970-07-16)
Running time
140 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8 million[1] or £9 million[2]

Cromwell is a 1970 British historical drama film written and directed by Ken Hughes. It is based on the life of Oliver Cromwell, who rose to lead the Parliamentary forces during the later years of the English Civil War and, as Lord Protector, ruled Great Britain and Ireland in the 1650s. It features an ensemble cast, led by Richard Harris as Cromwell and Alec Guinness as King Charles I, with Robert Morley as Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester and Timothy Dalton as Prince Rupert of the Rhine.

The film received two Oscar nominations during the 43rd Academy Awards held in 1971, winning one for Best Costume Design by Vittorio Nino Novarese, but losing another for Best Original Score, composed by Frank Cordell. It was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. At the 7th Moscow International Film Festival in 1971 it won the award for Best Actor (Richard Harris), and was nominated for the Golden Prize as Best Picture (Ken Hughes).[3] The film received negative reviews for its many historical inaccuracies; however, much praise went to the acting (particularly Harris and Guinness), the score, and the costume design.

  1. ^ Alexander Walker, Hollywood, England, Stein and Day, 1974 p443
  2. ^ Making it Jordan, C. New Society; London Vol. 16, (2 Jul 1970): 420.
  3. ^ "7th Moscow International Film Festival (1971)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2012.