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Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Sir Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet continues to be the most compelling version of Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy. Olivier is at his most inspired—both as director and as the melancholy Dane himself—as he breathes new life into the words of one of the world’s greatest dramatists.
Hamlet (1948) is a drama film directed by Laurence Olivier, released on December 10, 1948 with a runtime of 2h 33m. It stars Laurence Olivier, Basil Sydney, Eileen Herlie and Norman Wooland. Viewers rate it 7.4 out of 10 across 300 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Hamlet before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Hamlet.
Trailer
Trailer
Laurence Olivier
as Hamlet - Prince of Denmark / Voice of Ghost
Basil Sydney
as Claudius - The King
Eileen Herlie
as Gertrude - The Queen
Norman Wooland
as Horatio - His Friend
Felix Aylmer
as Polonius - Lord Chamberlain
Jean Simmons
as Ophelia
Terence Morgan
as Laertes
Peter Cushing
as Osric
Stanley Holloway
as Gravedigger
Russell Thorndike
as Priest
John Laurie
as Francisco
Esmond Knight
as Bernardo
Directed by Laurence Olivier, written by Laurence Olivier and William Shakespeare, produced by Laurence Olivier.
Average viewer score of 7.4/10 from 300 ratings.
Did you ever notice how Laurence Olivier never looks to camera when he speaks in this film? Even during the most potent of his soliloquies, he always manages to avoid any direct eye contact with the audience! His "Hamlet", here, though, is the definitive representation of this troubled Shakespearian character and combined with an excellently selected cast, we are presented with quite a compelling 2½ hours of tautly…
Reviewed on February 4, 2024
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Hamlet (1948) is available to stream on fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel and HBO Max, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Hamlet (1948) includes Laurence Olivier, Basil Sydney, Eileen Herlie, Norman Wooland and Felix Aylmer. The film was directed by Laurence Olivier. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Hamlet was released on December 10, 1948 and runs for 2h 33m.
Hamlet (1948) holds an average rating of 7.4 out of 10 from 300 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Hamlet trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
