Video Versions: Film Adaptations of Plays on Video

Many of our favorite films began as plays-some as well known as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and some not so well known as You’ve Got Mail’s origin, a 1937 play Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo. Video Versions identifies nearly 300 films and their theatrical origins, providing readers with an overview of the films and highlighting similarities and differences to the source plays. Perfect for teachers, students, and anyone interested in theater and film, it is the most complete resource available for video versions of plays.

Each entry provides: the original play’s title, author, and year of publication; the name of the film, year of production, director and adapter; the main cast and the characters they play; running time and rating if available. Following a plot summary, a critical analysis provides the similarities and differences of the play and film, including character and plot changes, setting, missing or added scenes, special film techniques, and behind-the-scenes information such as who turned down or lost particular parts when the play was adapted to film. A short list of sources for further reading follows each entry. Information about contacting distributors-for obtaining the films-is included in the introduction and an extensive index completes the volume.