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Warner Bros. was taking a massive gamble in 1935. Max Reinhardt, a legendary Austrian director who basically lived for the stage, was brought in to turn Shakespeare’s most ethereal comedy into a cinematic spectacle. The result? A shimmering, bizarre, and somehow deeply effective film. But honestly, the most fascinating part isn't the forest made of real trees or the tons of silver glitter used for the fairies. It's the A Midsummer Night's Dream 1935 cast. This lineup is a chaotic blend of classically trained European actors, vaudeville comedians, and a very young Mickey Rooney who seems to be vibrating on a frequency most humans can't reach.
The Weird Brilliance of the 1935 Casting Choices
Hollywood in the mid-thirties didn't really do Shakespeare. Not like this. Usually, the Bard was reserved for the stage or very "proper" British adaptations. Jack Warner decided to throw that out the window. He wanted star power. He wanted his contract players to prove they had "prestige."
Take James Cagney as Bottom. You probably know Cagney as the tough-talking gangster from The Public Enemy. Seeing him play a weaver who gets turned into a donkey is, frankly, jarring at first. But Cagney’s energy is what saves the film from becoming too "artsy." He treats Bottom like a Brooklyn vaudevillian who just happens to be in ancient Athens. It’s loud. It’s physical. It’s completely unlike any other Shakespearean performance of that era. He didn't approach the text with reverence; he approached it like a jobbing actor trying to steal the scene.
Mickey Rooney as the Ultimate Puck
Then there’s Mickey Rooney. He was only 14 or 15 when they filmed this. He plays Puck, and if you watch his performance today, it feels like watching a lightning bolt trapped in a bottle. Legend has it Rooney actually broke his leg during filming and had to be pushed around on a bicycle hidden by the "mist" of the forest floor. You can't even tell. His laugh is this haunting, wheezing cackle that gives the movie a darker, more mischievous edge than most modern versions.
Rooney’s Puck isn't a cute fairy. He’s a wild animal. Max Reinhardt reportedly wanted that raw, unpolished energy. It stands in such stark contrast to the stiff, formal delivery of the "lovers" in the film.
The Mortals and the Dreamers
The "four lovers" are usually the boring part of any production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. They’re just young people running around a forest getting confused. However, the A Midsummer Night's Dream 1935 cast managed to make them somewhat memorable through sheer 1930s glamour.
Dick Powell plays Lysander. Now, Powell was primarily a crooner. He was the "pretty boy" of Warner Bros. musicals. Putting him in tights and making him recite iambic pentameter was a bold move. He later admitted he didn't really understand what he was saying half the time, but he looks the part. Opposite him, Olivia de Havilland made her film debut as Hermia. She was only 18. Unlike Powell, de Havilland actually knew the material—she had played the role in Reinhardt’s stage production at the Hollywood Bowl.
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Her performance is the anchor. While everyone else is chewing the scenery or trying to figure out how to stand in their costumes, de Havilland is grounded. You can see the beginnings of the actress who would later win two Oscars. She has this clarity of speech that makes the 400-year-old dialogue feel like natural conversation.
- Olivia de Havilland (Hermia): Fresh, earnest, and technically the best speaker in the bunch.
- Dick Powell (Lysander): The studio’s attempt to bring in the musical-theater crowd.
- Jean Muir (Helena): Plays the "pining" woman with a bit more desperation than we see today.
- Ross Alexander (Demetrius): A tragic figure in real life, Alexander provides a solid, if somewhat standard, romantic lead performance here.
The Fairy Royalty: Victor Jory and Anita Louise
If the mortals are the grounding force, the fairies are the spectacle. Victor Jory plays Oberon, and he is terrifying. He wears this massive, dark crown and a cape that seems to trail for miles. Jory had this incredible, deep voice that just boomed through the speakers. He played Oberon with a predatory, kingly grace that felt dangerous.
Anita Louise, as Titania, is basically the personification of 1930s "shimmer." The costume department drenched her in gossamer and sequins. When she and Jory share the screen, the movie shifts from a comedy to a high-fantasy fever dream. The sheer scale of the production is evident in their scenes—the 1935 film used hundreds of extras as fairies, moving in choreographed patterns that looked more like a Busby Berkeley musical than a play.
Why This Cast Was Actually Controversial
At the time, critics were split. The "purists" hated it. They thought Cagney was too crude and Joe E. Brown (who played Flute) was just doing his usual shtick. Joe E. Brown was known for his "big mouth" comedy, and his portrayal of the bellows-mender forced to play a woman in the "play-within-a-play" is pure slapstick.
But that was the point. Shakespeare’s original audience at the Globe Theatre wasn't sitting in polite silence. They were drinking, yelling, and laughing at broad physical gags. In a weird way, the A Midsummer Night's Dream 1935 cast captured the spirit of the Bard better than the "prestige" versions of the 1940s and 50s. They understood that this is a story about chaos.
The Mechanicals: A Vaudeville Reunion
The "Mechanicals"—the group of amateur actors putting on the play—are essentially a who’s who of 1930s character actors.
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- Joe E. Brown as Flute.
- Frank McHugh as Quince.
- Hugh Herbert as Snout.
- Otis Harlan as Starveling.
- Dewey Robinson as Snug.
These guys were pros. They knew how to time a gag. When they perform the "Pyramus and Thisbe" scene at the end of the movie, it is genuinely funny. They don't play it like actors pretending to be bad; they play it like men who are desperately trying to be good and failing miserably. That’s a subtle difference, but it’s why those scenes still hold up today.
Behind the Scenes Drama and Casting Flukes
It's kind of wild to think about, but William Powell and Bette Davis were originally considered for roles. Can you imagine Bette Davis as Helena? It would have been a completely different movie—way more intense, probably a lot less "dreamy."
The production was plagued by issues. The lights required to film the high-speed "fairy" sequences were so hot they supposedly melted some of the forest set's wax leaves. The cast had to endure grueling hours under those lights. Mickey Rooney’s broken leg wasn't even the only injury; the sheer number of extras and the complex choreography led to several mishaps.
Hal Mohr, the cinematographer, actually won a write-in Oscar for this movie. That’s the only time that has ever happened in Academy history. He wasn't even on the ballot! That tells you everything you need to know about the visual impact of this cast and their environment. The actors weren't just performing; they were part of a massive, living painting.
The Legacy of the 1935 Cast
So, why should anyone care about a black-and-white Shakespeare movie from nearly a century ago?
Because it’s a time capsule. It shows a moment when Hollywood was trying to find its voice. They were figuring out how to blend "high art" with "mass entertainment." The A Midsummer Night's Dream 1935 cast is the perfect example of that friction. You have the stage-trained Victor Jory clashing with the street-smart James Cagney. You have the innocence of de Havilland against the wild-child energy of Rooney.
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It shouldn't work. By all accounts of logic, it should be a mess. But the 1935 film remains the most visually stunning version of the play ever put to film. It captures the mood of a dream—the way things feel slightly off, slightly too bright, and slightly terrifying.
Practical Insights for Modern Viewers
If you’re going to watch it, don't expect a modern, fast-paced edit. This is a movie that breathes.
- Watch for the lighting: Pay attention to how Hal Mohr uses light to make the fairies look translucent. It’s all done with practical effects and clever cinematography—no CGI.
- Listen to the score: They used Felix Mendelssohn’s classic music, but Erich Wolfgang Korngold (one of the greatest film composers ever) rearranged it. It’s lush and heavy.
- Look at the costumes: The detail is insane. Each fairy has a distinct look, influenced by European expressionism.
Finding the Best Version
If you want to see the A Midsummer Night's Dream 1935 cast in all their glory, look for the restored 4K versions or the high-quality Blu-ray releases. The older VHS or low-quality streaming versions don't do justice to the silver-nitrate shimmer of the original film.
Basically, this movie is a trip. It’s what happens when you give a visionary director an unlimited budget and a stable of the world’s most eccentric actors. It’s not "perfect" Shakespeare, but it is perfect cinema.
Next Steps for the Classic Film Enthusiast
To truly appreciate the impact of this 1935 production, your next move should be to compare it with the 1999 version starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kevin Kline. Notice how the 1935 film leans into the "supernatural" elements through lighting and set design, whereas modern versions often rely on digital effects. You might also want to look up Max Reinhardt’s original stage sketches; seeing how he translated his theatrical vision into the physical performances of Cagney and Rooney provides a masterclass in adaptation. Lastly, check out the 1935 soundtrack separately—Korngold’s work here set the standard for how orchestral music would be used in Hollywood for the next thirty years.