Orson Welles and John Gielgud on the set of "Chimes at Midnight" (Original still photograph)

Wengen, Switzerland: Alpine Films, 1965. Vintage oversize double weight photograph of Orson Welles and John Gielgud on location in Spain for the shooting of "Chimes at Midnight" in 1965. Shot and struck by noted photographer Nicolas Tikhomoroff, with his rubber stamp and the stamp of his Parisian agency, V.I.P., on the verso.

"Chimes at Midnight," Welles' third of three legendary Shakespearean adaptations and last masterpiece, is based on his early play "Five Kings," which condensed Shakespeare's War of the Roses cycle into one story. Welles produced the play in New York in 1939 but the opening night, during which Part 1 was performed, was a disaster, and Part 2 was never staged. He revamped the show and revisited it in 1960, again without success. The later production became the basis for this film, in which Welles plays Falstaff.

"Chimes at Midnight," as with nearly all of Welles' efforts as a director, was plagued by financial and logistical problems, shot with nearly no budget, and received no promotion and a very limited release. Vintage photographs from the set are rare.

Nominated for the Palme d'Or, and winner of two other awards at Cannes in 1966.

9.5 x 13.75 inches. Near Fine. In a lovely museum-quality frame with archival UV glass.