Originally staged in 1963, War of the Roses was one of the most controversial and ambitious projects ever undertaken by Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company. Flying in the face of adverse criticism from the more conservative theatrical scholars, John Burton and Peter Hall condensed the Bard's Henry VI trilogy and Richard III into a mere three plays, cutting nearly half the text and adding newly-minted Shakespearean iambic pentameter to cover the gaps. Prominent in the cast were such notables as Peggy Ashcroft, David Warner, and Ian Holm. When War of the Roses was presented as an 11-part TV series by the BBC beginning April 8, 1965, Warner repeated his celebrated performance as Henry VI, while Paul Martin replaced Ian Holm as the scheming Richard III. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
