The Taming of the Shrew in performance reviewers as being extremely physical. Lunt and Fontanne were the most famous celebrity couple of the time, and their backstage fights were rumoured to be just as ferocious as their on-stage performances. So legendary did the tempestuous reputation of the couple become that Cole Porter's 1948 musical "Kiss Me, Kate", about a fiery couple attempting to stage an adaptation of "The Taming of the Shrew", was based on their real-life antics. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the play has been frequently staged all over the world. Some notable productions include: "The Shrew"s popularity on stage has continued
The Taming of the Shrew on screen The Taming of the Shrew on screen There have been numerous on screen adaptations of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew". The best known cinematic adaptations are Sam Taylor's 1929 "The Taming of the Shrew" and Franco Zeffirelli's 1967 "The Taming of the Shrew", both of which starred the most famous celebrity couples of their era; Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in 1929 and Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in 1967. On television, perhaps the most significant adaptation is the 1980 "BBC Television Shakespeare" version, directed by Jonathan Miller and starring John Cleese and Sarah Badel. The play has also