Romeo and Juliet (1964 film) Romeo and Juliet (1964 film) Romeo and Juliet () is a 1964 film directed and written by Riccardo Freda. Riccardo Freda maintained that it was himself who had the idea to adapt "Romeo and Juliet", having been an admirer of William Shakespeare since his youth and that he convinced Goffredo Lombardo who had gone bankrupt after the production of "Sodom and Gomorrah" to create the production company Imprecine and set up a co-production deal with Spain for this film and "Genoveffa di Brabante". Other sources such as Stefano Della Casa state that Freda was commissioned to shoot a Shakespeare adaptation
Romeo and Juliet during which Shakespeare was London's dominant playwright. The date of the first performance is unknown. The First Quarto, printed in 1597, says that "it hath been often (and with great applause) plaid publiquely", setting the first performance before that date. The Lord Chamberlain's Men were certainly the first to perform it. Besides their strong connections with Shakespeare, the Second Quarto actually names one of its actors, Will Kemp, instead of Peter, in a line in Act Five. Richard Burbage was probably the first Romeo, being the company's actor, and Master Robert Goffe (a boy) the first Juliet. The premiere is