Don Carlos (1967): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1967, Don Carlos is a music film directed by Gustaf Rudolf Sellner, running about 155 minutes.

What it’s about. This performance, taped for TV in 1967, has many of the most famous singers in the German orbit of the time, mostly in prime form, in roles that suit them, a great conductor in his prime, and is a well thought out production. Don Carlos is given in German, in the four act version with the usual cuts of that era and some extra cuts (the royal procession in the first scene is gone, the middle of the garden scene is gone, cuts are made in all the ensembles in the auto da fe scene, there is a snip -- not the biggest I've heard -- in the final Carlos/Elisabetta duet -- and finally the very end is rewritten by unknown hands -- the Grand Inquisitor grasps Carlos, Elisabetta faints (so no Friar, identification of the Friar as Charles V, and no final B flat.)

Who’s in it. Don Carlos stars James King as Don Carlos, Pilar Lorengar as Elizabeth, Josef Greindl as Phillip II and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Posa, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, Don Carlos has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Don Carlos page.

If you liked it. Fans of Don Carlos tend to enjoy Whiplash, Coco, Green Book and The Legend of 1900.