Welles had previously produced a Broadway stage adaptation of nine Shakespeare plays called '' Five Kings '' in 1939 . In 1960 , he revived this project in Ireland as '' Chimes at Midnight '' , which was his final on-stage performance . Neither of these plays was successful , but Welles considered portraying Falstaff to be his life 's ambition and turned the project into a film . In order to get initial financing , Welles lied to producer Emiliano Piedra about intending to make a version of '' Treasure Island '' , and keeping the film funded during its production was a constant struggle . Welles shot '' Chimes at Midnight '' throughout Spain between 1964 and 1965 ; it premiered at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival , winning two awards there
1966 Cannes Film Festival
1966 Cannes Film Festival
Chimes at Midnight