King John. Tempest. Midsummer night's dream. King Lear. Twelfth night.
Notes:
Videodisc release of seven motion pictures originally produced between 1899 and 1911; digitally restored to video by the British Film Institute's National Film and Television Archive (1999). "Digitally mastered from the original 35mm nitrate materials; b&w, tinted and original hand-stenciled color"--Container. Cast: Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Dora Senior (1st film). "Cast unknown" (2nd film). William V. Ranous, Maurice Costello (3rd film). Ermete Novelli, Francesca Bertini (4th film). Florence Turner, Charles Kent, Julia Swayne Gordon, (5th film). Ermete Novelli, Francesca Bertini (6th film). James Berry, Alfred Brydone, Sir Francis Benson (7th film).
Contents:
King John (Britain, 1899, 3 min.) / directed by Walter Pfeffer Dando ... [et al.] -- The tempest (Britain, 1908, 12 min.) / directed by Percy Stow -- A midsummer night's dream (USA, 1909, 11 min.) / directed by James Stuart Blackton and Charles Kent -- King Lear (Italy, 1910, 16 min.) / directed by Gerolamo Lo Savio -- Twelfth night (USA, 1910, 13 min) / directed by Charles Kent, produced by J. Stuart Blackton -- The merchant of Venice (Italy, 1910, 10 min.) / directed by Gerolamo Lo Savio -- Richard III (Britain, 1911, 22 min.).
Summary:
In the early days of the cinema, pioneer filmmakers created these seven charming films based on the plays of William Shakespeare. Considered a "lowbrow" medium, the fledgling movie industry sought to elevate its status by immortalizing the classics and hiring the actors of the day. Most of these early photoplays were only one or two reels long but whatever they gave up in language and length, they made up for in exuberance, cinematic artistry, visual wit and bravura acting. Some films feature original hand-stenciled color.
OCLC:
(OCoLC)44478627
Locations:
CAPH522 -- Iowa City Public Library (Iowa City)
O3AX572 -- Cornell College - Russell D. Cole Library (Mount Vernon)
OZAX845 -- Northwestern College - DeWitt Library (Orange City)
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.