King Lear

Synopsis
Abbreviated version of the play but yet still straining to incorporate the Edgar subplot, the rejection of Cordelia, Lear’s rejection of Goneril and Regan, the blinding of Gloucester (off stage), the reunion of Lear and Cordelia and their ultimate deaths. The film is shot entirely in the studio with the storm suggested by actual etchings on the film itself.
Country
United States
Medium
Film
Technical information
Black-and-white / Silent
Year of release
1909
Recording date
27 Mar 1909
Duration
868 mins; 10 feet

Credits

Director
William V. Ranous
Producer
J. Stuart Blackton
Screenplay
Eugene Mullin
Cast
William V. RanousLear
Mary FullerCordelia
William HumphreyFool
Florence AuerGoneril
Julia ArthurRegan

Additional Details

Production type
Fiction Films
Plays
King Lear
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes
The Library of Congress holds excerpts only, 28ft, sample frames from 17 scenes; last item on reel VITAGRAPH PAPER PRINT FRAGMENTS. NO, 131.

The copy held in the BFI National Archive has German titles.
General
The identification of the actors is tentative and reference sources are inconsistent.
History
The film is included in PLAY ON! released by the BFI in 2016.
Reviews
Ball, Robert Hamilton. Shakespeare on Silent Film: A Strange Eventful History. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1968 (p. 51-2, 313).

Production Company

Name

Vitagraph Company of America

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web
http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7436 0165
Address
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
Name

Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting & Recorded Sound Division

Web
http://catalog.loc.gov/ External site opens in new window
Phone
(20) 707-8572
Fax
(20) 707-237’1
Address
Motion Picture & Television Reading Room
James Madison Building, LM 336
101 Independence Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C.
20540-4690
United States

Distributor

Name

Retail outlets

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "King Lear". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av68522 (Accessed 26 Nov 2024)