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Voidsville Follies

Works from William Shakespeare (4)

The Taming Of The Shrew

D.W. Griffith (director/writer)
G.W. Bitzer (cinematographer)
William Shakespeare (author)
Harry Solter (lead/writer)
Florence Lawrence (lead)
Arthur Johnson (lead)
Charles Avery (lead)
Biograph (production)

Language: Silent, English titles, released in Nov 1908
Minutes: 18

Brief rendition of the Shakespeare play, that's unlikely to make much sense to viewers not already familiar with the story. The shrew's initial rampage is hot fun but, as in real life, after the wedding it's all downhill.

Featured elements:

: abuse; comedy; patriarchy; play's the thing; servitude; shrew

King Lear (Re Lear)

Gerolamo Lo Savio (director)
William Shakespeare (author)
Ermete Novelli (lead)
Francesca Bertini (lead)
Film d'Arte Italiana (production)

Language: Silent, English titles, released in Dec 1910
Minutes: 14

Everybody's favorite Daddy's Girls/riches-to-rags saga, Shakespeare's 150-minute play of over 25,000 words usually filling over 100 pages, is summarized in 14 minutes with pantomime and 8 title cards that are 100% dialogue-free. An interesting experiment that, surprisingly, succeeds in conveying the basic story - though not much Francesca Bertini to see.

Featured elements:

: abuse; aging; alienation; comic sidekick; death scene; displaced persons; falsely accused; family; forsaken; patriarchy; play's the thing; psycho; redemption; servitude; sibling rivalry; sidekick; treachery

Antony and Cleopatra (Marcantonio e Cleopatra)

Enrico Guazzoni (director)
Alessandro Bona (cinematographer)
William Shakespeare (author)
Amleto Novelli (lead)
Società Italiana Cines (production)

Language: Silent, English titles, released in Sep 1913
Minutes: 74

Initially lacks the striking imagery of other epics of this period, so doesn't seem to be worth the effort required to view this badly damaged print. But patience is somewhat rewarded when the glitz kicks in later on.