One thing I wonder is the right date for Shylock, a French Film D'art production with starring legendary French character actor Harry Baur in the title role and directed by Henri Desfontaines. imdb claims it was a title Pathé Frères was distributing in 1910, and TCM also list it in this year, possibly parroting the info from imdb. But every other source, including BFI, gives a 1913 date for the film. imdb does list it as a title released in the US by George Kleine in 1913. Running times given range from 22 mins. to 33 mins.
I don't have Ball's "Shakespeare on Silent Film" handy, but has this film survived? It appears a clip from it was used in Pierre Lasry's documentary Shylock in 1999.
spadeneal
Shylock with Baur
The 1913 SHYLOCK with Harry Baur and directed by Henri Desfontaines is an Eclipse production, 2,000 feet approx. There is a 35mm copy at the BFI National Archive and a 16mm copy at the Library of Congress. There's an entry for the film on the BUFVC's International Database of Shakespeare on Film, Radio and Television (a project I had something to do with):
http://bufvc.ac.uk/shakespeare/index.php/title/AV68602
The differences in running times come from confusion over silents run at sound speed (the BFI produced a Shakespeare catalogue years ago which gave all its silents at sound speed because all the Steenbecks in the BFI public viewing rooms operated at sound speed, and charges for viewing were based on running times).
French Pathe did not film The Merchant of Venice, but its Italian offshoot Film d'Arte Italiana did, IL MERCANTE DI VENEZIA (1911), with Ermete Novelli as Shylock. This is also held by the BFI and is included on the Silent Shakespeare DVD available from the BFI and Milestone.
http://bufvc.ac.uk/shakespeare/index.php/title/AV68602
The differences in running times come from confusion over silents run at sound speed (the BFI produced a Shakespeare catalogue years ago which gave all its silents at sound speed because all the Steenbecks in the BFI public viewing rooms operated at sound speed, and charges for viewing were based on running times).
French Pathe did not film The Merchant of Venice, but its Italian offshoot Film d'Arte Italiana did, IL MERCANTE DI VENEZIA (1911), with Ermete Novelli as Shylock. This is also held by the BFI and is included on the Silent Shakespeare DVD available from the BFI and Milestone.
Luke McKernan
http://www.lukemckernan.com" target="_blank
http://www.lukemckernan.com" target="_blank
Thank you Luke for setting me straight on the provenance and timing of Shylock. I have seen the Italian Il Mercante di Venezia on the Milestone DVD and think it's simply amazing, given that it was shot in Venice when there were no telephone poles or cars; to me it's like watching a 16th century film of The Merchant of Venice, or even living for a bit in the world of Shakespeare's character.urbanora wrote:The 1913 SHYLOCK with Harry Baur and directed by Henri Desfontaines is an Eclipse production, 2,000 feet approx. There is a 35mm copy at the BFI National Archive and a 16mm copy at the Library of Congress. There's an entry for the film on the BUFVC's International Database of Shakespeare on Film, Radio and Television (a project I had something to do with):
http://bufvc.ac.uk/shakespeare/index.php/title/AV68602
The differences in running times come from confusion over silents run at sound speed (the BFI produced a Shakespeare catalogue years ago which gave all its silents at sound speed because all the Steenbecks in the BFI public viewing rooms operated at sound speed, and charges for viewing were based on running times).
French Pathe did not film The Merchant of Venice, but its Italian offshoot Film d'Arte Italiana did, IL MERCANTE DI VENEZIA (1911), with Ermete Novelli as Shylock. This is also held by the BFI and is included on the Silent Shakespeare DVD available from the BFI and Milestone.
spadeneal