Richard III (1912)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Directors:

André Calmettes (co-director)
James Keane (co-director)

Writers:

James Keane (writer)
William Shakespeare (play)

Release Date:

15 October 1912 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Shakespeare's tragedy of the hump-backed Duke of Gloucester, who rises to the throne of England by chicanery...

Plot Keywords:

William Shakespeare | Resentment Toward Usurper | Mistrust Of Husband | Grimness | Shakespeare's Richard III

Cast

Robert Gemp	...	King Edward IV
Frederick Warde	...	Richard, Duke of Gloucester, afterward Richard III
Albert Gardner	...	Prince Edward of Lancaster
James Keane	...	Earl of Richmond
George Moss	...	Tressel
Howard Stuart	...	Edward
Virginia Rankin	...	York, brother of Edward
Violet Stuart	...	Lady Anne Plantagenet
Carey Lee	...	Queen Elizabeth
Carlotta De Felice	...	Princess Elizabeth

Also Known As:

Mr. Frederick Warde in Shakespeare's Masterpiece 'The Life and Death of King Richard III' (International: English title) (long title)
The Life and Death of King Richard III (International: English title)

Runtime:

55 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (hand-tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

City Island, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Le Film d'Art

Trivia:

Thought lost for decades, but a pristine print (believed to be the oldest known complete surviving feature film made in the US) was discovered by a private collector in 1996 and donated to the American Film Institute.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults (1997) (TV)

Excellent early American feature

Watching Shakespeare without dialog isn't as challenging as you might think. Indeed, this 1912 film manages to condense the play neatly and still retains much of the power of the piece without hearing - or even reading - the words. Much of the success of "Richard III" is due to the vivid characterization by Frederick Warde, but his costars are excellent too. The direction is basic, of course, and every so often director-star James Keane wastes precious time (what's up with that long semi-tracking shot of the ship?), but generally his work is more than adequate. Comparing Keane's work here to the pioneering 1911 Italian feature "L'Inferno", it's clear that the American did have knowledge of what was going on elsewhere, even if he (of course) fell far short of what D.W. Griffith was already doing. Overall, "Richard III" will be of considerable interest to silent-film fans as well as stage performers interested in viewing the work of 19th century master Warde. Otherwise, I doubt this movie will thrill many other viewers. But I could be wrong; check it out for yourself.