A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909 film)
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1909 American film directed by Charles Kent and J. Stuart Blackton, and starring Walter Ackerman and Charles Chapman.[2] It was the first film adaptation of the eponymous play by William Shakespeare. The movie was made during summer 1909, but not released until December 25.[3]
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | |
|---|---|
PLAY film; runtime 00:11:07 | |
| Directed by | Charles Kent J. Stuart Blackton (co-director) |
| Written by |
|
| Based on | A Midsummer Night's Dream 1600 play by William Shakespeare |
| Produced by | J. Stuart Blackton |
| Starring | Walter Ackerman Charles Chapman Dolores Costello Helene Costello |
| Distributed by | Vitagraph Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 1 reel |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent film |
Plot
The Duke of Athens decrees that Hermia (Rose Tapley) shall forsake Lysander (Maurice Costello) in favour of her father's choice, Demetrius (Walter Ackerman). The lovers elope into the woods, quickly followed by Demetrius and his love, Helena (Julia Swayne Gordon). The town tradesmen, meanwhile, rehearse a play in honour of the duke's betrothal to Hippolyta. Back in the forest, Titania, Queen of Fairies (Florence Turner), quarrels with Penelope, who avenges herself by sending Puck (Gladys Hulette) away with a magic herb, which, dabbed on the eyes of a sleeping person, shall make the "victim" fall in love with the first person to appear after awakening. Soon, Lysander and Demetrius are smitten with the wrong girls and Titania has fallen in love with Bottom, the egotistical leader of the tradesmen, whom Puck has turned into an ass (donkey). When Penelope discovers all this mischief, she lifts the spell and the wedding of the duke and Hippolyta can proceed.
Cast
- Walter Ackerman as Demetrius[2]
- Dolores Costello as a fairy[2]
- Helene Costello as a fairy[2]
- Maurice Costello as Lysander[2]
- Rose Tapley as Hermia[2]
- Julia Swayne Gordon as Helena[2]
- Florence Turner as Titania[1]
- Gladys Hulette as Puck[2]
- Elita Proctor Otis as Hippolyta
- William Humphrey
- William V. Ranous as Bottom[2]
- William Shea as Mechanical[3]
- Charles Chapman as Quince[2]
- Charles Kent as Theseus[1]
References
Notes
- Buchanan 2009, pp. 130–131.
- BFI: A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909) n.d.
- Ball 1968, pp. 52–56.
Bibliography
- Ball, Robert Hamilton (2013) [first published 1968]. Shakespeare on Silent Film: A Strange Eventful History. Routledge Library Editions: Film and Literature. Routledge. ISBN 9781134980987.
- "A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909)". Film Forever. British Film Institute. n.d. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- Buchanan, Judith (2009). Shakespeare on Silent Film: An Excellent Dumb Discourse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521871990.
Further reading
- Bennett, Carl (7 March 2011). "A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909)". Silent Era. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
- Bennett, Carl (n.d.). "Silent Shakespeare: The Milestone Collection 2000 DVD edition". Silent Era. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
- Chaudhuri, Sukanta (2017). A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Arden Shakespeare, third series. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 9781408142776.
- "A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909)". A Cinema History. June 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Grutchfield, Michael (11 April 2014). "A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909)". The Century Film Project. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- "A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909, Charles Kent)". Shakespeare in Performance: Film. Internet Shakespeare Editions. n.d. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Kaufman, J.B. (April 2016). "A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909)". jbkaufman.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Kramer, Fritzi (19 October 2014). "A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909): A Silent Film Review". Movies Silently. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Kramer, Fritzi (21 November 2016). "Fun Size Review: A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909)". Movies Silently. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Lang, Fritz (24 August 2010). "1909 - A Midsummer Night's Dream - Charles Kent & J. Stuart Blackton". FilmAbInitio.blogspot.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.