King John (Original title)The Orchard of Swinstead Abbey (Alternative title)A Scene - "King John", Now Playing at Her Majesty's Theatre (Alternative title)Beerbohm Tree, The Great English Actor (Alternative title)
Date: 1899 (Release)Country: United KingdomDirector: William Dickson, Walter Pfeffer Dando
Synopsis: A scene from the Her Majesty's Theatre production of 'King John', showing the death scene of King John from Act 5 Scene 7 of Shakespeare's play.Shotlist: DRAMA. Single shot. A recreation of part of Act 5 Scene 7 (the death of King John) from the Beerbohm Tree production of Shakespeare's 'King John' at the Her Majesty's Theatre, London. No title. King John seated in chair wearing white robe, with Pembroke and Prince Henry [played by a woman] to the left of him, and Bigot to the right [the three standing characters stare briefly at the camera before falling into their roles]. King John sits up, clutches his chest, flops back in the chair (speaking on-and-off all the while), the retainers look concerned, the King shakes his head back and forth, reaches a hand out, Prince Henry steps nearer and takes his hand but the King turns away, clutches his chest again, his eyes stare, he sits up, clutches his stomach, lies back, Prince Henry kneels and takes his hand once more but the king pulls it away and wipes at it with his other hand, clutching at his chest with one hand (84ft/35mm). FRAGMENT: Continuation of action with King John rising out of his chair and the others moving towards him (5ft/35mm). Note: Originally filmed in 68mm. Filmed mid-September 1899 at Biograph's open-air London studio and released 20 September 1899, the same date as the premiere of the play at the Her Majesty's Theatre. The speech featured appears to be King John's speech from `Ay, marry, now my soul hath elbow room' to 'On unreprievable-condemned blood'. Contemporary photographic evidence suggests that this is just one scene of an original four, but the film was also probably available as this single scene, as well as in Mutoscope form. Refs: Robert Hamilton Ball, 'Shakespeare on Silent Film', pp 21-23, 303-4 John Barnes, 'Filming the Boer War', pp 143-4 Shakespeare Bulletin, Winter 1993, pp 35-36 Shakespeare Bulletin, Spring 1993, pp 49-50
Genre: Drama
Subjects: Theatre, Acting
Releases
Date: 1899not specifiedRelease type: unknownFormat: 68mm film - Black and White - SilentRuntime: 1 mins 29 secs - Length: 89 Feet
Date: April 2016Country: United KingdomRelease type: InternetFormat: not specified - Black and White - SilentRuntime: 1 mins Language: EnglishDistributor: BFIPlayer
Title: "C'est un sacrilege, dira-t-on": the origins of silent...Author: BUCHANAN, Judith Article type: ArticleLanguage: English
Description: Analysis of KING JOHN's significance as the first Shakespeare film, set in the context of the theatrical conventions of the late 19th century.
In: Shakespeare Bulletin v11 n2 Spring 1993 Pages: 49-50
Title: Further News on Beerbohm Tree's "King John"Author: McKERNAN, Luke Article type: ArticleLanguage: English
In: Shakespeare Bulletin v11 n1 Winter 1993 Pages: 35-36
Title: Beerbohm Tree's King John Rediscovered: The First ......Author: McKERNAN, Luke Article type: ArticleLanguage: English
Description: Article about the rediscovery of the first Shakespeare film, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree's KING JOHN.
Date: 1899 (Release)Country: United KingdomDirector: William Dickson, Walter Pfeffer Dando
Synopsis: A scene from the Her Majesty's Theatre production of 'King John', showing the death scene of King John from Act 5 Scene 7 of Shakespeare's play.Shotlist: DRAMA. Single shot. A recreation of part of Act 5 Scene 7 (the death of King John) from the Beerbohm Tree production of Shakespeare's 'King John' at the Her Majesty's Theatre, London. No title. King John seated in chair wearing white robe, with Pembroke and Prince Henry [played by a woman] to the left of him, and Bigot to the right [the three standing characters stare briefly at the camera before falling into their roles]. King John sits up, clutches his chest, flops back in the chair (speaking on-and-off all the while), the retainers look concerned, the King shakes his head back and forth, reaches a hand out, Prince Henry steps nearer and takes his hand but the King turns away, clutches his chest again, his eyes stare, he sits up, clutches his stomach, lies back, Prince Henry kneels and takes his hand once more but the king pulls it away and wipes at it with his other hand, clutching at his chest with one hand (84ft/35mm). FRAGMENT: Continuation of action with King John rising out of his chair and the others moving towards him (5ft/35mm). Note: Originally filmed in 68mm. Filmed mid-September 1899 at Biograph's open-air London studio and released 20 September 1899, the same date as the premiere of the play at the Her Majesty's Theatre. The speech featured appears to be King John's speech from `Ay, marry, now my soul hath elbow room' to 'On unreprievable-condemned blood'. Contemporary photographic evidence suggests that this is just one scene of an original four, but the film was also probably available as this single scene, as well as in Mutoscope form. Refs: Robert Hamilton Ball, 'Shakespeare on Silent Film', pp 21-23, 303-4 John Barnes, 'Filming the Boer War', pp 143-4 Shakespeare Bulletin, Winter 1993, pp 35-36 Shakespeare Bulletin, Spring 1993, pp 49-50
Genre: Drama
Subjects: Theatre, Acting
Releases
Date: 1899not specifiedRelease type: unknownFormat: 68mm film - Black and White - SilentRuntime: 1 mins 29 secs - Length: 89 Feet
Date: April 2016Country: United KingdomRelease type: InternetFormat: not specified - Black and White - SilentRuntime: 1 mins Language: EnglishDistributor: BFIPlayer
Articles held in BFI Reuben Library
(3)
In: La Lettre de la Maison Française d'Oxford n11 Autumn 1999 Pages: 7-19Title: "C'est un sacrilege, dira-t-on": the origins of silent...Author: BUCHANAN, Judith Article type: ArticleLanguage: English
Description: Analysis of KING JOHN's significance as the first Shakespeare film, set in the context of the theatrical conventions of the late 19th century.
In: Shakespeare Bulletin v11 n2 Spring 1993 Pages: 49-50
Title: Further News on Beerbohm Tree's "King John"Author: McKERNAN, Luke Article type: ArticleLanguage: English
In: Shakespeare Bulletin v11 n1 Winter 1993 Pages: 35-36
Title: Beerbohm Tree's King John Rediscovered: The First ......Author: McKERNAN, Luke Article type: ArticleLanguage: English
Description: Article about the rediscovery of the first Shakespeare film, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree's KING JOHN.