King Lear (1916) stars Frederick Warde, Lorraine Huling, Hector Dion. This is
an early silent film version of King Lear.
Interestingly, the film begins with a title card that mentions the play itself:
“King Lear was written in 1607, during
the time when the immortal dramatist was at the height of his creative power.”
Act I
The film opens with Lear dividing the kingdom, thus
skipping the Kent/Gloucester moment. Kent is positioned between Lear and
Cordelia when he pleads on behalf of Cordelia. The Fool is at Lear’s feet. This
film, because silent, really sets up the relationships with the blocking. When
Burgundy and France arrive, Burgundy is closer to Lear, and France is closer to
Cordelia. As Lear exits, Cordelia tries to stop him, but he brushes her aside.
Then a title card reads, “At a later period. The elder daughters, having obtained possession of
their father’s kingdom, treat him with scant courtesy.” We have a scene
without any dialogue cards in which the sisters are cruel, and Lear is left
alone with his Fool (so, Act I Scene iv). Then a title card reads, “Regan, second daughter to King Lear, comes,
with her escort, to Gloster Castle.” (And yes, “Gloucester” is spelled
“Gloster” throughout the film.) A title card tells us, “Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloster, plans his
brother’s downfall.” Another title card informs us, “By a forged letter, Edmund tricks his father into hatred of his younger
son.” And we see Edmund give Gloucester (or Gloster) the letter (Act I
Scene ii).
Act II
The film then goes right to Act II Scene I, with Edmund
and Edgar. Gloucester actually enters while they are still pretending to fight,
so he sees this. His men chase Edgar out. We then see Edgar change into his
Poor Tom disguise. And then the film takes us back to Act I Scene iv, when
Kent, disguised, seeks a place in Lear’s service. Oddly, it then inserts a bit
from the end of Act I Scene iii when Goneril tells Oswald, “Put on what weary negligence you please.”
Kent then knocks Oswald down, and Lear pays him.
We soon go to Act II Scene ii, with Kent confronting
Oswald outside the gate. And Kent is put in the stocks, which leads right to
Scene iv, when Lear and the Fool find him thus. In this version, Lear sends his
Fool inside to retrieve his daughter. Gloucester and the Fool then come back
out to let Lear know the daughter denies him. Gloucester then persuades Regan
to come out. Goneril and her people arrive on horseback as Kent is removed from
the stocks. We see a lightning bolt, which leads to everyone withdrawing
inside. The doors are shut on Lear, and he, Kent and the Fool are left outside.
Act III
The shots of Lear in the downpour are great, and a title
card gives us the line, “I am a man more
sinn’d against than sinning.” Kent then brings him to Edgar’s hiding place.
Meanwhile Gloucester decides to seek out the king to aid him, and unfortunately
tells Edmund. When Edmund is told he’ll be made Earl of Gloucester, there is a
shot of Goneril and Regan looking at each other, hinting at their jealousy and
rivalry.
Before even one of Gloucester’s eyes is out, the servant
comes in to stop it, the title card saying, “Hold your hand, my lord; I have served you ever since I was a child –
But now I bid you hold.” And we have the fight scene, in which Cornwall is
killed and Regan stabs the servant from behind. Apparently while this has been
going on, other men have plucked out Gloucester’s eyes, for he now returns with
a bandage around his head. Regan then embraces Edmund.
Act IV
Edgar meets Gloucester, though Gloucester is on his own,
not led by an old man, as in the play. Gloucester puts his hands on Edgar’s
face, and a title card says, “My son!”
So this version dispenses with basically the entire Poor Tom/Gloucester plot,
which is a shame. Edgar leads Gloucester to Dover.
We have a scene with Cordelia at the French court, and
then return to Lear, who is mad in Dover. Oddly, in this version the Fool is
still at his side. And Lear says his, “Ay,
every inch a king” to him rather than to Gloucester.
Cordelia is there as Lear is brought into the tent, and
so he is standing for their scene, at least at first. After Cordelia tells him
not to kneel, she herself kneels at his feet.
Act V
There is a shot of Goneril’s letter. There are also shots
of the battle cut with sots of Cordelia watching, and of Goneril and Regan
watching. Then we get a shot of Goneril poisoning Regan, before seeing Cordelia
and Lear captured. We also get a shot of Goneril stabbing herself.
When Kent arrives, Edmund has not yet told of his order
for Lear and Cordelia to be killed. So he says it then (thus cutting the bit
where Albany completely forgets about them). We then see men grab and kill Cordelia,
and Lear rises to fight them off, something that is mentioned but not shown in
the play. Lear then carries Cordelia out. Lear dies after saying he knows
Cordelia is dead. And the film ends there.
Time: 63 minutes.
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