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Hamlet

Johnston Forbes-Roberston gives his famous performance of Hamlet in this ambitious early Shakespeare feature

Drama 1913 54 mins Silent

Overview

This production of Hamlet by the Hepworth Company is foremost a record of a signature performance by Johnston Forbes-Robertson, honed over many years - he first played the role in 1897. Passages such as Hamlet's famous soliloquy, while sensitively performed, tend to be speech-heavy - but the film does display cinematic ambitions in its great location work at Lulworth Cove and Hartsbourne Manor and well-choreographed action sequences such as the final duel.

This full length Hamlet was one of the first feature films ever made in Britain. A glance at the other titles - Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, East Lynne and Lorna Doone, for example - shows that producers were likely to look for tried and trusted classics as their subjects. Given the scale of investment needed to make a long film, Shakespeare was always bound to be top of the list.

Director

Hay Plumb

Featuring

Gertrude Elliot and Walter Ringham

Genres

Drama

Country

United Kingdom

Language

No Dialogue with English subtitles

Subjects

Hamlet (play)

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