| Macbeth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | John Emerson |
| Written by | John Emerson (scenario) Anita Loos (intertitles) |
| Story by | William Shakespeare |
| Based on | Macbeth (play) |
| Produced by | D. W. Griffith |
| Starring | Herbert Beerbohm Tree Constance Collier |
| Cinematography | Victor Fleming George W. Hill |
| Distributed by | Triangle Film Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 8 reels (~7500 feet) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent film (English intertitles) |
Macbeth is asilent,black-and-white 1916 film adaptation of theWilliam Shakespeare playMacbeth.[1] It wasdirected byJohn Emerson, assisted byErich von Stroheim, andproduced byD. W. Griffith, withcinematography byVictor Fleming. The film starredHerbert Beerbohm Tree andConstance Collier, both famous from the stage and for playing Shakespearean parts. Although released during the first decade of feature filmmaking, it was already the seventh version ofMacbeth to be produced, one of eight during the silent film era. Although 1916 was the middle of WW1, this film was part of numerous festivities to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. It is considered to be alost film.[2]
In the companion book to hisHollywood television series,Kevin Brownlow states that Sir Herbert failed to understand that the production was a silent film and that speech was not needed so much as pantomime. Tree, who had performed the play numerous times on the stage, kept spouting reams of dialogue. So Emerson and Fleming simply removed the film and cranked an empty camera so as not to waste film when he did so.[3]
