Romeo and Juliet (1916 Fox film)

Romeo and Juliet

Film poster
Directed by J. Gordon Edwards
Produced by William Fox
Written by Adrian Johnson
Based on Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Starring Theda Bara
Harry Hilliard
Cinematography Phil Rosen
Distributed by Fox Film Corporation
Release dates
  • October 22, 1916 (1916-10-22)
Running time
 70 minutes
Country United States
Language Silent
English intertitles
Bara (center) in a scene from the film

Romeo and Juliet is a 1916 American silent romantic drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara. The film was based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and was produced by the Fox Film Corporation.[1] The film was shot at the Fox Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey.[2]

Competing versions of Shakespeare

This film and other Shakespeare-oriented pictures were released in 1916, the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. This film went up against direct competition from another feature-length Romeo and Juliet film from Metro Pictures starring Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne.

In a recorded interview, Bushman states that William Fox had spies working for Metro, and stole some of the intertitles from the Metro version. Fox rushed his version into the theatres in order to capitalize on exhibiting his film first. Bushman recalled going to see Fox's Romeo and Juliet and was startled to see the intertitles from his film flash on the screen.

Cast

Preservation status

This film is now considered a lost film.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Romeo and Juliet". silentera.com. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
  2. ↑ Fort Lee: Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry. Arcadia Publishing. 2006. p. 64. ISBN 0-738-54501-5.
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