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Everyman
(1914) United States of America
Color : Short film
Directed by David Miles
Cast: Linda Arvidson, Clara T. Bracy, William Brown (William H. Brown), Mr. Whitehead (Omar Whitehead) [Death]
Kinemacolor Company production; distributed by Warner’s Features, Incorporated. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. Kinemacolor two-color process. / The production was shot on location at the Wattles Mansion located at 1824 North Curson Avenue in Hollywood, California.
Drama.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 23 August 1913, page 823] Intermixed with a particularly bad vaudeville program of the anthropoid variety I saw this splendid feature [at] one of the Proctor houses in this city. I cannot know on what system amusement is fed to the patrons of this theater, but I do know that the contrast between the fine old play and the acts of junior vaudeville was violent and painful. If “Everyman” was welcome food to any considerable portion of the audience the vaudtville acts tnust have been like whiffs from Barren Island. / “Everyman” is a most creditable attempt to revive what is of permanent, artistic ana moral value in the old so-called morality play. The morality play was the only form of dramatic entertainment during the absolute sway of the Church in the Middle Ages. As its name implies it aimed more at moral teaching than perfection of dramatic form. It was inevitable for this style of entertainment to drift into the allegorical, and right here must always be found its greatest value for the modern adapter. “Everyman” is a dramatic allegory of no mean power. / Allegory is easily translated into the language of the screen if the allegorical figures are fittingly embodied and their action is properly curtailed. I am glad to say that in this Kinemacolor production these two essentials for a successful screening of allegory have been well understood and are most ably carried out. The leading part of “Everyman” is in very competent hands, the costuming and the bearing of the character leaving nothing to be desired. This is true also of every other one of the embodiments in the story. The figure of Death was absurdly grotesque to the eye behind the modern mind, but it is altogether acceptable in a play of this kind and any other representation on more modern lines would have hurt the pleasant illusion which is of the essence of the play itself. A glimpse of the ecclesiastical character and origin of the play is the fine figure of Confession which plainly betrayed the theologian in the author or authors whoever they may have been. The story like the story of every morality play is simplicity itself: '“Everyman” summoned by Death seeks to prepare for the long journey and is eager for companions to go with him to the gate of eternity. He finds that there is no reliance on aught which is worldly and one by one Riches, Strength, Beauty, Kindred, Fellowship, etc., turn from him and only Knowledge and Good Deeds offer some help, but the final salvation comes through Confession and Repentance. / The play is entitled to further praise by reason of its clear titles, all of them evidently taken from some good version of the old drama and all of them forceful and impressive in their simple Saxon garb. The music did a good deal for “Everyman.” It was suitable throughout and it was played with remarkable skill. The music, indeed, was as welcome to the audience as the fine old play itself, for at the end of every musical number there came a strong burst of applause. This shows incidentally how much our moving picture patrons appreciate good music and how a generous musical program of consistently good quality would reconcile our public, no less than the public of England and Germany, to higher prices of admission.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Color cinematography
Listing updated: 10 May 2012.
References: MovPicWorld-19130823 p. 823 : Website-IMDb.
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