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Falstaff
Also known as The Merry Wives of Windsor in the United Kingdom; Sir John Falstaff in the USA
(1911) United States of America
B&W : Short film
Directed by Henri Desfontaines
Cast: M. Degeorge [Sir John Falstaff], Denis d’Inès, Françoise Rosay, André Bacqué, Madeleine Barjac, Coste, Paul Villé, Louise Willy
Société Générale des Cinématographes Éclipse production; distributed by Société Générale des Cinématographes Éclipse. / From a play by William Shakespeare. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Rosay’s film debut. The film was released in the USA on 14 June 1911.
[?] Comedy?
Synopsis: [From The Film Index] At the wedding of Miss Anna Page, Sir John Falstaff notices that Mistress Page and Mistress Ford possess certain means. The owner of the Garter Inn is asking for his money. Falstaff, whose pouches are lean, covets the fortune of the ladies and feigns to fall in love with them. Falstaff writes two love letters to the fair ladies, using exactly the same words. Mistress Page and Mistress Ford speak to one another of Falstaff’s letter in the relation of the Knight’s effrontery arouses the anger of the two ladies, who agree to encourage Falstaff’s proposals with the idea to wreak revenge upon him. Mistress Quickly bears a message from Mistress Ford to Sir John, who immediately goes to the rendezvous, but Pistol and Num, companions of Falstaff, inform Ford. Falstaff is amorously speaking to Mistress Ford when one knocks at the door and the squire lets himself be hidden in a basket, which is thrown in a pond. Ford, who has been unable to find Falstaff the first time, waits for another occasion, which comes soon after, for Mistress Ford, wishing to see her ridiculous lover after his unexpected bath, calls him again to her home. During the second visit, the husband suddenly returns, thundering, and Mistress Ford pretends the bulky man of Falstaff to be her chieromancer. Ford, who is forbidden this woman to enter his house, belabors the unlucky knight, who reveals himself much to the amusement of the whole company. Mistress Ford and Mistress Page then explain to their respective husbands the scheme for getting rid of Falstaff, and they obtain their pardon, while Sir John, ironically saluted by all, retires.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: (unknown) [France]; Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 4 November 2022.
References: Ball-Shakespeare pp. 160d, 386 : Website-IMDb.
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