''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a 1911

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

produced by

Vitagraph Studios Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

, loosely based on the 1859 novel by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

Release and reception

The film's three reels were respectively released on February 21, 24, and 25, 1911. Many film exhibitors at this time were hesitant to screen pictures of more than one reel, believing that audiences would not tolerate anything longer. ''

The Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. I ...

'', however, called for all three reels of ''A Tale of Two Cities'' to be screened back-to-back, which possibly inspired Vitagraph to issue its future multi-reel pictures as a single release. According to ''The Moving Picture World'', the staging of the first reel "is little short of sumptuous. There is shown a care in the attention to details which stamps the picture as an unusually faithful reproduction and affords opportunity for those who have read and loved Dickens in the books to see his story move before them, much, perhaps, as it moved before him during its composition." The magazine later listed ''A Tale of Two Cities'' among a group of films that adapted classic subjects, positing that these adaptations represented an upward trend of artistic quality in the film industry. The director Rex Ingram wrote in 1922: "In 1913, when I was studying drawings and sculpture at the Yale School of Fine Arts, a motion picture play, founded upon Charles Dickens' famous story ''A Tale of Two Cities'', came to New Haven. It followed in the wake of many cut and dried one-reel subjects, and while this picture was necessarily full of imperfections, common to all pioneer films, it marked a tremendous step ahead in the making of them...I left the theatre greatly impressed; absolutely convinced that it would be through the medium of the film play, to the production of which the laws that govern the fine arts had been applied, that a universal understanding and appreciation of art finally would be reached."Quoted in Due to the film's enormous success, Vitagraph reissued ''A Tale of Two Cities'' in 1913.

Cast

Maurice Costello Maurice George Costello (February 22, 1877 – October 29, 1950) was a prominent American vaudeville actor of the late 1890s and early 1900s who later played a principal role in early American films as leading man, supporting player, and director ...

as Sydney Carton *

Florence Turner Florence Turner (January 6, 1885 – August 28, 1946) was an American actress who became known as the "Vitagraph Girl" in early silent films. Biography Born in New York City, Turner was pushed into appearing on the stage at age three by he ...

as Lucie Manette *

John Bunny John Bunny (September 21, 1863 – April 26, 1915) was an American actor. Bunny began his career as a stage actor, but transitioned to a film career after joining Vitagraph Studios around 1910. At Vitagraph, Bunny made over 150 short films – ma ...

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among ...

as The Seamstress *

William J. Humphrey William Jonathan Humphrey (January 2, 1875 – October 4, 1942) was an American actor and film director. Born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, William Humphrey was a well-known member of the early stock company of Vitagraph Studios. Without th ...

as The Duke D'Evremonde *

Florence Foley Florence Foley (born ), was an American child actress. She appeared in 15 films for Vitagraph Studios between 1911 and 1914. In 1915 she appeared in Maude Adams's company for the production of three plays by J. M. Barrie at the Academy of Music ...

as The Woodcutter's Child *

Kenneth Casey Kenneth Casey (January 10, 1899 – August 10, 1965) was an American composer, publisher, author, and child movie star in early silents. Biography Born in New York City, Casey worked as a child actor in over thirty films for Vitagraph Studios b ...

as Duke's Son *

Ralph Ince Ralph Waldo Ince (January 16, 1887 – April 10, 1937) was an American pioneer film actor, director and screenwriter whose career began near the dawn of the silent film era. Ralph Ince was the brother of John E. Ince and Thomas H. Ince. Biogr ...

James W. Morrison James W. Morrison (November 15, 1888 – November 15, 1974) was an American actor and author. He appeared in 187 films between 1911 and 1927. Biography Morrison was born in Mattoon, Illinois, United States, on November 15, 1888. He went to th ...

as Peasant Brother *

Julia Swayne Gordon Julia Swayne Gordon (born Sarah Victoria Smith; October 29, 1878 – May 28, 1933) was an American actress who appeared in at least 228 films between 1908 and 1933. Early years Gordon was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Louis and Anna Smith and wa ...

* Charles Kent as Dr. Manette *

Tefft Johnson William Tefft Johnson, Jr. (September 23, 1883 – October 15, 1956), better known as Tefft Johnson, was an American stage and film actor, and film director and screenwriter. He appeared in 131 films between 1909 and 1926. Biography Johnson was ...

*Leo Delaney as Darnay *

William Shea William Alfred Shea (June 21, 1907 – October 2, 1991) was an American lawyer and a name partner of the prominent law firm of Shea & Gould. He is better known as the founder of the Continental League, which was instrumental in bringing Nation ...

as Jarvis Lorry *

Mabel Normand Amabel Ethelreid Normand (November 9, 1893 – February 23, 1930), better known as Mabel Normand, was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She was a popular star and collaborator of Mack Sennett in their K ...

Earle Williams Earle Williams (born Earle Raphael Williams; February 28, 1880 – April 25, 1927) was an American stage actor and film star in the silent era."EARLE WILLIAMS EXPIRES: Bronchial Pneumonia Ends Brilliant Career of Pioneer Filmland Favorite", ''L ...

Edith Storey Edith Storey (March 18, 1892 – October 9, 1967) was an American actress during the silent film era. Early life Storey was born on March 18, 1892, in New York City to William Chase Storey and Minnie Storey (née Thorn). Her younger brother, R ...

Lillian Walker Lillian Walker (April 21, 1887 – October 10, 1975), born Lillian Wolke, was an American film actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 170 films, most of them shorts, between 1909 and 1934. Biography ''Photoplay'' magazine's trade ...

as Peasant Sister * Helen Gardner *

Dorothy Kelly Dorothy Dupre Kelly (February 12, 1894 - May 31, 1966) was an American motion picture actress of the early silent film era. Personal life Dorothy Dupre Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Bessie Irene Kelly (née. Smith) and Th ...

*Edwin R. Phillips *Eleanor Radinoff *

Anita Stewart Anita Stewart (born Anna Marie Stewart; February 7, 1895 – May 4, 1961) was an American actress and film producer of the early silent film era. Early years Anita Stewart was born in Brooklyn, New York as Anna Marie Stewart on February 7, 18 ...

Lydia Yeamans Titus Lydia Yeamans Titus (12 December 1857 – 30 December 1929) was an Australian-born American singer, dancer, comedienne, and actress who had a lengthy career in vaudeville and cinema. She was remembered on stage for her ''Baby-Talk'' act and a ...

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * *

External links