''She'' is a 1911 American fantasy

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, 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) ...

and is the first film to attempt to portray the story in the 1887 novel of the same name by H. Rider Haggard. Made by the

Thanhouser Company The Thanhouser Company (later the Thanhouser Film Corporation) was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New York City until 1920, ...

, the film was directed by George Nichols and featured his wife Viola Alberti as Amenartes. It starred

Marguerite Snow Marguerite Snow (September 9, 1889 – February 17, 1958) was an American silent film and stage actress. In her early films she was billed as Margaret Snow. Early life Snow was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her father, Billy Snow, was a comedia ...

in the title role''She'' (1911)
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British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

Database and

James Cruze James Cruze (born James Cruze Bosen; March 27, 1884 – August 3, 1942) was a silent film actor and film director. Early years Cruze's middle name came from the battle of Vera Cruz. He was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

in the joint role of Kallikrates and Leo Vincey and was based on a scenario by

Theodore Marston Theodore Marston (August 10, 1868 in Minnesota – October 2, 1920 in Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American silent film director and writer during the early silent period. He directed films including '' Aurora Floyd'' in 19 ...

.''She'' (1911) - The Devil's Manor: A Clssic horror and Fantasy Film Archive
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Synopsis

The film opens in an outer court of a temple in ancient Egypt in the year 350 B.C. Here Amenartas, the Pharaoh's daughter ( Viola Alberti) awaits her love, Kallikrates (

), who has just become a Priest of Isis. She begs him to leave the priesthood and flee with her from Egypt. Eventually he can resist her entreaties no longer and they escape from the temple. In the desert they meet friendly Arabs who give the weak Kallikrates a camel on which to travel.Review of ''She''
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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 ...

'' (Oct-Dec 1911) After journeying for "twice twelve moons" they land with their infant son on the East coast of Africa at a point called the Negro's Head. Here lives "She Who Must Be Obeyed" (

), the white witch of Africa, who has learned the secret of eternal youth. With her mystic power "She" sees Kallikrates approach and realises he is the perfect man who must join her by bathing in the fires of eternal youth and with her rule the world. "She" takes Amenartas and Kallikrates to the mystic flame but when Kallikrates spurns her love "She" strikes him down dead. Amenartas flees to safety with her infant son, vowing that one day her son or his descendants will return to avenge her husband's death. The body of her dead love is preserved through the generations by "She", who patiently awaits the return of his reincarnation. James Cruze William C Cooper 1911

Centuries later, in 1885, while "She Who Never Dies" continues to grieve for her lost love, Horace Holly ( William C. Cooper) becomes the guardian of the young English boy Leo Vincey (

Marie Eline Marie Eline (February 27, 1902 – January 3, 1981) was an American silent film child actress and sister of Grace Eline. Their mother was an actress. Eline acted on stage for three years before she acted in films. Nicknamed "The Thanhouser ...

) on the death of the boy's father. Leo is the descendant of Kallikrates. With the boy comes a mysterious chest and a letter saying the trunk must not be opened before Leo's 25th birthday. Marguerite Snow as She 1911

In 1910 Leo Vincey (

) is now 25. He and Holly open the chest to discover a letter and a chart; the former entreat them to avenge the death of Kallikrates while the chart shows them the way. The two travel to the East coast of Africa where they see a strange rock, the Negro's Head. "She" sees Leo approach in a vision; so alike is he to Kallikrates that she believes him to be the reincarnation of her dead love. Leo's boat is stopped by a tribe of natives who blindfold him and Holly lead them into the presence of "She”- who welcomes Leo as her lost love. However, Leo tells "She" he has come to end her life in revenge for the death of his ancestor. "She" gives him a knife and baring her bosom bids him to strike, but blinded by her beauty he is unable to do so . After leading Leo and Holly through passageways cut deep into the rock "She" reveals to Leo the perfectly preserved mummy of Kallikrates. So alike is it to Leo that he believes it actually is himself. "She" destroys the mummy as she believes she has found her living love. Leading Leo and Holly to the cave which contains the Pillar of Fire that has given her youth for 2,000 years, "She" entreats Leo to step into the flame so that he too will receive eternal youth and live with her forever. As Leo hesitates “She” steps into the flames to calm his fears. However, in the many centuries since “She” last stepped into them the nature of the flames has changed and she instantly grows old, until she shrivels into an ape-like creature. Reaching out to Leo and begging him to remember her "She" dies. Driven nearly mad by what they have just seen, Holly and Leo make their way back to the village. Leaving the strange land they return to England where Leo’s golden hair turns white with the shock of all he has seen. As he destroys all record of "She” he knows the honour of his ancient ancestor has been avenged.

Cast

*"She" -

*Leo Vincey / Kallikrates -

*Leo Vincey as a youth -

*Amenartes, the Pharaoh's daughter - Viola Alberti *Horace Holly - William C. Cooper *Ustane -

Irma Taylor Irma Taylor (14 December 1890 – 17 April 1974) was an American screenwriter and actress of the silent era notable for playing Jane Eyre in ''Jane Eyre'' (1910), the English language film of the novel of the same name.

*Billali -

Harry Benham Harry Benham (February 26, 1884 – July 17, 1969) was an American silent film actor. Background Benham was born in Valparaiso, Indiana. As a child, he and his family moved to Chicago, where he was raised and attended school. Benham had a talen ...

*Job - Alphonse Ethier

Production

''She'' was the first attempt in film to depict the story in H. Rider Haggard's 1886 novel '' She: A History of Adventure''; an earlier film, '' The Pillar of Fire'' (1899) by Georges Méliès, was a short silent trick film in which the central character Ayesha stands amid flames. In the 1911 film only the main scenes from the novel are depicted with

intertitle In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...

s serving to explain the forthcoming scene; one states that "She" strikes down and kills Leo Vincey but the actors do not depict this. The "dialogue" is accompanied by dramatic gesticulation from the actors while the character of Ustane is barely recognisable. Running at 24 minutes 40 seconds and released on 26 December 1911,''She'' (1911)
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website ''She'' was

Thanhouser The Thanhouser Company (later the Thanhouser Film Corporation) was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New York City until 1920, ...

's first two-reel production. Made quickly in a week, probably in November 1911, the film marked Thanhouser's attempt to depict the epic romance of H. Rider Haggard's tale of love across the centuries. Made on a low budget (the characters arrive off the African coast in a row boat!) the film was made with only a dozen or so actors and extras and cheaply painted scenery. Despite the claim that "The Thanhouser picture of ''She'' was made in several different locations, some of them requiring the company to travel 500 miles"Review of ''She'' (1911) - ''

The New York Dramatic Mirror The ''New York Dramatic Mirror'' (1879–1922) was a prominent theatrical trade newspaper. History The paper was founded in January 1879 by Ernest Harvier as the ''New York Mirror''. In stating its purpose to cover the theater, it proclaimed t ...

'' 24 January 1912 in reality a few icy November coastal locations in upstate New York, including Long Island Sound,Philip Leibfried
''Rudyard Kipling and Sir Henry Rider Haggard on Screen, Stage, Radio and Television''
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers (2000) - Google Books PSG. 161-163 stand in for the East African coast; and while the production boasts a real camel in the desert scenes the buildings in the distance are clearly not African. In the tomb scene in Part II where

as Leo Vincey looks upon the dead body of himself as Kallikrates, double exposure photography was used. In the scene where "She" shrinks into the small mis-shapen creature a child or dwarf was used in make-up.Production details for ''She''
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website

References

External links

''She'' (1911)
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Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

''She'' (1911) on Vimeo
{{DEFAULTSORT:She (1911 film) 1911 films American silent short films American black-and-white films 1911 short films 1910s adventure drama films 1910s fantasy adventure films American adventure drama films American fantasy adventure films American silent feature films Films based on British novels Films based on She Thanhouser Company films 1911 drama films 1910s English-language films Films directed by George Nichols 1910s American films Silent American drama films Silent adventure films