Merchant of Venice, The

Synopsis: Early sound short showing the trial scene from The Merchant of Venice (IV i). Lewis Casson is Shylock and Joyce Lyons plays Portia.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Film
Technical information: Black-and-white / Sound
Year of release: 1927
Duration: 10 mins; 934 feet

Director

Cast

General: "Lee De Forest pioneered a system of photographing sound on film which is the basis of all sound films today, and his company De Forest Phonofilms made a large number of sound films exploiting this process in Britain and America in the mid to late 20s. This film would appear to be the first talking Shakespeare film, although there is ROMEO I GIULETTA (c1927), and an extract from Gounod’s opera, also produced by De Forest Phonofilms’ [McKernan, Luke and Olwen Terris. Walking Shadows: (op cit)].
Reviews: McKernan, Luke and Olwen Terris. Walking Shadows: Shakespeare in the National Film and Television Archive. London: BFI, 1994, p. 105-6.