The Real Thing at Last
The Real Thing at Last is a lost satirical silent movie based on the play Macbeth. It was written in 1916 by Peter Pan creator and playwright J. M. Barrie as a parody of the American entertainment industry. The film was made by the newly created British Actors Film Company in response to news that American filmmaker D. W. Griffith intended to honor the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death by producing of a film version of the play. It was subtitled A Suggestion for the Artists of the Future. It was screened at a charity benefit attended by the royal family, but was not widely distributed, and no copies are known to survive.
Plot
Fictional American film producer Rupert K. Thunder hosted the 30-minute film live, commenting on it as it played.It parodies the sensationalism of the American film industry of the day, including a controversial earlier adaptation of Macbeth, contrasting it with more reserved and understated British sensibilities. It loosely follows the plot of the play, but two versions of each depicted scene are shown:
In the British version, Lady Macbeth wiped a small amount of blood from her hands; in the American she had to wash away gallons of the stuff. In the British, the witches danced around a small cauldron; in the American the witches became dancing beauties cavorting around a huge cauldron. In the British, Macbeth and Macduff fought in a ditch; in the American Macbeth falls to his death from a skyscraper.The endings also differed:
The British version ended with typical coy understatement: 'The elegant home of the Macbeths is no longer a happy one', while the American version blithely opted for closure of a different kind: 'The Macbeths repent and all ends happily.'The piano accompaniment for the closing scene of Macbeth and Macduff reconciling is "Life's Too Short to Quarrel".
Cast
- Edmund Gwenn as Rupert K. Thunder, Macbeth
- Nelson Keys as Lady Macbeth
- Godfrey Tearle as Macduff
- Owen Nares as General Banquo
- Norman Forbes as Duncan
- Caleb Porter as Witch
- George Kelly as Witch
- Ernest Thesiger as Witch
- Gladys Cooper as American Witch
- Teddie Gerard as American Witch
- Pauline Chase as American Witch
- Frederick Volpe as Murderer
- Moya Mannering as Messenger
- A.E. Matthews as Murdered
- Marie Lohr as Murdered
- Frederick Kerr as Murdered
- Irene Vanbrugh as Lady
- Eva Rowland as Lady
- Arthur Shirley as Courtier
- Leslie Henson as Charlie Chaplin, William Shakespeare, Page
- Florence Alliston as Child