. . . which is in cahoots with highway bandits, according to the plot of this Irish melodrama which Edison Manufacturing Company decided needed to be shown to a wider American audience via nickelodeon screens. KATHLEEN MAVOURNEEN, subtitled ST. PATRICK'S DAY EVE, is fairly difficult to follow nowadays, due to the Edison Company's assumption that the entire plot of any fictional adaptation they did already would be known inside and out by any potential paying customer. Obviously, this could not have possibly been true in any earthling society modern anthropologists ever have studied, but if title cards would have cost the light bulb mogul even a nickel on his bottom line, you can bet your bottom dollar he would be hellbent against using title cards, and hold out on informing his audiences as long as he could get away with such callous disregard, at least from a financial standpoint. The only title card here is from the Kino people, noting that some pervert projectionists snipped out the most exciting scene--when Kathleen is chloroformed--in 1906, so what they've included on their DVD is essentially less thrilling outtakes.
3 Reviews
Finally--a film that puts landlords in their proper place . . .
cricket3020 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
A Melodrama Filmed With Plenty of Enthusiasm
Snow Leopard30 June 2005
In watching this early movie version of "Kathleen Mavourneen", it is quickly obvious that the cast and crew went about the job with a lot of enthusiasm for the project. It is easy to identify ways in which it could have been better, even with the methods available in 1906, but even so the action and the fast pace make it worth seeing.
The title character came originally from a popular ballad, and in the 19th century Kathleen was the subject of a variety of songs, stories, and plays, some of which contain widely different details. Several movies titled "Kathleen Mavourneen" were made in the first half of the 20th century, and the (apparently lost) 1919 version even starred Theda Bara. This earlier, 1906 version was adapted somewhat freely from a play of the same name, and it differs in many respects from other versions.
In this movie, Kathleen is persistently troubled by the leader of a gang of villains, and is defended by her true love. There is lots of action, much of it filmed in interesting outdoor settings. Most of the characters, including Kathleen, are rather plain in themselves, although the main villain, called Clearfield in this version, has a distinctive appearance with a costume and a bushy mustache that fit the character well.
At times it can be hard to keep track of all that is going on. Some key sequences have been lost (the Kino DVD summarizes the missing scenes), and the titles are minimal, providing no explanation for much of the action. Given how popular the various stories about Kathleen Mavourneen used to be, it seems likely that audiences of the time would have been familiar enough with the characters that they didn't need much in the way of identification.
For all of these reasons, this is now a movie that will only interest those who are already keen fans of the movies of its era. But for those who do enjoy cinema history, or just browsing through these old features to see what they are like, there is enough of interest to make it worth watching.
The title character came originally from a popular ballad, and in the 19th century Kathleen was the subject of a variety of songs, stories, and plays, some of which contain widely different details. Several movies titled "Kathleen Mavourneen" were made in the first half of the 20th century, and the (apparently lost) 1919 version even starred Theda Bara. This earlier, 1906 version was adapted somewhat freely from a play of the same name, and it differs in many respects from other versions.
In this movie, Kathleen is persistently troubled by the leader of a gang of villains, and is defended by her true love. There is lots of action, much of it filmed in interesting outdoor settings. Most of the characters, including Kathleen, are rather plain in themselves, although the main villain, called Clearfield in this version, has a distinctive appearance with a costume and a bushy mustache that fit the character well.
At times it can be hard to keep track of all that is going on. Some key sequences have been lost (the Kino DVD summarizes the missing scenes), and the titles are minimal, providing no explanation for much of the action. Given how popular the various stories about Kathleen Mavourneen used to be, it seems likely that audiences of the time would have been familiar enough with the characters that they didn't need much in the way of identification.
For all of these reasons, this is now a movie that will only interest those who are already keen fans of the movies of its era. But for those who do enjoy cinema history, or just browsing through these old features to see what they are like, there is enough of interest to make it worth watching.
Two Edison shorts
Michael_Elliott13 March 2008
Kathleen Mavourneen (1906)
** (out of 4)
A wealthy landlord attacks a young woman just for the fun of it. This early "epic" has a lot of hard work, which is easy to see but none of it really pays off. Outside some great outdoor scenery and some nice sets this here is pretty dry.
Getting Evidence (1906)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
A man hires a private eye to spy on his wife to see if she's cheating. All goes well until it's made clear that the private doesn't know what he's doing. Most of the slapstick doesn't work here but there is a very funny twist ending that makes it worth watching.
** (out of 4)
A wealthy landlord attacks a young woman just for the fun of it. This early "epic" has a lot of hard work, which is easy to see but none of it really pays off. Outside some great outdoor scenery and some nice sets this here is pretty dry.
Getting Evidence (1906)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
A man hires a private eye to spy on his wife to see if she's cheating. All goes well until it's made clear that the private doesn't know what he's doing. Most of the slapstick doesn't work here but there is a very funny twist ending that makes it worth watching.
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