Rip Van Winkle (II) (1910) User Reviews

The stage manager understood what was required to make the background appear natural

[deickemeyer · 8 October 2015]

Probably the story of Rip Van Winkle as told by Washington Irving will always be a delight. Surely the Rip Van Winkle, as depicted by the late Joseph Jefferson, will linger long in the memory of those fortunate enough to have seen it. Unquestionably, however, the third in the list of delights is this film from Thanhouser which tells the story over again in much the same way that Jefferson told it. The Rip of Jefferson and the Rip of Irving are two different persons, though both do substantially the same things. Maybe another can be added in the actor who performs the part so acceptably in this picture. The same situations are worked out, but there must be some difference since the scenes lack the spoken words. But the story is followed with fidelity to the original. There is Rip, his dog Schneider, Meenie and the scolding Gretchen who drives Rip out after a particularly flagrant bit of delay at the tavern. The picture is dramatic because the story it tells is dramatic. The actors have only to perform their parts and they make the drama. It is a good piece of work from every standpoint. The actors have entered into the spirit of the story and have depicted it with close adherence to the facts as they are related in the original. The stage manager understood what was required to make the background appear natural, while the photographer handled the camera with full knowledge of the requirements. The Moving Picture World, December 17, 1910