Runtime: 10 mins. Studio: Edison. Director: Edwin S. Porter. Cinematographer: Edwin S. Porter. Main Cast: James H. White, Thomas White.
There are few early cinema directors who have played a more important role in shaping the movies as an artform than Edwin S. Porter. Yet when it comes to Porter's films one of them tends to completely overshadow the others in the minds of movie fans. That film The Great Train Robbery (1903). While I truly love The Great Train Robbery, I can't help but agree that is overshadows the rest of a great career. One of Porter's films that I am especially fond of is his version of the classic fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk.
Though this film may not be familiar to some of you, all of you know the basic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. The tale has a long oral history that makes it impossible to trace back just how old it is. However it first appeared in print in 1734, as part of a collection of stories entitled Round About our Coal Fire or Christmas Entertainments. Here the story was titled The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean. Strangely after this the story did not appear much in print until 1807. That year Benjamin Tabart wrote a very moralizing version of the story. The version that would be the most influential on how the story would be told in the future was Joseph Jacobs’ 1890 version. Jacobs based hos version of the story on the oral versions he had heard as a child and many scholars believe it to be the most accurate written version of the tale from the 19th century. It is worth noting that when this film was made that version of the story would have been published on 12 years earlier. Therefore it would have been well known by many moviegoers' (many of whom were more well read than we are today) minds as the watched this film. Yet it was not only written versions of the story that would have inspired this film. In January 1902, a stage play version of Jack and the Beanstalk had been a major hit and considering this film was shot in Spring of the same year (Porter would state that it took 6 weeks to shoot), it is hard to believe that the stage play did not have an influence on this picture. This also meant that it was the perfect time for a film version of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Motion Picture News 1913
If you are one of the few people who doesn't know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, this story summary includes spoilers. As this film opens a fairy appears and gives magic beans to a random person. Soon afterwards Jack appears with his cow to sell. The man gives him the beans in exchange for the cow. When Jack comes home with the beans, his mother is understandably angry and throws the beans in the ground. While Jack and his mother sleep the fairy appears and makes the beans grow into a giant beanstalk. When Jack awakes he begins to climb this beanstalk. Once he reaches the top, the fairy appears to him and shows he a vision of the giant's castle. He then enters into the giant's castle and though at first he tries to hide, he finds himself chased by the giant down the beanstalk. When Jack reaches the bottom, he chops down the beanstalk, causing the giant to fall to his death. The fairy then reappers and shows Jack that he is in fact a prince and that the riches of the giant's castle belong to him.
This is a fast moving and fun adaption of the classic story. Like many films of this time period that adapted classic literature, this film mainly shows the highlights of the story and excepts moviegoers to have a certain familiarity with the original story. Due to the fact that Jack and the Beanstalk is a very simple story and that it is still one most people today know this film holds up better than many similar films of the era. With the simplest of stories, even those who somehow never heard this story before can get the basic gist of what it is about and for modern movie fans, who except a complete story from any film, this film holds up perfectly well even if some scenes aren't as clear as they would be if this film was made a decade or so later. Though there is no time for much in the way of characterization or depth, this film captures the charm and sense of fun that makes the classic tale so beloved.
This is a very special effects heavy film and some of the effects hold up quite well. The use of dissolves is quite sophisticated and some of the scenes are still quite beautiful to look at. While it is never wise to say what the first film to use any filmmaking technique is (because no matter how well you know movie history you are bound to be wrong), this is an early example of the dissolve and with that in mind it is impressive how well it works here. It is obvious a lot of work went into this film and it paid off beautifully. With this in mind it is sad that today we can't see the film the way it is originally made to be seen. As well as a black and white print the Edison company also released a color print (where the characters and beanstalk hand colored) which would cost $85 more (the black and white print would cost $93.75). Unfortunately only the black and white print is know to exist today. It should be noted that while most special effects films today strive to make everything look as realistic as possible, that the obviously fake cow was not supposed to look real. The 1902 play featured a pantomime cow played by a man in a cow suit. This was played for comedy in the play and many reviews praised this element. Because of this it was only natural to incorporate this into the movie version.
Film Fun, 1919
Resources Used
https://moviessilently.com/2021/10/31/jack-and-the-beanstalk-1902-a-silent-film-review/
https://centuryfilmproject.org/2014/04/24/jack-and-the-beanstalk-1902/
https://mediahistoryproject.org/
https://thefairytalecentral.com/jack-and-the-beanstalk-origins/
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