Uncle Tom's Cabin (1903/I)

Director:

Edwin S. Porter

Writer:

Harriet Beecher Stowe (novel)

Genre:

Short | Drama

Plot:

Based on the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe: Eliza, a slave who has a young child, pleads with Tom, another slave...

Plot Keywords:

African American | Slavery | Uncle Tom's Cabin | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Runtime:

13 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Edison Studio, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Edison Manufacturing Company

Trivia:

For sale in 1903 at $165 per copy.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Black History: Lost Stolen, or Strayed (1968) (TV)

A Creditable & Ambitious Attempt, Despite Some Obvious Flaws

Given how early it was in the history of cinema, this attempt to film the story of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is creditable and quite ambitious. The flaws of this movie version are now quite noticeable, but at the time it may well have been a satisfying experience, for those who remembered the impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, to see the action portrayed on screen. Regardless of what today's critics would think of the novel and its characters, the book had an impact on history that few works of art have ever achieved.

The story is told with a clear assumption that the viewer is already familiar with the story, and it would probably be nearly incomprehensible for those who had never read the book. Within a fairly short period of time, film-makers would develop standard ways of introducing characters and situations so as to make sure that no one got lost, but at this early stage of cinema, an adaptation of well-known literary material was more likely to count on viewers knowing the story already.

The movie illustrates several of the most significant events from the novel, using the kind of tableau format that for a time was the usual way to present this kind of story. It does re-arrange a couple of things, rather than sticking strictly with the book, and it was clearly an enterprising project. Although it only partially comes off, it's still worth seeing for its historical interest alone.