Lady Godiva (1911) User Reviews

Naked as in without proscenium arch

[boblipton · 5/10 · 22 May 2008]

By the time J. Stuart Blackton directed this version of the story of how Lady Godiva came to ride naked through the streets of Coventry, Vitagraph had gotten the Word: not an inkling of the proscenium arch remains in this composition; and, if at times, the actors seem to be just standing around in a state of confusion -- Griffith knew how to direct crowds, and the folks over at Edison avoided the issue by doing without crowds -- at least they form pleasing compositions and point the way towards the end of the irised shots to vary composition. Vitagraph, indeed, was in the thick of the competition to advance the art of movie-making at this point and would be the last of the Patent Trust companies standing, still producing the occasional hit feature through the mid-twenties.

It's a pity that the acting in this movie is still definitely pre-Griffith. And the delectable Miss Julia Swayne Gordon does not, alas, ride naked, clothed only in her long tresses. She is definitely wearing a body stocking when she climbs aboard the horse.

Lady Godiva review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 19 May 2020]

No doubt this short isn't as exciting as it's audience might have hoped as leading lady Julia Swayne Gordon is clearly wearing a body stocking beneath her golden tresses as she trots around the streets of Coventry. It's not a bad effort, though, and the lines from Tennyson's poem provide better context than a modern writer ever could.

I Had to See for Myself!

[silentmoviefan · 7/10 · 21 June 2012]

You've heard about how curiosity killed a cat, well, curiosity got a hold me of me, too. This was a short at the end of a feature, which was pretty good in and of itself. Lady Godiva, played by Julia Swayne Gordon, is such a kind soul. All the people love her, well most of them anyway... Most of you know the story. A tax is imposed, Lady Godiva protests and it told the tax will be repealed if she rides a horse unclothed through the streets... All due respect to Julia Swayne Gordon, whose longevity in the movies shows that she most likely was a quality actress. However, she's just a bit too heavy to really make this interesting... It's as this point that I put "most of them anyway" concerning the love of her. Most people are respectful of the edict that they do not gaze upon the good lady's form. One guy does - and he's struck blind. If he had loved her in the sense the people did, he would have not garnered a peek outside. Of course, this is 1911 in America and nudity wasn't really common. It had already been used in Europe, but no so much in the states. She does her ride, the tax is repealed and the people are happy once more.She is quite the good soul, but the thought of Godiva chocolates comes to mind... I give it a "7". It's a simple story and I think Vitagraph did a good job telling it.