Romeo and Juliet is a 1916 American silent romantic drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara. The film was based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and was produced by the Fox Film Corporation. The film was shot at the Fox Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and is now considered to be lost.
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Competing versions of Shakespeare
This film and other Shakespeare-oriented pictures were released in 1916, the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. This film went up against direct competition from another feature-length Romeo and Juliet film from Metro Pictures starring Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne.
In a recorded interview, Bushman states that William Fox had spies working for Metro, and stole some of the intertitles from the Metro version. Fox rushed his version into the theatres in order to capitalize on exhibiting his film first. Bushman recalled going to see Fox's Romeo and Juliet and was startled to see the intertitles from his film flash on the screen.
Cast
Theda Bara as Juliet
Harry Hilliard as Romeo
Glen White as Mercutio
Walter Law as Friar Laurence
John Webb Dillion as Tybalt
Einar Linden as Paris
Elwin Eaton as Montague
Alice Gale as Nurse
Helen Tracy as Lady Capulet
Victory Bateman as Lady Montague
Jane Lee
Katherine Lee
May De Lacy
Edward Holt as Capulet