USA, 1902
10m [at 16-18 fps], 190.50 metres
35mm film, black and white, hand-coloured
silent
An American fantasy film directed by George S. Fleming and Edwin S. Porter. It is the earliest known film version of the Jack and the Beanstalk story.
Plot Summary
Jack sells the family cow to a peasant for some beans but his angry mother throws them into the garden where they grow into a gigantic beanstalk thanks to the intervention of a fairy. She visits Jack in his dreams and tells him the secret of the hen that lays the golden eggs. The next day Jack climbs the beanstalk and, guided by the fairy, finds his way to a giant’s castle where he steals the magic hen. The giant awakes and chases him but Jack reaches the ground first and chops down the beanstalk, causing the giant to fall to his death.
Credits
Crew
Directors: George S. Fleming, Edwin S. Porter
Edison Manufacturing Company
Photography: Edwin S. Porter
Set Designer: George S. Fleming
Cast
Thomas White (Jack)
Alternative Titles
Babszem Jankó – Hungary
Jack y la habichuela gigante – Venezuela
References
Books
- Motion Pictures from the Library of Congress Paper Print Collection 1894-1912 by Kemp R. Niver, edited by Bebe Bergsten p.196
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.227 – credits
