AllMovie

Johnston Forbes-Robertson, considered the greatest Hamlet of his era, starred in this 6-reel adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy. Also featured was Forbes-Robertson's wife Gertrude Elliot as Ophelia. Existing stills and clips reveal that both actors were rather along in years. This is the sort of thing that can be compensated for in a stage production, but the cruelty of the camera--at least in 1913--exposed every liver spot and dewlap. Director Hay Plumb showed little cinematic imagination in conveying the melancholy tale of the Prince of Denmark, but the production scored on its sumptuousness and professionalism.