The earliest cinematic production of Volpone, released in 1941, was a black and white French film directed by Maurice Tourneur (1876–1961),1 who had spent fourteen years directing silent films in America before returning to France. The film presents the third and last step in a series of modern European re-writings of Jonson's text. But unlike the earlier stage adaptations, the film opens with an introductory sequence that owes little to Jonson. The Shakespearean source of this prelude to the play seems to have passed largely unnoticed.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page