Leather Stocking (1909) User Reviews

No attempt to follow the story closely

[deickemeyer · 7 January 2015]

A Biograph rendering of James Fennimore Cooper's tale, "Leather Stocking," a free rendering, it is true, with no attempt to follow the story closely, but the favorite characters are all there and the dramatic incidents which are woven into the story are repeated with sufficient vividness to be clear to those who have read the novel. Those who have not, see a picture filled with dramatic incidents, one following close upon another, and each one leading to a development of the tale. The colonel and his two daughters, with a scout and an Indian guide, who proves to be Big Serpent, a savage who is planning to obtain revenge, and he nearly accomplishes his purpose. Leather Stocking's exploit in escaping from the stockade and making his way to the soldier's camp is sufficiently vivid to make one's blood tingle and the preparations for the burning of the unfortunate prisoners after the Indians effect an entrance to the stockade are blood-curdling. Hut the soldiers come and bring with them freedom. There is Uncas, too, the Mohican, who is left alone as the party, guided by Leather Stocking, leaves the stockade and goes on its way. The tale is well acted. That almost goes without saying when one is speaking of one of the Biograph's interesting Indian pictures. The photography is good and there is a sense of completeness and an impression that one sees here a truthful rendering of the life of the Indian, as nearly as a white man can do it. One enters into the spirit of the characters and becomes interested in their actions and the things they do. It might be well, therefore, to consider this rather more than an illustration of a popular novel. It might be considered a development of Indian character well worth the attention of anyone interested in the occurrences which go to make up life in the times there depicted. Dramatization of a novel in the hands of such a company as the Biograph is well worth all the attention one may give it. The work is so well done that it interprets the story better than one could do it himself by reading. - The Moving Picture World, October 9, 1909