A Welsh Singer (1915) is a British

romantic film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey through d ...

based on a novel of the same name. Marketing emphasised the attractive scenery of the film's Welsh setting. It was praised by British newspapers but received a mixed review in an American magazine.

Plot

The film is lost. The

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

describes it as a "Romance set in Wales. Shepherdess becomes

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

star, shepherd becomes a sculptor."

Production

The film was made in the United Kingdom by the ''Turner Film Company''. It was based on the novel ''A Welsh Singer'' by Allen Raine. The director was Henry Edwards who also appeared in the film; other actors included Campbell Gullan, Malcolm Cherry, Una Venning, Fred Rains and

Florence Turner Florence Turner (January 6, 1885 – August 28, 1946) was an American actress who became known as the "Vitagraph Girl" in early silent films. Biography Born in New York City, Turner was pushed into appearing on the stage at age three by h ...

. Edith Mary Evans, who mainly acted in theatre, made her first film appearance in the film but would not appear in a film again until acting in '' The Last Days on Dolwyn'' in 1948.

Reaction

The film was released in 1915. An advertisement aimed at cinema owners in a trade magazine, The Bioscope, encouraged them to "Book this all-British film. It will not let you down. Never before has a film been produced with such artistic feeling and so cleverly acted." An advertisement in the '' North Wales Weekly News'' described the film as "The Gem of the Season ... ased onAllen Raine's great Welsh novel". An advertisement in the ''

Runcorn Runcorn is an industrial town and Runcorn Docks, cargo port in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England. Runcorn is on the south bank of the River Mersey, where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. It is upstream from the port of Live ...

Weekly News'' commented " ales Forever An Exclusive Masterpiece in 4 Acts ... Every lover of Wales should see this great Picture, taken amid the glorious and enchanting scenery of Wales." A advertisement in the ''

Buckinghamshire Examiner The ''Buckinghamshire Examiner'' more usually known as the ''Bucks Examiner'' was a weekly newspaper, published on Wednesdays and distributed in the towns of Amersham, Chesham, and the surrounding villages in the Chiltern area of Buckinghamsh ...

'' called the film "A Beautiful English Drama, adapted from the Well-known Novel by Allan Raine". A review in ''

Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...

News'' commented that the film would "rank as one of the most popular of the year". It praised the quality of some of the "typical Welsh scenes" such as "the huge flocks of sheep on the rugged mountains... the

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...

procession, the interior of the circus ... the crowded concert room, the subsequent fire and rescue from the concert hall". A review in the ''

Birkenhead Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...

News'' commented that "Everywhere "A Welsh Singer" has been shown it has been received with acclamation, because it strikes a new note in film production. It is a picture of outstanding merit, a story which never fails to please a story of love charmingly told amidst the entrancing mountain wildness of Wales and the hustle and toil of London." An article in the ''

Porthcawl Porthcawl () is a town and community in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales. It is located on the south coast, west of Cardiff and south-east of Swansea. Historically part of Glamorgan and situated on a low limestone headland on the South ...

News'' noted that the film "should appeal to all Welsh folk, and is worthy of a visit." The American trade magazine, Variety, gave a less enthusiastic review of the film. It praised the quality of Turner's acting and said the film was better than a previous film she had appeared in. However, it described a scene where a character did not recognise his former love interest as "unconvincing". The review concluded that there was "no doubt" that the film would be "acceptable" for cinemas.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Welsh Singer, A 1916 films British silent feature films 1916 drama films Films directed by Henry Edwards Films based on British novels Silent British drama films British black-and-white films 1910s English-language films 1910s British films English-language drama films British romance films