In watching this early movie version of "Kathleen Mavourneen", it is quickly obvious that the cast and crew went about the job with a lot of enthusiasm for the project. It is easy to identify ways in which it could have been better, even with the methods available in 1906, but even so the action and the fast pace make it worth seeing.
The title character came originally from a popular ballad, and in the 19th century Kathleen was the subject of a variety of songs, stories, and plays, some of which contain widely different details. Several movies titled "Kathleen Mavourneen" were made in the first half of the 20th century, and the (apparently lost) 1919 version even starred Theda Bara. This earlier, 1906 version was adapted somewhat freely from a play of the same name, and it differs in many respects from other versions.
In this movie, Kathleen is persistently troubled by the leader of a gang of villains, and is defended by her true love. There is lots of action, much of it filmed in interesting outdoor settings. Most of the characters, including Kathleen, are rather plain in themselves, although the main villain, called Clearfield in this version, has a distinctive appearance with a costume and a bushy mustache that fit the character well.
At times it can be hard to keep track of all that is going on. Some key sequences have been lost (the Kino DVD summarizes the missing scenes), and the titles are minimal, providing no explanation for much of the action. Given how popular the various stories about Kathleen Mavourneen used to be, it seems likely that audiences of the time would have been familiar enough with the characters that they didn't need much in the way of identification.
For all of these reasons, this is now a movie that will only interest those who are already keen fans of the movies of its era. But for those who do enjoy cinema history, or just browsing through these old features to see what they are like, there is enough of interest to make it worth watching.
