Entertainment

See the last known footage of the first ‘Great Gatsby’ film [VIDEO]

Taylor Bigler Entertainment Editor
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Ever since “The Great Gatsby” was first published in 1925, there have been several (unsuccessful) film interpretations of the classic American novel.

This Friday, Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of the story hits theaters in flashy 3D and an exciting, anachronistic soundtrack.

But the first film version — in black and white with no dialogue — debuted in 1926, soon after a stage production of the novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald was reportedly so disgusted by the film version that he walked out of the movie theater before it was over.

The silent version of “The Great Gatsby” no longer exists in any archives, and the sole footage is the one-minute trailer for the film that the National Archives was able to salvage.

Two more major screen versions of the film have popped up over the decades — the most famous, but critically panned 1974 version starring Mia Farrow and Robert Redford, and a 2000 made-for-TV version starring Mira Sorvino and Paul Rudd.

But this was the first film adaptation — and if it is worse than the A&E cable version, we will never know.

Watch:

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