The Mistletoe Bough was filmed in 1904 and directed by Percy Stow.
An atmospheric tale where a game of hide and seek goes wrong, The Mistletoe Bough is a nice combination of Christmas story, ghost tale, romance, and horror. The ending is a bit abrupt, making me wonder if there’s a missing scene or two at the very end, but it’s still a lovely little film (or as lovely as a film about a dead bride can be).
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Notes
1. I watched this on the BFI Player again.
2. Although it’s also on youtube too if that’s more convenient for you.
3. It’s based on an old folk tale/urban legend crossover, the history of which is pretty interesting.
4. It’s a pity people don’t sing that song at Christmas any more really.
5. Or if they do I’ve never noticed before.
6. After watching this I read The Mistletoe Bride by Kate Mosse, which is based on the same tale.
7. And which was quite good too.
8. Which was nice
9. This film version was directed by Percy Stow, who directed the first ever film version of Alice In Wonderland, and also made the excellent spoof film The Unclean World.
10. Which I watched here a few years back.
11. There was also apparently a 1926 version of the same tale, but I can’t seem to find any evidence it survives.
12. Obviously if I had found it, I still wouldn’t have been able to watch it until 2026.
13. (two whole days away now)
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Film Information
Title: The Mistletoe Bough
Director: Percy Stow
Year: 1904
Duration: 10 minutes
Watch: BFI Player; youtube