[2] This was an unusual (if not unprecedented) spectacular theatrical presentation which – in its most elaborate and complete expression – included: the projected colour film; a full-sized symphony orchestra and chorus performing Engelbert Humperdinck's score; live sound effects such as church bells and crowd noises; stage sets around the projection screen which changed during the performance;[3][4] and live (non-speaking) actors and dancers in medieval costume.

As some contemporary critics realised, The Miracle was not a "moving picture drama" in the normal sense of the word, but a "filmed pantomime," a celluloid record of the action of the stage production in a unique presentation.

[7] The world première of the full-colour 'Lyricscope play' of The Miracle took place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on 21 December 1912 and it was shown all over the country until Easter 1913, breaking many records for attendance.

All the actors in the film (except Florence Winston) had just given sixteen stage performances of the play in Vienna during the two weeks immediately preceding shooting and were well rehearsed in their parts.

[14] Maeterlinck described his own work (and Ariane et Barbe-bleue) as "...little scenarios, short poems of the type unfortunately called 'opera-comique', destined to furnish the musicians who asked for them, a theme amenable to lyrical developments.

Maeterlinck used the same style in Monna Vanna: "...written, partly, in the same kind of blank verse as Sister Beatrice—very poor stuff considered as poetry, and very troublesome to read as prose."

[26] The 'Lyricscope play' was designed to be a partial re-creation (on a slightly smaller scale) of Reinhardt's massive theatrical spectacle which had drawn such large crowds to Olympia the previous year.

According to a puff piece in a Berkshire local newspaper, Menchen and Carré had "countless experiences" in designing the film's appearance; eventually they devised a method of arranging backgrounds that would "reproduce every phrase of photographic light and shade, together with extreme depth.

According to an article in The Cinema in July 1912,[27] the screenplay was adapted by Karl Vollmöller from his stage play[32] which Reinhardt had produced as a result of a commission from C. B. Cochran for a spectacular pageant at Olympia in 1911.

"[35] The stage design and costumes at Olympia were by Ernst Stern, whose set had turned the London exhibition hall (often associated with horse shows) into a Gothic cathedral in 1911.

[50] The world première of the 'Lyricscope play' of The Miracle in full colour took place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on 21 December 1912, exactly a year after Max Reinhardt's theatrical spectacle opened at Olympia.

He donated the proceeds to the fund for a memorial to a London cabby, Private Frederick Hitch, VC, who fought at Rorke's Drift and died on 6 January.

He may have seen Reinhardt's production during its London run at the Olympia exhibition hall from December 1911 to March 1912: at any rate he bought the rights (supposedly for £10,000) to The Miracle film, according to an interview in April 1912 with the London Standard newspaper: "I have acquired an option on the fine moving pictures of "The Miracle," which I anticipate will make a sensation on the other side.”[69] All looked well for Harris' return to the States, but unfortunately the tickets that he and his wife had booked for their voyage back to the States had the words RMS Titanic printed on them.

[73][n 7] Menchen's second choice of distributor was the Hungarian-born archetypal showman Al Woods, who had been in Berlin in connection with the construction of Germany's first purpose-built cinema, the Ufa-Pavillon am Nollendorfplatz.

[76] Temple returned in the New Year to prepare the staging with a B&W copy of the 7,000 feet film, and began rehearsing the chorus (150 adults and 50 children), in the week of 12 January 1913.

Al. Woods, who had also watched the Covent Garden production with Temple, had found some business partners to share the financial burden with: Milton and Sargent Aborn.

[79] After The Miracle had finished its Covent Garden run and transferred to the newly refurbished Picture House at 165 Oxford Street, London, Woods returned on the RMS Mauretania[80] with the precious colour film on 6 February.

[n 10] The presentation was not quite as elaborate as in Covent Garden (a procession of nuns opened the proceedings, but the critics made no mention of the dancers); Humperdinck's music was performed by a chorus of 100 and an augmented Russian Symphony Orchestra of New York conducted by its founder Modest Altschuler.

[94] [95] However, by 1 February 1913 the situation had been reversed; after differences between the directors had been resolved, Schultz quit the business and Danziger and Levi took control of the New York Film Company.

[96] After the Menchen Miracle had finished showing at Covent Garden (by 31 January 1913 at the latest) the film arrived in the US and received its US première on Monday 17 February 1913, at the Park Theater, New York.

[102] However, the bond of $20,000 was not forthcoming from Woods, so Justice Lehman vacated the injunction on 6 May 1913, leaving the New York Film Co. free to sell or lease The Miracle without question.

[105] The Australasian rights to "The Miracle" were acquired from Joseph Menchen by Beaumont Smith during his year-long world tour of South Africa, Europe and Canada with his novelty show "Tiny Town" featuring small people.

[129] The relatively large forces available in the city venues were somewhat reduced in the provinces: according to an advertisement in the Poverty Bay Herald in May 1914 for The Miracle at His Majesty's Theatre, Gisborne, New Zealand: "Humperdinck's glorious music will be rendered by a Grand Augmented Orchestra of 12 instrumentalists.

[134][n 19]The New York American voiced the fears of the Royal Opera House's traditional upper-class opera-goers: "The movies have invaded that sedate institution and stronghold of classic music, the Covent Garden Theatre.

In London, however, the normally conservative Athenaeum waxed almost lyrical about the new film:The producers of 'The Miracle', adapted as a Lyricscope play in colours, at Covent Garden, have furnished us with another instance of the satisfactory use to which the comparatively new invention has recently been put.

Those who were unfortunate enough not to see the representation at Olympia may now get an excellent conception of that wonderful production[...] After being afflicted so often by the gesticulations of animated bifurcated radishes, it is indeed a pleasure to view the grace of real actors and actresses.

When the Nun danced before the Robber Baron the voices behind the screen sounded more like an animated quarrel in an East Side saloon than the rumblings of a licentious mob.

"[137] In Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald commented: "Max Reinhardt's stupendous production of the 'Miracle' was screened for the last time at West's Glaciarium on Saturday night before an enormous house.

[140][141] The recording coincided with the 1932 run of the stage revival of The Miracle at Lyceum Theatre, London, with Lady Diana Cooper & Wendy Toye,[142] choreography by Leonide Massine and produced again by C.B.

Nilsson had previously conducted the orchestra in Reinhardt's new 1924 stage production (with Morris Gest) of The Miracle, set designed by Norman Bel Geddes at the Century Theatre, in New York.