We have not found any definitive information about a possible 1910 version of Twain’s
classic, although we presume (based on the year) that it was a short film. The earliest
mention we’ve seen was in William V. Mong’s
1940
obituary in the New York Times, which ran under the headline “William V. Mong;
Ex-Actor Made Screen Debut in ‘Connecticut Yankee’ in 1910.” The text stated that Mong
entered the movies in 1910 in “The Connecticut Yankee.” Coincidentally, Mong played
Merlin in Emmett J. Flynn’s 1921 version of
A Connecticut Yankee in King
Arthur’s Court.
In any case, we don’t know whether the 1910 film used the
just-a-dream ending—or perhaps the film itself was just a dream of a 1940 obituary writer.
— Michael Main
1 English variant