A precursor to the 1937 classic, The Dybbuk, A Vilna Legend is a tale of frustrated love and destiny with the breaking and fulfillment of vows. A yeshiva student and a poor girl who are deeply in love face eternal separation even though their parents promised them to each other before birth. The film preserves a moment in Eastern European Jewish History, when such classical folklore figures as the prophet Elijah still held a place in the popular consciousness. This rare cultural treasure preserves the only known cinema performance by Ester-Rokhl Kaminska, who shares the limelight with her daughter, Ida Kaminska. Much of the film was shot on location in Vilna. In 1933, a group of New York Yiddish actors decided to give the original 1924 film gem a new lease on life by adding a narration and several new scenes, which gave dramatic justification to the narrative form.
-- The National Center for Jewish Film