Daddy-Long-Legs (1919)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Marshall Neilan

Writers:

Jean Webster (novel)
Agnes Christine Johnston (adaptation)

Release Date:

11 May 1919 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Wealthy Jervis Pendleton acts as benefactor for orphan Judy Abbott, anonymously sponsoring her in her boarding school...

Plot Keywords:

Benefactor | Orphan | Boarding School | May December Romance | Young Girl

Cast

Mary Pickford	...	Jerusha 'Judy' Abbott
Milla Davenport	...	Mrs. Lippett
Percy Haswell	...	Miss Pritchard (as Miss Percy Haswell)
Fay Lemport	...	Angelina Gwendolin Rosalind 'Angie' Wykoff
Mahlon Hamilton	...	Jarvis Pendleton
Lillian Langdon	...	Mrs. Pendleton
Betty Bouton	...	Julia 'Julie' Pendleton
Audrey Chapman	...	Sallie 'Sally' Mc Bride
Marshall Neilan	...	Jimmie Mc Bride (as Marshall A. Neilan)
Carrie Clark Ward	...	Mrs. Semple

Also Known As:

Daddy Long Legs (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

85 min (1998 restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

Mary Pickford Company

Trivia:

This was the first film of Mary Pickford's new production deal. The part of the deal that clinched it was she was finally able to have approval over the final film edit, which she had been unable to get before. It was predicted by some to be a risky deal, but this proved to be a big success for Pickford.

Quotes:

Jerusha Abbott: Mrs Semple, what is Love?
Mrs. Semple: Love is a bad habit -- it's much safer to have the measles -- they aint near as painful.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mary Pickford: A Life on Film (1997)

Wonderful Performance By Mary Pickford

A wonderful and multi-faceted performance by Mary Pickford turns a pleasant but somewhat routine story into a fine film that is very enjoyable to watch. The story gives her a chance to use a lot of different talents, and whenever she is on-screen, which is most of the time, there is something worth seeing.

Pickford is equally charming (it seems impossible to write about a Pickford film without using that word) and equally believable as a young orphan and as a college girl. And she is equally good at creating laughs, expressing feelings, and evoking sympathy - often all at the same time, especially in the orphanage scenes, which have some of this film's best material. There is some excellent comedy that keeps the story from becoming overly cute or sentimental, and she makes the most of all of it.

They put some real work into the title cards for this one, filling them with some good art work and also using them at times for some well-chosen commentary. A couple of the other cast members are pretty good, too, although it is definitely Pickford that makes this so worthwhile.

This is an engaging little gem from the silent era, and a great example of what it was that made "America's Sweetheart" so popular.