After the huge success of TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE in 1914, Marie Dressler starred again as Tillie in a sort of sequel for Lubin Pictures. The film was considered lost for decades, but one reel survives.
Although only about 12 minutes survives from reel 1, this is still slapstick fun and continues Marie Dressler's Tillie (now surnamed Toddles) as a sort of debutante who breaks into society at her rich Aunt Lizzie's birthday party. Tillie has bought the aunt a 19-cent tomato-shaped pin cushion but has passed it off as her own handiwork. The tomato plays a key part later in the story.
Other characters include a loopy inventor (Colin Campbell) who has invented a winged flying bat suit in which he zooms around in the sky. Aunt Lizzie also gets to try this one out. Then there's snarky cousin Percy who tries to frame Tillie for the aunt's disappearance.... And then there's that tomato surprise.
Highlights include Tillie going for a ride in a Jitney and doing an Isadora Duncan-styled dance at the aunt's party.
I can only assume that Tillie eventually takes to the air in the bat suit but alas, if so, it's among the material in the missing 5 reels.....
Dressler returned again as Tillie in the 1917 TILLIE WAKES UP, which exists and is a fun film with Dressler and Johnny Hines at Coney Island.
