User reviews

This delightful film marked a turning point in the career of Mary Pickford, the first time in adulthood that she played a little girl. The illusion was enhanced with specially scaled sets and props that made Mary look smaller, and also by casting unusually tall actors as the "grown-ups," but it wouldn't have worked if Mary herself hadn't been such a gifted performer in her own right. She is remarkably convincing as 11 year-old Gwendolyn. It's notable that when Mary (who was 24 when this film was made) plays scenes opposite Maxine Elliott (who was 12 at the time), the illusion is not spoiled. The great success of The Poor Little Rich Girl at the box office ensured that Mary Pickford would be playing little girls well into her 30s, despite occasional attempts to demonstrate more versatility. Eventually she came to consider the role something of a curse, but in any event the film holds up nicely today: it's interesting, suspenseful, and funny, with odd touches of surrealism during the extended dream sequence that forms the climax.

Mary's Gwendolyn is certainly a sympathetic protagonist. The story paints a vivid picture of the girl's loneliness and her desperation to receive some attention from her high society parents, but she's no sad sack-- she's a spirited kid bursting with vitality, though she's surrounded by servants who devote themselves to stifling her energy. She's sheltered but no snob, and much of the havoc she creates comes when she invites some of the scruffier neighborhood kids inside to play. The comic high point is a mud fight that takes place in the green house of Gwendolyn's home. (Oddly enough, Mary Pickford revealed in later years that director Maurice Tourneur was opposed to the inclusion of this sequence and had to be persuaded to film it.) The mud fight is great fun, but for me the movie's real highlight comes when Gwendolyn, ill and delirious, has a bizarre dream that offers metaphors for her life and the people she's known. For instance, her mean-spirited governess, described earlier as a "snake in the grass," actually appears as such in the dream, while another character is shown to be "two-faced." I won't reveal any more of the imagery for anyone who might see this film, except to note that the dream sequence alone is worth the price of admission.

P.S. I happened to see The Poor Little Rich Girl at a recent screening at the Museum of the City of New York, where locally-made movies are occasionally shown. Viewers interested in New York City history may be interested to learn that this film includes location scenes of Mary taking a ride along Riverside Drive as well as some brief shots of Wall Street. My fellow New Yorkers got a big laugh at one point when Gwendolyn's father contemplates selling his mansion for $35,000!

In addition to typecasting Mary Pickford as playing child characters, this role established her as America's Sweetheart. The 24-year-old Pickford plays an 11-year-old rich girl, who's neglected by her parents and is raised by nasty housekeepers and several personal schoolmarms. The only playmate she's allowed is a bore. Of course, every viewer sympathizes with the character's predicament, and Pickford gets the most out of that. The mud fight and tantrum scenes add some amusement between the more gushy moments and the great dream sequence.

Much of the credit here also needs to go to the screenwriter Frances Marion. Besides being a woman in a male-dominated business, she was one of the first scenarists to have creative control over productions. Like another female screenwriter, Anita Loos, Marion helped introduce the role of intertitles in silent film (as opposed to the tableau style of title cards only to introduce scenes). Both women also sometimes demonstrated their authorship with self-referential winks; Marion's "Armarilly of Clothes-Line Alley" and Loos's "Wild and Woolly" are two examples--where the authors expose their constructions with one intertitle.

Pickford does well to overcome the weirdness of an adult playing the role of a child. Moreover, the setting of a mansion, in addition to large props and tall actors accentuate Pickford's natural smallness, but more needed to be done about her adult figure. Director Maurice Tourneur and the film-making crew add appropriate, non-intrusive style to this sweet photoplay, providing Pickford with the most important vehicle of her career.

With a good combination of a thoughtful story and entertaining scenes, this Mary Pickford vehicle works well and is pleasant to watch. Pickford is surprisingly convincing in portraying the "Poor Little Rich Girl", a character who is supposed to be less than half the age of the actress - some creative set design and Pickford's own charm and enthusiasm make it work.

Much of the film simply describes the world of young Gwen (Pickford), neglected by her parents and bullied by most of the servants, and thus lonely and unhappy despite living amidst material abundance. It picks up the pace as it moves along, and the best part is the dream sequence near the end - it is quite amusing, and also does a nice job of summarizing the themes of the story. The minor characters are worked into the story well, and a couple of them are entertaining in their own right.

When you put Pickford and her winsome style in a story like this, chances are good that it's going to be enjoyable to watch, and this is not an exception. It's a nice little film, and worth the trouble to find.

The most original aspect of this film is that it translates into images the delirium of a seriously ill little girl fighting for her life. The beginning of the film is quite conventional both as regards the story, a little girl is ignored by her rich parents and bullied by the servants, and the way of filming, mostly indoor long duration wide shots with fixed camera, with some medium shots and a few close-ups. There are some slapstick gags and a funny scene when the father, remembering that, as a child, he had been dressed as a girl to punish him, decides to dress Gwen as a boy. Far from considering this as a punishment, she enjoys her boy costume and has a lot of fun having a mud fight with street boys.

The film becomes more interesting in the second half when it veers towards surrealism. It shows what Gwen is imagining, taking literally expressions that she hears, e.g. her father fighting bears, and the servants looking like their nicknames, snake in grass, double-face or big ears. It also shows the father, who has big financial worries, visualising his double taking a gun to commit suicide, with Gwen overlooking the scene.

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Gwen's family is rich, but her parents ignore her and most of the servants push her around, so she is lonely and unhappy. Her father is concerned only with making money, and her mother cares only about her social position. But one day a servant's irresponsibility creates a crisis that causes everyone to rethink what is important to them.

The film was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey when early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based there at the beginning of the 20th century.

What is most interesting to me is that the film was directed by Maurice Tourneur. Maurice had an incredible career spanning from the earliest days up through the 1940s. And yet, I think he is not a well-known figure. His son, Jacques, is quite a bit more known due to his working with producer Val Lewton. But why has Maurice been forgotten?

Wealthy ten-year-old Mary Pickford (as Gwen) lives in a beautiful mansion; she has everything she needs, except love. She must make an appointment to see her father (Charles Wellesley), who spends his time wheeling and dealing; and, she barely gets an opportunity to see her mother (Madlaine Traverse), who is busily attending to social duties. Her parents do not have time to spend with lonely Ms. Pickford; and, she is left in the care of unloving servants...

A lot of studio trickery helps to make Pickford believable as the fun-loving, independent and lonely little Gwendolyn; her age is not at all vague, as her 11th birthday is celebrated during the running time. You'll notice the large sets, and tall actors (standing on telephone books, no doubt) right away. Yet, finally, it's Pickford who pulls off the ruse. When she sits down for her tutoring, in close-up, Pickford makes the character a fully believable individual. The effort to make Pickford appear small adds to the film's surreal whimsicality.

Importantly, "The Poor Little Rich Girl" is the first of Pickford's adult portrayals of little girls. Her relative youth, and lack of "affected" mannerisms, is an early strength; she is fresh, and convincing. Later on, Pickford's portrayals suffered, as she employed stock muggings, pouts, and grimaces (to be fair, these were responsive to moviegoers increasing demand she remain in the "little girl" roles). Subsequently, the Pickford mannerisms were more cloyingly adopted by Shirley Temple, and others; for example, note how closely Pickford resembles Ms. Temple after she dons a boy's hat and clothes.

Director Maurice Tourneur and set designer Ben Carré help create the extraordinary, whimsical world "Gwen" inhabits. There are some "special effect" sequences, ending with a drug-induced delirium. Therein, Pickford dreams about the day's people and events; and, finally, she meets the beckoning figure of death, who invites: "Here, in the forest, dark and deep, I offer you, eternal sleep…" Maxine Elliott Hicks and Herbert Prior are among the more notable supporting players. Frequent Pickford writer Frances Marion does a fantastic job bringing story details together; she, Pickford, Mr. Tourneur, and Mr. Carré certainly created a monster.

********** The Poor Little Rich Girl (3/5/17) Maurice Tourneur ~ Mary Pickford, Maxine Elliott Hicks, Herbert Prior

There is something of the Lewis Carroll in this quite touching story of a young girl "Gwen" (Mary Pickford) who lives with her wealth-obsessed father (Charles Wellesley) and her socially-obsessed mother (Madlaine Traverse) who indulge their daughter insofar as money allows, but who pretty much neglect her otherwise. Despite her best efforts to engage with her parents - the spirited eleven year old "Gwen" makes little progress so seeks friendship amongst the local (not exactly "suitable" children) culminating in quite an entertaining mud fight. When two of the servants at her home mix her medication, she becomes dangerously ill and the whimsical elements introduce themselves - she has some wonderfully surreal dreams of the life she might like to have had; avenges the ill-treatment of her governess, addresses the indifference of her parents (a potent scene with her father sitting by a dollar pill printing machine churning out note after note...) - all whilst the bed-side waiting parents have to completely reevaluate their own priorities. Pickford was mid-20s playing the diminutive child, and she does it with a plausible, tomboy-ish, innocence that carries the humorous elements of Eleanor Gates' play well. At times it is a little too far-fetched, but Maurice Tourneur keeps the focus on the underlying theme of familial incivism front and centre and effective whilst ensuring the steady pace keeps the whole thing enjoyable to watch.

Like so many of the silents, there is a powerful message here about family and the importance of family. Here is a little girl with everything money can buy except the time of her parents. They are so busy with making money and the social circuit they have no time for their little girl (Mary Pickford). As is also the case with so many silents, the cue cards make sure that we understand the points the makers want made. And as has been the case in so many other silents, the movie makes its points very well and did not need the extra cue cards to make them. Having said that, this is a very good movie. Early films could do a very good job of telling a story and making a statement. This one does indeed do both.

Gwen (Mary Pickford) is the 10-years old daughter of a wealthy couple. Her father (Charles Wellesley) is busy making money while her mother (Madlaine Traverse) has 'a society bee in her bonnet', to quote several of the title cards. Neither of them has time for Gwen, who is left in the care of selfish servants and feels consequently lonely and miserable. In the first part of the film we witness her attempts to overcome her loneliness for example by inviting an organ grinder (Emile La Croix) and a plumber (Frank McGlynn Sr.) to her room, in the second, the story reaches a sort of climax when she is accidentally poisoned and struggles with death. Pickford was not tall but she was not so small either, and watching a woman of 25 skip about in a short dress pretending to be a little girl felt distinctly weird (the only other child role in which I have seen her is in 'Sparrows' (1926), where this did not strike me at all, probably because in that film she is not intended to be cute and plays a more adult and responsible role). Over time I began to notice some of the tricks 'The Poor Little Rich Girl' uses to achieve its effects. The other actors stand on higher ground when talking to Pickford while she acts in front of slightly oversized furniture, for example. There is no denying that she is doing a good job: She moves like a child. Still, for most of the time the weirdness of it all prevented me from much enjoying the film. It is only after about two-thirds of the picture that things become seriously interesting. There is a long dream sequence that is not only filmed really well but that evidently had a strong influence on 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939). Here, a donkey, the plumber and the organ grinder accompany the girl instead of the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, while one of the unfriendly servants takes the place of the Wicked Witch of the West. What do I make of the film? Overall, my impression is mixed. 'The Poor Little Rich Girl' has a clear message it drives home with no subtlety at all: Love is more important than money. That's not a particularly original idea and it was not original in 1917. And that Pickford was such a success as a little girl is something I find positively puzzling. However, the last third or maybe the whole second half of the film makes up for many of the defects of the earlier part. On balance, the pros outweigh the cons: not by much, but enough to make 'The Poor Little Rich Girl' a good film.

Poor Little Rich Girl, The (1917)

*** (out of 4)

Mary Pickford, 25-years old, plays Gwen, an 11-year-old girl who has all the money in the world but she's quite unhappy. This is due to her parents not paying any attention to her and the servants pretty much push her around. The fact that she has no friends doesn't help matters but a tragic turn might be what causes everyone to realize how special she actually is. THE POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL isn't the masterpiece that some people make it out to be but it's quite an interesting little film. I think most people would go into any film with a bit of skepticism whenever you had an adult at the age of 25 playing someone that is just 11 when the movie ends. Pickford became a legend playing these young parts and she would be doing this nearly ten years later and people were still eating it up. Her performance here is certainly the main reason to watch this film because there's no doubt that you're watching a truly talented actresses doing a rather remarkable job. I was rather skeptical going into the film but it takes a matter of seconds for you to believe Pickford is this young child. I'm not sure what it was but not once did I see an adult playing a child but instead you were watching a child play the part. Pickford was just downright marvelous when it came to the facial gestures and just simple looks that you'd expect to see from a child. No matter if she was being playful or or throwing a temper tantrum, you believe it is a child. Pickford goes through a wide range of emotions and she nails all of them perfectly but my favorite has to be a rather long sequence where a new "friend" is brought to the house but the girl is a rich snob who quickly gets into a fight with Pickford. The playful but bratty way the actress plays this sequence makes for some big laughs and it's certainly the highlight of the movie. Madlaine Traverse and Charles Wellesley are both good as her parents but there's no question everything in the screenplay (by Francis Marion) is for Pickford. Director Tourneur handles the material quite well but the really highlight of his vision comes from some of the more nightmarish scenes including one where a large snake goes after the girl and another one where her father visions himself committing suicide. The film runs 65-minutes and I must admit that there were several times where I got a little bored and this is just one reason why I'd stop short of calling the film a flat out masterpiece. I thought there was a little too much "melodrama" showing how unhappy the girl was and this includes one scene where she's punished by being forced to where boys clothing. With that said, those interested in the legend of Pickford will find this film a good place to start because it shows her in the type of role people loved her for.

You know, this is a stranger conglomeration of curiosities than I'd ever have supposed before I sat to watch. One hundred years later, a picture commenting on the emptiness and soullessness of the rich and powerful is more innately depressing than I think was intended in 1917, even with a cherished starlet like Mary Pickford involved. While I understand why some modern viewers may have a hard time engaging with silent films, at the outset it seems to me that the only part of this that hasn't aged well is the name. Then there's the abjectly childish behavior of the title character, noted in intertitles as being 10 years old, as portrayed by a woman who was 27 years old at the time this was released. On the one hand this reflects the wretched prioritization of the rich of emphatically uppercase Status, Class, and Appearance, while being wholly ignorant of the actual world, the people in it, or the needs of their own flesh and blood. On the other hand, there's a level of absolute silliness and unconcealed artifice characterizing the most lighthearted moments of the sort that even literal children might find too "immature" to be entertaining, like that low-budget live-action kids' show on public access television that's well meaning but not especially endearing. None of this inherently reflects on the quality of 'The poor little rich girl,' but by Jove, it often seems idiosyncratic even by the standards of an era in cinema that's commonly described as "simpler entertainment for a simpler time."

Let's try not to get too caught up in such broader analysis, though. Whatever else is true of this, it's duly well made and quite suitably entertaining. There's plenty of situational humor, sight gags, and plain old Imagination to complement the weightier themes and drama of a young girl who "has everything," according to the adults around her - except love, and a real childhood. Dialogue as related through intertitles is a weird grab bag of the unexpectedly sage, the peculiarly out of place, and the "not as smart as it thinks it is," though one way or another, the results thereof are surely amusing. Between minor practical effects and stunts, tricks of the camera or editing, and relatively novel camerawork, there are visual elements to the title that are perhaps slightly advanced for 1917, or at least extra eye-catching in context. This is on top of reliably solid production design and art direction befitting both the lifestyle of the protagonist's family, and the whimsy of the fanciful moments. Moreover, Maurice Tourneur's direction seems quite sturdy to me, and in the very least, the cast give commendable performances embracing all that the feature portends. Pickford, above all, readily gives of herself to bring out her inner ten year-old, and I think she handily demonstrates why she was so beloved throughout her prolific career.

Though many aspects here are a little bit of a mixed bag, or at least modestly perplexing, I think the real point of concern is the writing. Esteemed silent screenwriter Frances Marion, adapting a stage play to the Silver Screen, presents us with lots of great ideas. I rather wonder if there aren't too many, though, if they shouldn't have been attended to in different proportions, or if one or two shouldn't have been dropped outright to tighten the whole. The narrative shifts from the many woes of Gwendolyn's real life - many and varied as they are - and illustration of her effort to Just Be A Kid nonetheless, to also giving small peeks at the lives of her mother and father and even the mansion's servants, and to a dire beat of drama and concurrent fantasy, all before wrapping up with a few minutes that resolve all these threads. I can't help but subsequently think that 'The poor little rich girl' is a little overfull. While its themes remain evident and prevalent, they almost threaten to become tangled in the weave of so many ideas. Sometimes less is more, and a smidgen could have been cut without actually losing anything, yet serving to strengthen the storytelling overall.

Still, maybe I'm diving too deep. This picture only wants for its audience to have a good time, and hopefully take away a bit of a lesson from the tale, and I think both these objectives are handily achieved. It's a little busier than is ideal, and is a tad too wobbly as it wavers between moods, but by and large this is quite well done. I don't believe it's a movie that will do anything to change the minds of those who have a hard time abiding older cinema, though those already enamored of the silent era will mostly feel right at home here. Ultimately I don't think this is anything for which one needs to go out of their way; some of the best works ever produced in the medium hail from the 1910s or 20s, yet this falls short of being one of them. All the same, provided that one can accept the inelegance in the presentation, 'The poor little rich girl' is an enjoyable, well-intended slice of film history that remains worth checking out if you have the opportunity.

If you had to pick a typical Mary Pickford film to understand her appeal in silent movies you should look no further than The Poor Little Rich Girl. In this the 24 Mary with the curls that audiences the world over loved, plays an 11-12 year old girl, neglected by her status conscious parents.

Not that the idea was anything new, but Mary does put it over quite well. Her parents Madlaine Traverse are caught up in their busy societal world and pretty much ignore their child. But when she accidentally overdoses on some medicine and hovers between life and death her parents wake up and smell the coffee.

One thing I found absolutely fascinating was that apparently as a punishment for misbehavior one was forced to wear the clothes of the opposite sex. That certainly raises some interesting questions about gender identity in American society in 1917. Mary is forced to wear boys clothes and when she goes out and meets a gang of street kids, she's questioned about her masculinity and really lashes out at her tormentors.

What makes the film really standout though for me is the fantasy world that director Maurice Tourneur created as Mary is in a coma fighting for her life. Given the times the special effects cinematography was wonderful for its time. Cecil B. DeMille couldn't have done better creating a view of how a child saw the world around her and the possible paradise she could have if she quit fighting for her own life.

Great special effects and a standout performance by Mary Pickford make The Poor Little Rich Girl a classic from the days when movies had no voice.

Mary Pickford stars as Gwendolyn, an 11 year old who longs for the love of her wealthy parents, but has only the servants for company. Her attempts to find friendship and ease her loneliness lead to comic and touching situations. This vehicle was one of the highest grossing films of 1917 and consolidated Mary Pickford's stardom even further.

Frances Marion contributes a fine screenplay. Gwendolyn is an appealing character - she's not flawless, but she is very sympathetic. Mischievous, spunky and resourceful, yet also longing for love and tenderness, she is a memorable heroine. There are plenty of comic moments, like when Gwendolyn invites the organ grinder into the house, a mud-pie fight with neighborhood boys, her escapades in the bathroom, etc. And there are touching moments as well, such as Gwendolyn's visit to her father's office, and Gwendolyn's battle for life after an irresponsible servant gives her a poisonous sleeping medicine. A dream sequence near the end, while a bit lengthy for my taste, astutely plays on the movie's themes and shows a surreal child's-eye view of things in a delightful way.

Mary Pickford is very charming and believable. I had my reservations about watching Pickford, who was then about 24 years old, playing an 11 year old girl, but when she came on screen I was hooked right away. It's easy to see why she was such a big star - she is utterly charismatic, natural, spunky and witty, tender and moving, with a distinctive, luminous beauty. Charles Wellesley and Madlaine Traverse contribute fine support as Gwendolyn's parents. Wellesley is especially good in the scenes where he interacts with Pickford's character; he conveys a father who wants to reach out to his daughter yet is hesitant to do so. Gladys Fairbanks is fine as Jane, a domestic worker who has the unenviable job of trying to rein in the free-spirited Gwendolyn.

Maurice Tourneur, one of the most acclaimed directors of early cinema, makes this film a beautiful viewing experience. The restored copy I watched displayed beautiful tinting, moody, expressive shadows, and Tourneur's use of space to emphasize Gwendolyn's loneliness. The editing is seamless and no shots linger too long, showing the advancement that cinema had made since the beginning of the feature era five years before.

Overall, POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL is a classic of its era that has stood the test of time very well. The fine acting, beautiful cinematography, and poignant story make it worth watching. SCORE: 9/10

When Adolph Zukor and Jessy Lasky merged their movie production companies into one, the Famous Players-Lasky, they eyed their partner in its Paramount Pictures distribution branch, William Hodkinson, to squeeze him out with an involuntary buyout. Once they did in the summer of 1916, Zukor and Lasky dropped their Famous Players' name and called their combined production and distribution company Paramount Pictures.

Zukor believed in signing the top movie stars in the business. One of his first contracts was with Hollywood's most popular actress, Mary Pickford. Her signature on the dotted line on June 24, 1916, was the first million dollar pact for an female performer. Zukor was willing to pay her $10,000 a week and to give her half the profits for each film she made. He guaranteed over one million dollars (about $20 million in today's inflationary dollars) for the year with her full control of each of her film's production, an unprecedented contract at that time.

For her third movie under the Paramount umbrella, March 1917's "The Poor Little Rich Girl," 25-year-old actress took a bold career move and decided to play an 11-year-old wise, brash, yet frustrated girl. Pickford's short five-foot frame surrounded by tall adults and children assured her stature as a much younger person would be believable. Special oversized furniture created an environment where Pickford could act like 14 years younger than she actually was. Her unique skills of acting like a juvenile neglected by her parents, harped on by the family's sadistic servants, and cruelly restricted from playing with other neighborhood children created a visual experience never seen on the screen before.

Scriptwriter Frances Marion adapted a 1913 play of the same name, and with Maurice Tourneur's inventive direction, "The Poor Little Rich Girl" proved to be one of Pickford's most popular films to date. The movie was so much in favor with the public it demanded more adolescent Pickford films. This proved to be a winning formula for "America's Sweetheart," a role she would return to successfully several times in the future. "The Poor Little Rich Girl" continues to entertain today; it's included as one of 400 movies nominated for the American Film Institutes' "Top 100 Greatest Movies."

So impressed was Zukor with Marion's script he took the unusual step of paying her $50,000 per year to be Pickford's official scenarioist, making her one of the highest paid writers in the business. Marion wrote two other scripts for her in 1917, both becoming instant classics.