Fanchon the Cricket (1915)

[dachshundonstilts]

This Mary Pickford vehicle was considered lost until 2012. It co-stars Jack Standing and Mary's sister Lottie Pickford, with brother Jack Pickford playing an unnamed minor role. (It's been alleged that Milton Berle and Fred and Adele Astaire appear in bit parts, but this remains unverified.)

The plot is very simple-- boy falls for lonely freespirited girl (Mary) and loses his staid fiancee (Lottie) in the process; boy's father disapproves of girl but a brush with near-tragedy brings them together in the end. The remarkable thing about this film is Mary's onscreen charm, which is positively electric in a way I haven't quite seen in other movies. It ends sort of abruptly with a "non sequitur" shot of Mary walking up to camera through a field of wheat rippling in the wind, then waving and turning back.

Not what I'd call a great film, but the camera loves Mary and she's so much fun to watch that she carries it off. It's also nice to see her playing so many scenes with her sister. The restoration looks good. As with Flicker Alley's companion release, Little Annie Rooney, I would question some choices made for the musical score, which has been described as a "folk-rock" style, but this is rarely much of a distraction.

[Kitty]

Thanks for the review! It sounds like I need to watch it if not just for the performance you describe. I like Mary in most if not all things I've seen her in. My favorite was Sparrows that I have seen so far.

[dachshundonstilts]

I think the difference here is probably the role. She's not playing the typical "wholesome little girl," but an eligible young woman who's not really unwholesome but still very flirty and slightly conniving. She does it well.

[donnie]

This sounds fascinating. I'm anxious to see it. Below is a trailer from Vimeo. Yes, the musical score, judging from those clips, does not quite suit my taste, but not a deal breaker. Beautiful sharp print and tinting!
https://vimeo.com/295693880

[Kitty]

This Mary Pickford vehicle was considered lost until 2012. It co-stars Jack Standing and Mary's sister Lottie Pickford, with brother Jack Pickford playing an unnamed minor role. (It's been alleged that Milton Berle and Fred and Adele Astaire appear in bit parts, but this remains unverified.)

I wouldn't be surprised if the Milton Berle bit was factual. I'm watching a Dick Cavett episode with Berle, and he mentioned that he was in silent films as a child. He named Perils of Pauline and Tillie's Punctured Romance. I see him on IMDB that he is verified on the cast of Pauline, but he's not listed on Tillie. This is something I never knew, that he was in silent pictures, so this is fascinating to me.

[donnie]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Milton Berle bit was factual. I'm watching a Dick Cavett episode with Berle, and he mentioned that he was in silent films as a child. He named Perils of Pauline and Tillie's Punctured Romance. I see him on IMDB that he is verified on the cast of Pauline, but he's not listed on Tillie. This is something I never knew, that he was in silent pictures, so this is fascinating to me.

Yes, that is interesting! That's hard to visualize, Berle in silents, isn't it?

[Kitty]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Milton Berle bit was factual. I'm watching a Dick Cavett episode with Berle, and he mentioned that he was in silent films as a child. He named Perils of Pauline and Tillie's Punctured Romance. I see him on IMDB that he is verified on the cast of Pauline, but he's not listed on Tillie. This is something I never knew, that he was in silent pictures, so this is fascinating to me.

Yes, that is interesting! That's hard to visualize, Berle in silents, isn't it?

It is!