''The Poor Little Rich Girl'' is a 1917 American comedy-drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur. Adapted by

Frances Marion Frances Marion (born Marion Benson Owens, November 18, 1888 – May 12, 1973) was an American screenwriter, director, journalist and author often cited as one of the most renowned female screenwriters of the 20th century alongside June Mathis a ...

from the 1913 play by Eleanor Gates. The Broadway play actually starred future screen actress

Viola Dana Viola Dana (born Virginia Flugrath; June 26, 1897 – July 3, 1987) was an American film actress who was successful during the era of silent films. She appeared in over 100 films, but was unable to make the transition to sound films. Early lif ...

. The film stars

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

Madlaine Traverse Madlaine Traverse (born Mary Businsky; August 1, 1875 – January 7, 1964) was an American stage and screen actress from Cleveland, Ohio. In the course of her career she is alternately billed as "Madaline Traverse", "Madeline Traverse" and "Madel ...

, Charles Wellesley, Gladys Fairbanks (returning from the play) and Frank McGlynn Sr. The film was shot in

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, t ...

when early film studios in

America's first motion picture industry Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, t ...

were based there at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1991, ''The Poor Little Rich Girl'' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

and selected for preservation in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

Plot

Gwendolyn is an 11-year-old girl who is left by her rich and busy parents to the care of unsympathetic domestic workers at the family's mansion. Her mother is only interested in her social life and her father has serious financial problems and is even contemplating suicide. When she manages to have some good time with an organ-grinder or a plumber, or have a mud-fight with street boys, she is rapidly brought back on the right track. One day, she becomes sick because the maid has given her an extra dose of sleeping medicine to be able to go out. She then becomes delirious and starts seeing an imaginary world inspired by people and things around her; the Garden of Lonely Children in the Tell-Tale forest. Her conditions worsen and Death tries to lure her to eternal rest. But Life also appears to her and finally wins.Review, synopsis and link to watch the film

Cast

as Gwendolyn *

as Gwendolyn's Mother *

Charles Wellesley Charles Wellesley (November 17, 1873 – July 24, 1946) was an Irish-born American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1913 and 1928. He was born in Dublin and died in Amityville, New York. Partial filmograph ...

as Gwendolyn's Father * Gladys Fairbanks as Jane * Frank McGlynn Sr. as The Plumber * Emile La Croix as The Organ Grinder * Marcia Harris as Miss Royale * Charles Craig as Thomas * Frank Andrews as Potter *

Herbert Prior Herbert Prior (2 July 1867 – 3 October 1954) was an English silent film actor. He appeared in more than 260 films between 1908 and 1934. He was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, and died in Los Angeles, California. Prior was married to actress ...

as The Doctor * George Gernon as Johnny Blake * Maxine Elliott Hicks as Susie May Squoggs

References

External links

*''The Poor Little Rich Girl'' essay by Eileen Whitfield at

* * * * ''The Poor Little Rich Girl'' essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 , pages 57–2

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poor Little Rich Girl, The 1917 films 1917 comedy-drama films American comedy-drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films directed by Maurice Tourneur Films shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey American films based on plays United States National Film Registry films Articles containing video clips Films with screenplays by Frances Marion 1910s English-language films 1910s American films Silent comedy-drama films Silent American drama films Silent American comedy films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

Further reading

External links