''Little Mickey Grogan'' is a 1927 American

comedy-drama film Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, illness, betrayal, grief, etc. ...

directed by

James Leo Meehan James Leo Meehan (1891 – 1943) was an American film director and screenwriter.Munden p. 411 He married the daughter of writer Gene Stratton-Porter, and adapted several of his mother-in-law's novels for the screen. He directed ''Campus Sweethea ...

and written by Dwight Cummins,

Dorothy Yost Dorothy Yost (April 25, 1899 – June 10, 1967), later married as Dorothy Yost Cummings, was a prominent screenwriter whose career lasted from the silent era well into the sound era. Over her lifetime, she worked on more than 90 films, inclu ...

and Charles Kerr. The film stars

Frankie Darro Frankie Darro (born Frank Johnson, Jr.; December 22, 1917 – December 25, 1976) was an American actor and later in his career a stuntman. He began his career as a child actor in silent films, progressed to lead roles and co-starring roles ...

Lassie Lou Ahern Lassie Lou Ahern (June 25, 1920 – February 15, 2018) was an American actress. Originally discovered by Will Rogers, she was best known for her role as Little Harry in the 1927 silent film ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' and also for her recurring appear ...

Jobyna Ralston Jobyna Ralston (born Jobyna Lancaster Raulston, November 21, 1899 – January 22, 1967) was an American stage and film actress. She had a featured role in ''Wings'' in 1927, and is remembered for her on-screen chemistry with Harold Lloyd, with w ...

Carroll Nye Robert Carroll Nye (October 4, 1901 – March 17, 1974) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1925 and 1944. His most memorable role was Frank Kennedy, Scarlett's second husband, in ''Gone with the Wind''. Biog ...

Eugene Jackson Eugene W. Jackson II (December 25, 1916 – October 26, 2001) was an American child actor who was a regular of the ''Our Gang'' short series during the silent Pathé era. Career When he joined the gang, Jackson replaced the series' first ...

, William Scott and

Vadim Uraneff Vadim Uraneff (6 February 1895 – 5 April 1952) was a Russian actor and librettist who helped John Barrymore and Katharine Hepburn when it was hoped they would appear in '' The Song of Solomon''. He was also a mime who played Lucianus in ''Haml ...

. The film was released on December 27, 1927, by

Film Booking Offices of America Film Booking Offices of America (FBO), registered as FBO Pictures Corp., was an American film studio of the Silent film, silent era, a midsize producer and distributor of mostly low-budget films. The business began in 1918 as Robertson-Cole, an ...

Plot

Mickey Grogan (

), a nine-year old vagabond of the streets, assumes the responsibility for the well-being of a fellow homeless waif (Susan Dale, played by

), a sensitive architect named Jeffrey Shore (

) who is out of work for being too poor to pay for an operation necessary to save his remaining vision, and a kind-hearted office worker (Winnie, played by

) who is being stalked by a belligent Al Nevers (Billy Scott) as his overbearing attentions increasingly turn violent. On top of this, he also helps an industrialist (

Crauford Kent Crauford Kent (12 October 1881 – 14 May 1953) was an English character actor based in the United States. He has also been credited as Craufurd Kent

) who is looking for a new factory design for his upcoming fleet of buildings, ones showcasing "plenty of light and air." In between the assistance he gives others, he tries to make a living from selling discarded items from the city dump and provides moments of vivacious street entertainment with fellow dancers Susan Dale and a strangely uncredited

Thematic and Stylistic Influences

In his lengthy analysis of the film, film scholar and historian Jeffrey Crouse writes that "''Little Mickey Grogan'' begins as if what we were watching was a kind of forerunner of

Italian neorealism Italian neorealism (), also known as the Golden Age of Italian Cinema, was a national film movement characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class. They are filmed on location, frequently with non-professional actors. They p ...

, like

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

's ''

Toni Toni, Toñi or Tóni is a unisex given name used in several European countries as well as among individuals with ancestry from these countries outside Europe. In Spanish language, Spanish, Italian language, Italian, Croatian language, Croatian an ...

'' or Yasujiro Ozu's '' An Inn at Tokyo'' (both 1935), or the type of Zolaesque

social realist Social realism is work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers, filmmakers and some musicians that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structures ...

cinema exercised during the

silent era A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

in such films as ''

La Roue ''La Roue'' (, 'The Wheel') is a French silent film, directed by Abel Gance, who also directed '' Napoléon'' and ''J'accuse''. It was released in 1923. The film used then-revolutionary lighting techniques, and rapid scene changes and cuts. ...

'' ( Gance, 1923) or ''

The Salvation Hunters ''The Salvation Hunters'' is a 1925 American silent film, silent drama film which marked the directorial debut of the 30-year old Josef von Sternberg. The feature stars Georgia Hale and George K. Arthur, and would bring Sternberg, "a new talent" ...

'' (

von Sternberg Von Sternberg may refer to: * Josef von Sternberg (1894–1969), American film director * Kaspar Maria von Sternberg (1761–1838), Bohemian theologian and botanist * Ungern-Sternberg The Ungern-Sternberg family or von Ungern-Sternberg is an ol ...

, 1925). ... owever the viewer conceives of ''Little Mickey Grogan'' as a work of proto-neorealism, it is a perception that the movie soon corrects. Instead, it emerges neither as a neorealist film nor as a Buñuelian-type

surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

text, but as an engagingly well-polished thematic and stylistic example of what would become, with the consolidation of the studio system around 1930,

classical Hollywood cinema In film criticism, Classical Hollywood cinema is both a narrative and visual style of filmmaking that first developed in the 1910s to 1920s during the later years of the Silent film#Silent film era, silent film era. It then became characteristi ...

Production Background

''Little Mickey Grogan'' is based on syndicated stories of the same name written by Arthur Guy Emprey, whose war experiences fighting as an American in the British army during World War I served as the material for his 1917 book, '' Over the Top'', a big commercial success that sold a quarter of a million copies. Although noting the differences between them, Crouse theorizes that Emprey might have conceived of the character Mickey Grogan based on his time in France where

Louis Feuillade Louis Feuillade (; 19 February 1873 – 25 February 1925) was a French filmmaker of the silent film, silent era. Between 1906 and 1924, he directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the crime serial film, serials ''Fantômas (1913 ser ...

's Bout de Zan formed the basis of a popular serial that ran from 1912 to 1916. FBO acquired the rights to serve as a vehicle for child actor Frankie Darro, one of the studio's top emerging stars. Fresh off the success of her role as Little Harry in

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

's epic, ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...

'' ( Pollard, 1927),

was cast opposite him. To give the film extra star power, accomplished

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many Silent film, silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influent ...

costar

was added. Made in-between her leading roles in

Ted Wilde Ted Wilde ( – December 17, 1929) was a comedy writer and director during the era of silent movies, though he also directed two talkies released in 1930. He was born in New York City. His initial career was as a member of Harold Lloyd's writing s ...

's ''

The Kid Brother ''The Kid Brother'' is a 1927 American silent film, silent comedy film, comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. It was successful and popular upon release and today is considered by critics and fans to be one of Lloyd's best films, integrating e ...

'' and

William Wellman William Augustus Wellman (February 29, 1896 – December 9, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and military pilot. He was known for his work in Crime film, crime, Adventure film, adventure, and Action film, a ...

's ''

Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...

'', 1927 turned out to be her crowning year. The force that brought the Emprey stories to FBO was writer

Gene Stratton-Porter Gene Stratton-Porter (August 17, 1863 – December 6, 1924), born Geneva Grace Stratton, was an American writer, nature photographer, and naturalist from Wabash County, Indiana. In 1917 Stratton-Porter urged legislative support for the Habitat co ...

, one of the biggest bestselling authors of the early twentieth century, of which '' A Girl of the Limberlost'' (1909) is her most well-known. She formed her own production company to have control over the screen adaptations of her works, as well as those by other family-friendly authors. After her unexpected death in 1922, her daughter Jeanette Stratton-Porter took over, following her mother's original conception. She hand-picked screenwriters, directors (including husband,

), camera operators, and film editors. They released their work through the American arm of the British distribution company, the Robertson-Cole Corporation, and eventually through the FBO. Among the artists who worked with Jeanette Stratton-Porter were the notable contributions of women. Chief among them were

(who, along with husband Dwight Cummins, was the script writer on ''Little Mickey Grogan''), as well as fellow writers

Marion Orth Marion Orth (December 5, 1900 – December 1, 1984) was an American screenwriter of the silent and sound eras of Hollywood. She was a frequent collaborator of director Lois Weber. Biography Orth began her career as a playwright and magazin ...

and Adele S. Buffington."Yost's work is marked by an ethical current that runs through

er scripts ER or Er may refer to: People * Er (biblical person), the eldest son of Judah in the biblical book of Genesis * Nie Er (1912–1935), Chinese composer * Elliot Rodger (July 24, 1991 – May 23, 2014), English-American incel mass shooter * A ...

and as such figure as tales of moral ''uplift''. In addition, she was also known for scripts that featured characters from a range of diverse cultural backgrounds. She did not shy away from a view of humanity that took in and showed different ethnic groups." All of this is reflected in ''Little Mickey Grogan''. In this sense, a Whitmanesque strain runs through the film, syncing well with Emprey and Stratton-Porter's sensibilities.

Restoration

Restoration on ''Little Mickey Grogan'' begin in 2015 when surviving cast member Lassie Lou Ahern approached Jeffrey Crouse to ask whether her final silent film existed anymore. (Surpassed only by

Diana Serra Cary Diana Serra Cary (born Peggy-Jean Montgomery; October 29, 1918 – February 24, 2020), known as Baby Peggy, was an American child film actress, vaudevillian, author and silent film historian. She was the last surviving person with a substantial ...

's "Baby Peggy," Ahern would prove to be the last Hollywood performer who enjoyed a substantial career in 1920s film.) After a worldwide search, an original 35mm nitrate copy was found at the Lobster Film Archive in Paris. Through a crowd source funding campaign, a digital copy of it was made by film preservationist Eric Grayson, and work on restoring the movie was performed by Grayson, Thad Komorowski, and Nevada State College students Aubrey Balzart and Cinnamon Stephens. A newly commissioned score was written by Dr. Philip Carli. Meanwhile, the film's intertitles were changed back to the English ones from the lone French print using an original copy of the script that Ahern still possessed. In addition, a 50-minute documentary on Ahern's career, ''Lassie Lou Ahern: A Voice for the Silent Age'' was made in 2016, and in 2018 a 7,000 word assessment of the film by Crouse appeared as well as a commentary track recorded of Ahern discussing the film and aspects of her silent film career. Among those who championed the restoration were

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

, George Toles,

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...

Michael Feinstein Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music Revivalist artist, revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988, he won a Drama Desk Spec ...

, David Shepard,

Guy Maddin Guy Maddin (born February 28, 1956) is a Canadian screenwriter, director, author, cinematographer, film editor and installation artist. He is known for his fascination with lost Silent film, Silent-era films and for incorporating their aestheti ...

, and Carol Cling. Owing to very complex issues of copyright, a Blu-ray release of the film, with several bonus features, was delayed until the film enters the public domain. It does so on January 1, 2023. After screenings at silent film festivals throughout 2023, the Blu-Ray release of the film will follow. In 2020, filmmaker Yves Jeuland directed a 145 minute documentary on

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

titled '' Charlie Chaplin, Le Génie de la Liberté'' which features a 30 second extract from ''Little Mickey Grogan''. The film played at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, and was later aired on French television. The producer was Serge Bromberg.

Historical value

''Little Mickey Grogan'' is the only FBO film starring Frankie Darro known to have survived. It is also the sole Gene Stratton-Porter Production Company motion picture distributed through FBO known to exist today. Of the 449 films made by FBO, just 123 remain. Interestingly, there is an ostentatious shot in the film in which a large billboard advertises another FBO film, the now lost '' Judgment of the Hills'' released earlier in 1927, and also featuring star Darro, director Meehan, screenwriter Yost, and editor Allen G. Siegler.''Judgment of the Hills'' in "List of 7200 Lost US Silent Feature Films 1912-29," The Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/Lost. Retrieved March 10, 2020

Cast

as Mickey Grogan *

as Susan Dale *

as Winifred Davidson *

as Jeffrey Shore * William Scott as Al Nevers *

as Crooked *Don Bailey as Truant Officer *

Crauford Kent Crauford Kent (12 October 1881 – 14 May 1953) was an English character actor based in the United States. He has also been credited as Craufurd Kent

as Mr. Cabel *

as Dancing Boy (Uncredited) * Mary Gordon as Landlady (Uncredited) *

Bert Roach Egbert Roach (August 21, 1891 – February 16, 1971) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 320 films between 1914 and 1951. He was born in Washington, D.C., and died in Los Angeles, California, age 79. Selected filmography * ...

as Intimidated Man (Uncredited)

References

External links

* {{James Leo Meehan 1927 films 1920s English-language films 1927 comedy films Film Booking Offices of America films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films directed by James Leo Meehan 1920s American films Silent American comedy films

Plot

Thematic and Stylistic Influences

Production Background

Restoration

Historical value

Cast

References

Further reading

External links