''Nurse Marjorie'' is a 1920 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

William Desmond Taylor William Desmond Taylor (born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner; 26 April 1872 – 1 February 1922) was an Anglo-Irish-American film director and actor. A popular figure in the growing Cinema of the United States, Hollywood motion picture colony o ...

and starring

Mary Miles Minter Mary Miles Minter (born Juliet Reilly; April 25, 1902Louisiana Birth Certificate, Caddo Parish, No. 119, Book A, Page 97, Birth Date: April 25, 1902, Name: Mary M. Reilly ic – Original Caddo birth record was recorded as "J.H. Riley's Child" ...

. Based on a 1906 play, ''Nurse Marjorie'', by

Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill (21 January 18641 August 1926) was a British author at the forefront of Zionism during the 19th century, and was a close associate of Theodor Herzl. He later rejected the search for a Jewish homeland in Palestine and became the ...

, with a scenario by

Julia Crawford Ivers Julia Crawford Ivers (October 3, 1869 – May 8, 1930) was an American motion picture pioneer. Biography Born in Boonville, Missouri in 1869, her family arrived a year later in Los Angeles. Her father was a dentist. Her mother died in 1876, when ...

, it is one of approximately a dozen of Minter's films known to survive today,The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''Nurse Marjorie''
/ref> and one of even fewer readily available for the general public to view.

Plot

As well as being readily available to view, the plot is described in various

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

summaries and reviews. Lady Marjorie Killonan (Minter) is the headstrong Anglo-Irish daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Donegal. She has recently completed charitable work nursing the poor, but now intends to become a professional nurse to the rich. Her mother does not consider this an acceptable role for someone of her status, but her father is more supportive of her ambitions. In addition, her mother hopes to wed Marjorie to Lord Fitztrevor (Leigh), but a clearly disinterested Marjorie tells the lord that he must wait for her answer until she returns from her nursing work. At the hospital, Marjorie's first two patients are Dick (Lee), a young orphan boy with a broken leg, and John Danbury (Fillmore), a Labour MP who has undergone an operation to correct a squint. Dick is smitten with Marjorie at first sight, but due to the homely nurse who attended to him before his operation, Danbury believes Marjorie to be exceedingly unattractive, and will not let her care for him. He quickly realises his error once his dressings are removed, and immediately falls in love with Marjorie, claiming that he is not yet fit to be discharged in a bid to spend more time in her company. He also becomes exceedingly jealous of the attention that Marjorie gives to his fellow patient, until he realises that this patient is a young boy and not a rival. Before his is discharged Danbury proposes to Marjorie, but although she clearly returns his affections, she decides to test him first. She poses as the poor daughter of her old nurse Biddy O'Mulligan (Titus), who now runs a fish emporium. Even the sight of Marjorie frying fish in shabby clothes does not dissuade Danbury, although his parents attempt to buy off Marjorie, but when she tells him the truth about her parentage and status, her dishonesty causes him to end the engagement. Shortly after this, Danbury is shot at a political rally and returns to hospital. When Marjorie reads of this, she rushes to his side to nurse him, rejecting Lord Fitztrevor in the process, and Danbury forgives her for her previous deception. This time it is Marjorie's mother who objects to her daughter's union with a Labour politician, but with a little persuasion from her father all doubts are overcome, and Marjorie and Danbury are free to wed. The April 24th, 1920 edition of

Motion Picture News The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930. History The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founde ...

lists a musical cue sheet for the film.

Cast

as Marjorie Killonan *

Clyde Fillmore Clyde Fillmore (October 25, 1874Who Was Who on Screen''Silent Film Necrology'' p.170 2nd Edition by Eugene M. Vazzana c.2001 – December 19, 1946), born Clyde Fogle, was an American actor of stage and screen. He is best remembered for a 192 ...

as John Danbury *

George Periolat George Periolat (February 5, 1874 – February 20, 1940) was an American actor. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, George Periolat began his career as a Broadway theatre, Broadway actor. Making his film debut with the Essanay Studios in Chic ...

as Andrew Danbury *

Mollie McConnell Mollie McConnell (September 24, 1865 – December 9, 1920) was an American silent film actress. McConnell was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Mills Seminary in Oakland, California. She studied further at "Miss Grant's college" in Chica ...

as Mrs. Danbury *

Frank Leigh Frank Leigh (18 April 1876 – 9 May 1948) was a British stage and film actor.Goble p. 232 Biography Born Frank Leigh Valles in London in 1876, Leigh settled in Hollywood and became a leading man during the silent era. Following the introductio ...

as Lord Douglas Fitztrevor *

Vera Lewis Vera Lewis (June 10, 1873 – February 8, 1956) was an American film and stage actress, beginning in the silent film era. She appeared in more than 180 films from 1915 to 1947. She was married to actor Ralph Lewis. Biography She was born ...

as Duchess of Donegal *

Arthur Hoyt Arthur Hoyt (March 19, 1874 – January 4, 1953) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 275 films in his 34-year film career, about a third of them silent films. Career Born in Georgetown, Colorado, in 1874, Hoyt ma ...

as Anthony, Duke of Donegal *

Frankie Lee Frankie Lee (December 31, 1911 – July 29, 1970), was an American child actor. He appeared in 56 films between 1916 and 1925. Best remembered for the 1919 film '' The Miracle Man'', he was the little boy on crutches healed by the phony fa ...

as Dick Allen *

Lydia Yeamans Titus Lydia Yeamans Titus (12 December 1857 – 30 December 1929) was an Australian-born American singer, dancer, comedienne, and actress who had a lengthy career in vaudeville and cinema. She was remembered on stage for her "Baby-Talk" act and a p ...

as Biddy O'Mulligan *

Al Flosso Albert Levinson (better known by his stage name Al Flosso; Oct. 10, 1895 – May 13, 1976) was an American magician and entertainer. Career Levinson was born in Brooklyn, New York, and took his stage name from a vernacular or slang term for cot ...

as Punch Worker (uncredited) *

Joseph Hazelton Joseph H. Hazelton (c. 1853 – October 6, 1936), aka Joseph Hazleton, was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in 30 films between 1912 and 1922. He claimed to have witnessed the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on April 1 ...

as English relative (uncredited) * Joe Murphy as Cook (uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nurse Marjorie 1920 films 1920 drama films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films American films based on plays American silent feature films English-language drama films Films directed by William Desmond Taylor Silent American drama films Surviving American silent films