''Please Help Emily'' is 1917 American silent comedy-drama film starring

Ann Murdock Ann Murdock (born Irene Anna Coleman; November 10, 1890 – April 22, 1939) was a stage and silent film actress popular during the 1910s. She was sometimes billed as Anna Murdock. Career Murdock debuted on stage in ''The Lion and the Mouse ...

and directed by

Dell Henderson George Delbert "Dell" Henderson (July 5, 1877 – December 2, 1956) was a Canadian-American actor, director, and writer. He began his long and prolific film career in the early days of silent film. Biography Born in the Southwestern Ontario ...

. It is based on the 1916 Broadway play ''Please Help Emily'' that starred Ann Murdock. Charles Frohman's company, of whom Murdock was employed on the stage, produced the film and released it through

Mutual Film Mutual Film Corporation was an early American film conglomerate that produced some of Charlie Chaplin's greatest comedies. Founded in 1912, it was absorbed by Film Booking Offices of America, which evolved into RKO Pictures. Founding Mutua ...

. It is now a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine, Professor Delmar (

Hubert Druce Hubert Druce (May 20, 1870 – April 6, 1931) was an English actor and producer involved with English and American theater for over forty years. Druce was born as Benjamin Hubert Druce in Twickenham, Middlesex, England, in 1870. His stage deb ...

) is sent to China to study child-life and decides to leave his daughter Emily (Murdock), who is always getting into trouble, with his good friends the Lethbridges. One night Emily runs away from a musicale and attends a cabaret. Not knowing how to explain matters and feeling sure that Trotters (McDougall), a friend, can help her out, she goes to his apartment. Waiting for him to return from the club, she takes a nap. Mrs. Lethbridge (Veness), not wishing her husband to know of Emily's escapade, tells him that Emily is staying with her aunt, who has the mumps. Trotter is told of the story and, wishing to make it good, plans to take Emily to her aunt's house. They stop at a hotel for lunch. Emily has her dog hidden and tells Trotter that it is lost and that she will not leave the hotel until it is found. Julia (Carlyle), the fiancée of Trotter, decides to visit the sick aunt. She is accompanied by Herbert Threadgold (Gottschalk) a nervous little body who is in love with Emily. Their automobile breaks down and they are forced to stay at the same hotel that Emily and Trotter are staying. Aunt Geraldine follows and they are all arrested for kidnapping Emily, but through the efforts of Lethbridge (Brown) they are all released. Julia marries Threadgold and, to avoid a scandal, Emily marries Trotter, not that either objects.

Cast

as Emily Delmar *

as Professor Delmar *

Amy Veness Amy Veness (26 February 1876 – 22 September 1960) was an English film actress. She played the role of Grandma Huggett in ''The Huggetts Trilogy'' and was sometimes credited as Amy Van Ness. Veness was born Amy Clarice Beart in Aldeburgh, Suff ...

as Mrs. Lethbridge *

Grace Carlyle Grace Carlyle (July 24, 1877 – September 20, 1953) was an American stage and film actress. Dietz p.242 Selected filmography * '' The Eagle's Wings'' (1916) * '' An International Marriage'' (1916) * ''The Place Beyond the Winds'' (1916) * '' Pl ...

as Julia Marchmont *Katherine Stewart as Mrs. Moxon * Rex McDougall as Richard Trotter *

Ferdinand Gottschalk Ferdinand Gottschalk (28 February 1858 – 10 November 1944) was an English theatre and film actor. He appeared in 76 films between 1917 and 1938. He was born and died in London, England. He made his first appearance on the stage in Toront ...

as Herbert Threadgold *John Harwood as Francis *Jules Raucort as Rene Dufour *Halbert Brown as Honorable Samuel Lethbridge

References

External links

* * 1917 films American silent feature films American films based on plays Lost American films 1917 comedy-drama films 1910s English-language films American black-and-white films Mutual Film films 1917 lost films Lost comedy-drama films Films with screenplays by Joseph F. Poland Films directed by Dell Henderson 1910s American films Silent American comedy-drama films {{silent-comedy-drama-film-stub