Lost1910Thanhouser Company950 feetDrama

The Playwright’s Love

Name: The Playwright’s Love
Genre: Drama
Released: 1910-07-22

No copy you can watch online. No print is known to survive. What follows is what does: the release, the cast, the story, and what the trade press said at the time.

The story

“John Russell, an unsuccessful playwright, is in straitened circumstances, but is generous despite his poverty. When a poor woman falls exhausted at his doorway he takes her in, and after her death he cares for her child. This kind of action seems to bring him luck, for a play that he had been unable to dispose of is sold for a good sum and he starts on the high road to prosperity. Ten years later when the girl is grown to womanhood, John finds that he is deeply in love with his ward, but does not betray his passion, believing that it is hopeless. His eyes are opened, however, by Will, who is in love with Grace, and is told by her when she refuses him that she loves John. When John hears this he promptly proposes and is as promptly accepted by the girl.”

Summary from The Moving Picture World · 23 July 1910

What the papers said

3 reviews · 1 article · 1 advertisement

“This story has been told many times in pictures, excepting in this film the character is a playwright. The story told is of a playwright who adopts an orphan girl. In later years she has a suitor, but the girl rejects him, as she loves her benefactor. As he also loves her, the result evidently is their marriage.” …

Read in full · 1 min

REVIEW by Colin, The Moving Picture News, July 30, 1910:

“Love knows neither creed nor class, and when the unsuccessful playwright falls in love with the daughter of a woman whom he had taken a charitable interest in at the time of her death, the fact is not to be wondered at. He plays a noble part and is rewarded as the film reaches it final scene. The story is rich in feeling and sympathy, the settings are touching and appropriate and the photography is pretty good.”

REVIEW by Walton, The Moving Picture News, August 27, 1910:

“A very pretty and touching story. A playwright, unsuccessful and poor, takes the child of a poor woman, who dies, and cares for her. Fortunes smiles upon him. When the child grows up her guardian discovers he is in love with her, and that his love is returned. It is a great pleasure to us to find this firm keeping up its high standard of clean, attractive work.”

The Morning Telegraph · 24 July 1910

“A pretty love story, beginning when an unsuccessful playwright succors a poor woman and brings up her daughter. In later years they marry, ending pleasantly a romantic episode.”

The Moving Picture World · 6 August 1910

More reviews

30 July 1910The New York Dramatic Mirror1 min

“This film recalls The Prince Chap, which was popular a few years ago on the stage. A poor playwright falls heir to a little girl, whom he cares for until she grows up to fall in love with him. The acting is far better than one usually finds before the camera and almost as good as one could wish. There is much clever business in the film. For instance, the poor dramatist trims his cuffs with the scissors before he starts to interview the manager. The scene in which the successful playwright brings some presents to the little girl is charming. This little girl does her work in a most attractive way, and the playwright is entirely convincing. It must be admitted that he should feel flattered, because the girl later refuses a most prepossessing suitor on his account. The villain in this film is conspicuous by his absence—a refreshing change from many bloodthirsty portrayals on the screen.”

Article

23 July 1910The Moving Picture World1 min

“In The Playwright’s Love [Marie Eline] portrays for a time the orphan whom the playwright adopts. A fair idea of the vicissitudes of the aspiring playwright may be gained from The Playwright’s Love, the Friday release, where the troubles of John Russell, would-be dramatist, are pictured. But his troubles are merely incidental to the love affair in which he figures and of which the picture mainly treats.”

26 July 1910The Moving Picture World1 min

“It was a mighty odd love but so pure love withal that it makes the love of a picture—tender true and ‘touchy.’ The kind that causes all the world to love a lover and all your patrons to love your show.”