Uncle’s Namesakes

Why watch it

15 minutes, and what to watch for

Comedy about twin "boys" who deceive their rich English uncle, with the "Thanhouser Twins" (Marion and Madeline Fairbanks).

The story

“The story comes out better than a good many crusty uncles and millionaire relatives would like to see it come out—but it is not improbable, at that. The young suburbanite is just managing to grub along, but he has expectations from a wealthy elder brother in England—who says that if the American’s first child is a boy, he will send $5,000.00 and make the child his heir. The first child happens to be twin girls—but that doesn’t bother the resourceful father, who cables that he has named one boy John and the other Henry, after the rich brother. In time, of course, the Englishman hears of the fraud—comes to America—finds the girls dressed as boys, as he had expected—and teaches them all sorts of boyish games and pranks—baseball, boxing, rough-house, etc. But he is so won over by their personal charm that he forgives the deception and is glad they were girls after all. The play is thoroughly human all through.”

Summary from Reel Life · 6 December 1913

Cast and crew

Cast

David H. Thompson as Jack, a needy young husband

Justus D. Barnes

Lila Chester as May, his wife

Madeline Fairbanks

Marion Fairbanks as the uncle’s namesakes

Sidney Bracy as Uncle John Henry Carson

Every name opens that person's page, with each film they appear in and which of them you can watch.

More about this film

On DVD

The Thanhouser Collection, Volumes 4, 5 and 6 · $24.95 →

Bowers’ notes

1. The title appeared as Uncle’s Namesake in schedules published in The Moving Picture World in December 1913. 2. A cast listing in The Photoplay Magazine, February 1914, erroneously listed “Mr. Brady” in the role of Uncle John Henry. 3. A print preserved by The National Film Archive (London) reveals that the character identified above (as taken from trade notices) as Jack, a needy young husband, was named Will Carson in the film, as per his signature on a letter ssent to his uncle, John Henry Carson. Although the synopsis from Reel Life and a review from The Morning Telegraph, reprinted below, indicate that Jack was “just managing to grub along” and was a “poor young suburbanite,” the film itself shows Jack (or Will Carson) living in a large, beautifully furnished mansion, with elegantly landscaped lawns and shrubbery, and with a maid to help with chores. The inconsistency of having “poor” people live in very comfortable circumstances has been observed in certain other Thanhouser films as well.

Posters and media

9 items for this film in the gallery

From Volume II: Filmography of Q. David Bowers’ Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, reproduced with permission and unchanged. Read the history of 1913 →

Cite as: Bowers, Q. David. Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, “Uncle’s Namesakes”. thanhouser.org/films/uncle-s-namesakes/