Volume II: Filmography

TAKING CARE OF BABY

October 27, 1912 (Sunday)

Length: 1 reel (525 feet this section) (split with Mary's Goat at the end)

Character: Comedy

Scenario: Lloyd F. Lonergan

Cast: Sam Bolnik (the small boy)

Notes: 1. Some notices incorrectly added "the" to the title: Taking Care of the Baby. 2. The release date was listed erroneously as October 20, 1912 in the review appearing in The New York Dramatic Mirror, issue of October 30, 1912. 3. A comparison of the synopsis and certain reviews reveals that it is not certain whether the dangerous falling object is a piano or a safe!

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, October 26, 1912:

"The small boy is sneaking out of his home when halted by the familiar cry, 'I want you to take care of the baby.' The boy and the girl went down the street together and into the park. Some hours later they returned, and the brother was loud on his praise of the goodness of his little sister. Luckily for mama, she never knew what really happened in the park. The boy never knew either, the baby didn't tell. The boy wheeled the baby sedately enough until he met some of his chums playing marbles. He accepted an invitation to join them in the game, shoved the go-cart to one side and, boy-like, never thought of the baby again until it was time to go home. Then, as she was asleep in the go-cart, he simply started off with her. While his attention was distracted the baby crawled out of her carriage, and this is what she did. She crossed the road, was nearly run down by a whizzing auto; she robbed some birds of a dirty crust of bread and ate it, although mother had a hatred of germs and watched her diet carefully; she was just falling into a lake when a woman saved her; was nearly mashed flat by a piano that fell from a high window into which it was being hauled, and ended her adventures with a thrilling dynamite explosion of which she was the star. Then weary and frightened, she went back to her go cart, and it was not a bit surprising that she slept calmly."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, November 3, 1912: This review is reprinted in the narrative section of the present work.

REVIEW, The Moving Picture News, October 26, 1912:

"The tiny Thanhouser tot does some fine work for a babe of her years. The little boy of the family is sent to take baby sister out in her carriage, and is promised 10 cents on his return, providing he takes proper care of her. The little boy takes her to the park and then leaves her to herself. In the meantime, Miss Baby runs about all over the place, gets into a stone quarry, opens a box of dynamite, and proceeds to eat some of it, eventually throwing it against the stone causing an explosion. She just misses being killed by the falling of a safe which is being hoisted up to a high building, and before her return home asleep and happy numerous other happenings of interest in comedy occur. The mother, pleased and happy at the return of her baby, supposing it to have been well cared for, gives the boy the promised dime."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, November 2, 1912:

"A thoroughly delightful comedy. Turning out dandy pictures is a rule with Thanhouser, not an exception; but this one is an exceptionally good picture. In its way it is a wonder. But the humor in experiences of that marvelously lucky baby will without any doubt touch the truest and best kind of laughter. It is the kind of offering that will get many recalls. We believe that every human being who sees it will want to see it again."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, October 30, 1912:

"Taking Care of Baby is a bright little comedy with a child of not more than four years carrying off the honors as the principal character. The heartiest laugh comes when the son aged twelve returns with his baby sister and mother gives him ten cents for taking such good care of her. Now of course the mother little realizes what has happened to the 'youngest,' and for that matter, neither does the older brother, but the spectator knows, and that's what makes it so ridiculously funny. Apparently it falls to the boy's lot to care for the baby quite often, and on this particular occasion the mother offers him ten cents to salve his feelings. He wheels the baby carriage sedately enough until he meets his chums playing marbles. He accepts the invitation to join the game, pushes the carriage to one side and never thinks of it again until it is time to go home. The baby crawls out and is nearly run over by a passing auto; robs some birds of a dirty crust of bread and eats it, though mother has a horror of germs; is about to fall into a lake when she is rescued by a woman; just misses being crushed by a falling piano, and concludes her wanderings near a thrilling dynamite explosion. Weary and frightened, she makes her way back to the go-cart, and mother is loud in her praise of the brother's goodness in watching the baby sister."

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