Volume II: Filmography

THE LITTLE SHUT-IN

May 17, 1912 (Friday)

Length: 1 reel

Character: Drama

Cast: William Russell (Manly Feet), Marie Eline (the little shut-in)

Note: The scenario of this film was expanded and used by Virginia West as the basis of a short story published in the June 1, 1912 issue of The Moving Picture News.

ARTICLE by Gordon Trent, The Morning Telegraph, May 5, 1912:

"Think of a story on feet - and an interesting one! Impossible, you declare? Well, almost, but not quite - if it's by a picture producer. The Little Shut-In, released by Thanhouser Friday, May 17, tells how a tiny cripple living in a basement watched the passer-by without, or watched their feet would be more apropos. His cellar window only permitted that; he could only see passing shoes. He came to know the shoes, or feet. One pair he got to call 'Little Feet,' another 'Manly Feet,' another 'Cruel Feet.' He didn't like 'Cruel Feet,' but he resolved to bring 'Little Feet' and 'Manly Feet' together. The whole story is a very novel one."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, May 11, 1912:

"His home was a dreary room in a basement; he was hopelessly crippled; his widowed mother was just able to keep their home together by steady work as a washer woman; he had no toys or other boys to play with. Despite his sickness and poverty the little shut-in was a cheery chap, and invented games of his own. His favorite one was weaving romances about the persons who passed his window. The window was below the level of the sidewalk, and all he could see of them was their feet. There were three pairs of feet that stood out from the others. First, there were 'the little feet.' The boy liked to see them when they passed, for they were pretty and dainty, and he knew that their owner must be a charming girl. Next appeared 'the manly feet,' which seemed to be irresistibly attracted to 'the little feet.' They soon were traveling side by side, day after day. It pleased the child, for he liked both of the friends he had never seen. Of a different caliber were 'the cruel feet,' well cared for, prosperous and arrogant. From the first the child did not like them. Then when he saw them kick an inoffensive dog, he gave them the name that he never forgot. One day, however, the child found that the romance of the 'Little Feet' and the 'Manly Feet' had been blighted. They went by the window as usual, but separately, each seemed unhappy. The ordinary observer would hardly be able to learn how expressive feet are, but the child had nothing else to do, and he could tell.

"It made him very, very unhappy, but he was helpless and could do nothing. Then a new sorrow came into his life, for 'Little Feet' passed one day, and 'Cruel Feet' was with her. The child decides that helpless or not he must interfere, and he planned a way himself. 'Little Feet' passed the next morning all alone. She found an obstruction in her way, and looked down. There she saw a crutch, with a note pinned to it. She read the note, addressed to 'Dear Lady with the little feet,' and learned that a 'little shut-in' wanted to see her. Peering in the window she perceived the boy, and goodnaturedly went into the house to talk to him. She gave him a rose, and read to him, but didn't know of his plan to bring 'Manly Feet' back. The child was too shrewd for that. He waited with the rose in his hand, until 'Manly Feet' came wearily by. Then he tossed the flower out into the street. Naturally it surprised 'Manly Feet.' He located the place from which it came, bent over, looked in, and saw the girl of his dreams. Also the crippled boy, the stranger who mysteriously beckoned him to enter. When his two friends confronted each other, the boy told them all about it, and begged the girl to stay away from 'Cruel Feet.' The child's story touched her, and anyway the quarrel with 'Manly Feet' was a silly affair. The result was they made up, to the joy of the little cripple. From his window now the child can often see 'Little Feet' and 'Manly Feet' as happy as he would wish them. There was one difference now. Formerly they would pass the house, now they enter it, for the child has a warm place in their hearts."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, May 19, 1912:

"The standard of originality and thoroughness in productions of the Thanhouser Company is more than sustained in this unique play. A little cripple girl has but one source of amusement - to sit by the basement window all day long and watch the feet of the pedestrians passing on the street above her. A pair of dainty feet and a pair of square, manly feet, nearly always side by side, attract her the most, and she weaves her childish romance about them. Then one day she sees another pair of feet, one of which kicks at a stray cat, and she comes to call their owner the cruel man. Later she notes that the dainty feet and the manly feet walk by single, and still later that dainty feet are accompanied by cruel feet. And it all happened this way: Dainty feet belonged to a young girl florist and the manly feet belonged to her lover. The cruel feet were those of a rich young man of selfish aims and habits. One day he sent to the florist to decorate his house for a dinner party, and when the girl called he insulted her, but for business reasons she passed it off. Then her lover, on seeing her come from the house, became unreasonably jealous and a split occurred, and the girl became the friend of the millionaire and walked by the home of the little shut-in. But the child had dreamed her dream and things were not turning out as she had hoped for, so she attracted the attention of the possessor of the dainty feet and asked her in, and when the manly feet strode along at the accustomed hour she attracted his attention and brought him in, and thereby came about a reconciliation between the sweethearts. It is all done delightfully, naturally and with viewpoints from both sides of the little shut-in's window."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, May 25, 1912:

"The little shut-in boy (Miss Marie Eline) could see very little of the world - just a glimpse of the sidewalk. His world was mostly feet; but he had learned to judge the world pretty well. A love story begins it spinning in the world of feet outside and he has become interested. This has its villain as well as its hero and the little shut-in, sizing it up, is able to be of assistance. The picture throughout has highly poetic scenes. It's aim is to please the heart rather than excite deep emotion or to thrill, and in doing this it is very successful; for acting, scene choosing, and camera work are all very good. It is excellent entertainment."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, May 22, 1912:

"This is a decidedly clever little conception, a romance of feet at work, for the little invalid boy, who could not walk at all, watches the passers-by from his basement window and judges their characters by their feet. Two feet, which pass by with regularity, are of special interest to him. He calls them Little Feet and Manly Feet. Sometimes they walk alone and sometimes together. He is better pleased when they walk together. At last Cruel Feet seems to come in the way, and the little shut-in cannot fathom the reason. The spectator, however, is made aware of the fact that the owner of Cruel Feet is a wealthy, idle young man. He has engaged Little Feet, who is a florist, to decorate his home for a reception, and has forced his company upon her. This has made her artist lover angry and jealous, so he no more walks with Little Feet. The shut-in, however, sets the matter straight by throwing a note out on the sidewalk, asking the owner of the Little Feet to come in and see him. She does so, and gives him the rose she is in the habit of giving to Manly Feet. When Manly Feet comes walking by with a slow, disconsolate tread, the boy throws out the rose, and Manly Feet comes rushing in, and decides then and there to guide Little Feet through life. The piece has been treated with fine delicacy and careful thought in its various evolutions, and all things have been made to work together for a complete and artistic whole."

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