Volume II: Filmography

AN INNOCENT BURGLAR

(Princess)

January 22, 1915 (Friday)

Length: 1 reel (1,024 feet)

Character: Comedy-drama

Cast: Boyd Marshall (Edwin Marshall), Reenie Farrington (Helen Davis), Muriel Ostriche, monkey (organ grinder's monkey, the "real" burglar), John Reinhard

Notes: 1. Some notices omit Muriel Ostriche and mention Reenie Farrington as the co-star with Boyd Marshall. This may have been because Miss Ostriche had announced her intention to depart from Thanhouser, or had already left, by the time this film was released. In any event, Thanhouser cast listings for Princess films were often unreliable. Reel Life, January 16, 1915, assigns the role of Helen Davis to Reenie Farrington in its cast listing on page 12. However, if Muriel Ostriche did not play this role, at least she was in the film, for she is pictured in a still from the production, and captioned as Muriel Ostriche, on page 15 of the same Reel Life issue, and in the same issue on page 32 an advertisement notes concerning the film: "A comedy-drama with many novel situations ably presented by Muriel Ostriche and Boyd Marshall." 2. The January 30, 1915 issue of Reel Life carried this notice: "Pretty Rene [sic] Farrington, daughter of Frank Farrington, who played Braine in The Million Dollar Mystery, is now leading lady of the Princess Company, taking the place of Muriel Ostriche. She will play leads opposite Boyd Marshall."

SYNOPSIS, Reel Life, January 16, 1915:

"Edwin Marshall worries his parents and his sister, Mary, with his wild ways. To pay his gambling debts he enters the home of Hal Davis, who is in love with Mary, and is in the act of helping himself to valuables when Davis discovers him. Marshall confesses his motive and the other young man gives him the money. This act and the fact that Davis loves his sister, cause Marshall to reform. Later, Davis' sister, Helen, visits him and she and Edwin are strongly attracted. Mary, on receiving a necklace from her fiancé, leaves it on her dresser near an open window. Its mysterious disappearance leads to her brother's being accused of the theft and sentenced to prison. Helen alone believes him innocent. Just in the nick of time she finds out that the real burglar is an organ grinder's monkey, and secures evidence which frees Marshall."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, January 17, 1915:

"Edwin Marshall is accused of a theft of which Helen Davis thinks he is innocent. She finds that the burglar was an organ grinder's monkey. Edwin is released."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, January 30, 1915:

"In which a monkey, belonging to an Italian organ grinder, enters a window and steals a necklace. The action almost brings disgrace upon the reformed heroes. Boyd Marshall and Muriel Ostriche are the lovers. The story is slight in plot but quite interesting."

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