Volume II: Filmography

AN UNROMANTIC MAIDEN

August 24, 1913 (Sunday)

Length: 1 reel (1,000 feet)

Character: Comedy

Scenario: Lloyd F. Lonergan

Cast: David H. Thompson (Grey, the lard magnate), Carey L. Hastings (Mrs. Grey), Florence LaBadie (May, their unromantic daughter), James Cruze (Count DeChromo)

Notes: 1. The yacht used in this film and in Oh! Such a Beautiful Ocean was named The Dividend and was berthed at the New Rochelle Yacht Club by Charles J. Hite, who used it for pleasure. 2. The theme of an American girl marrying a titled foreigner, as used in the present film, was common to dozens of novels during the early years of the 20th century. George Barr McCutcheon's stories featuring the mythical kingdom of Graustark attracted a wide following, as did the fiction of other writers. One observer called such stories "adult fairy tales."

ADVERTISEMENT, The Moving Picture World, August 30, 1913:

"The new millionaire wanted to break into society; in his daughter-in-law [sic; synopsis says daughter] he saw the way. He found a romantic count who needed the money, and arranged to bring a title into the family. But the daughter was unromantic and the match didn't go through."

ARTICLE, Reel Life, August 23, 1913:

"One of the most popular classes of motion picture drama has been, and will always be, the delineation of life among the upper, more favored, strata of society. There is always a never-failing interest in the minds of men and women, who struggle upon a limited income to make both ends meet, in the little daily commonplaces of life among those whose every wish is satisfied almost before it is expressed. An important feature in this sort of interest is the element of romance in high life - particularly when it lies along the generally assumed lines of a foreign, titled marriage. The family of moderate means takes to itself a most virtuous disapproval of these marriages for money and position - yet, inconsistently, it reads and discusses every detail of such a marriage with that sort of disapprobation which is very close to thinly veneered envy. And the average woman whose husband earns less than two thousand a year can explain to a fraction how many motor cars, yachts, servants, horses, grooms and regular guests there are upon the broad estate of her millionaire neighbor, down on the beach.

"All of these considerations have been utilized by Mr. Lloyd F. Lonergan in his new play, An Unromantic Maiden. In the character of Grey, the rich parvenu, we have the familiar self-made man who during the years of money-getting has acquired, by the payment of yellow 'centuries' to his tailors, the art of dressing well, but who lacks the poise and worldly knowledge which come more easily with breeding. Mr. Thompson conveys the idea very capably. Miss Hastings' impersonation of Mrs. Grey, the matchmaking mother, is equally good.

"In the character of May, Miss LaBadie portrays the college girl of ultra-studious type who nevertheless has enough sense of humor and self-respect to appreciate the ridiculous farce of a titled marriage de convenience and enough determination to refuse being party to it. In several of the scenes, one scarcely blames the count for his quite evident infatuation. A pretty girl is a pretty girl - in spite of the fact that a good cigar is a smoke - and there will always be enough of us males to appreciate her. One speculates with some idle amusement as to how many thousands of the sterner sex, during the next few months, will figure out mileage - cost between Oshkosh, or other remote camps, and New Rochelle - and pester the local librarians with questions as to etiquette of securing introductions to player-folk who have delighted them. Mr. Cruze as the Count DeChromo is as much the man-of-the-world as Mr. Thompson's nouveau-riche. And the scenes aboard the yacht have the vivid realism which can be obtained in no other way than by means of the whirling film. In fact, as a specimen of perfect kinetic photography, the yacht scenes will hold the unflagging interest of every audience - and would do so even if there were no story plot unfolding in them.

"From what has been already said, it will be evident that the count does not eventually marry May. But how she gets rid of him is a bit of comedy which must be seen to be thoroughly appreciated. The play will appear after August 24th - and will prove one of the Thanhouser successes."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, August 30, 1913:

"The self-made millionaire was ambitious; he wanted to break into society, but found it very hard. Finally he decided that the only way to accomplish it was to marry his daughter to a title. In the summer preceding her senior year she was passing her vacation at the summer home of her parents. One day the father arrived with a noble count and explained to the maiden that the count would consent to wed her for a dowry of $100,000. The girl said that the price was reasonable enough, but she did not want to marry, as she was happy in school. Her mother's tears moved her at last, and she consented to marry the count. Had it not been for a trip with her fiancé on her father's yacht, she might have been a noblewoman now. The count, however, was so ungallant as to say that he hated books, and this led to the climax. The girl realized that without books she would be very unhappy, and by a clever ruse, managed to get rid of the count while the boat was headed along at full speed. He did not know he was going ashore, but he went, and when the girl yawningly communicated to her parents the fact that the count had departed, they did not know what to think of it. A few weeks later, the unromantic maiden found herself in college."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, August 31, 1913:

"Flo LaBadie plays the role of the unromantic maiden in this film very satisfactorily, while James Cruze in the eccentric character of the Count who, egged on by the girl's parents, insists on marrying the young woman, who eventually succeeds in getting rid of him for a time at least by dropping her purse overboard from the yacht upon which mamma and papa, the count and the girl are out for a sail. The count attempting to recover it gets a ducking and is thanklessly left to recover himself from the briny deep as best he can."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, August 30, 1913:

"Another good summer story, with a light, pleasing plot. The Count DeChromo wants to marry the girl, who insists upon reading her book all the time. Finally, in order to get rid of him, the girl drops her pocketbook in the boat behind the yacht and sends him for it. When he is in the boat, she casts the rope off and goes on with her reading. Good comedy."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, August 27, 1913:

"Daughter has big ideas of romance: she prefers to read books and go to school. Her parents, however, seek to marry her off to a count or something of the kind, and while she raises no serious objections to the agreement, she does not enter into it with enthusiasm, and when the count begins to shower attentions upon her she becomes bored. How she finally rids herself of the man is quite laughable, repaying one for the rather dull process of leading up to it."

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