Volume II: Filmography

THE COUNTY'S PRIZE BABY

November 12, 1912 (Tuesday)

Length: 1 reel

Character: Drama

Cast: Helen Badgley (the prize baby), Florence LaBadie (Mary, the baby's mother), Dorothy Benham

Note: The title appeared erroneously as The Country's Prize Baby in some notices.

ARTICLE, The Moving Picture World, November 9, 1912:

"In The County's Prize Baby, a senator and his wife separate because she does not dress becomingly enough to meet his circle of friends - she prefers to give her attention to their baby. A year later, the baby and her mother visit a county fair and baby gets 'lost.' The tot wanders to the pavilion wherein the prize-baby contest is being held, and is seated among the contestants. Her senator father, who is judge of the contest, comes in, fails to recognize his baby daughter, to whom he awards the prize - and the mother, searching for the tot, finds her the prize baby, and finds the husband's love again, too."

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

"The wife was happy, for her husband was well-to-do, and she liked living on a farm. The man, however, was ambitious, and the first quarrel of the couple was directly due to the fact that he was sent to the state legislature. At the capital the man met numerous natty officials, and he learned from them how to dress and carry himself in good society. The wife saw the wives of these men, but seemingly had no ambition to be stylishly groomed as those were, in fact. The husband entertained a number of society people one night and was shocked and vexed at the appearance his wife presented. When the guests departed he scolded her. The woman left her husband's roof an hour later, taking her baby with her, and vowed she would never return to him again. The husband accepted her decision.

"Three years later the husband was a congressman, with his eye on a seat in the United States Senate. In the course of his campaign he attended a country fair. The officials asked him to be judge at the baby show, and he promptly consented. All sorts of babies where there, and the task of picking out the finest one had elements of difficulty. The congressman, however, made up his mind very promptly. His eyes lighted on one child, and from that moment none of the others could compare with her. She got the blue ribbon. The child's mother, who had lost her in the crowds of the fairgrounds, came rushing in at this point and clasped the child in her arms. She then turned to the congressman, and husband and wife looked into each other's eyes. During the years of separation each had been convinced that the blame was not all on one side, and the beautiful little daughter furnished an additional reason for reconciliation."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, November 23, 1912:

"A very pretty picture. It contains matter hard to believe possible; but it is well made and acceptably acted and has the Thanhouser hallmark in the beauty of its scenes. The story's climax comes at a county fair at its baby show. The baby's father, who, long before had separated from his wife, is made judge of babies and awards the prize to the Thanhouser Kidlet, who deserved it, not knowing that it is his own. The kiddie had merely wandered in. Her mother thinks her lost and is wildly searching the fairgrounds among the crowds. The result is a reconciliation. A good, popular picture. Florence LaBadie plays the baby's mother."

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