Volume II: Filmography

ARABELLA'S PRINCE

(Mutual Program)

October 6, 1916 (Friday)

Length: 2 reels

Character: Drama

Cast: Nellie Parker Spaulding (Arabella), Justus D. Barnes (prince), Arthur LeVien (Clavering Jones, Jr.), Ernest Howard (Clavering Jones, Sr.)

Notes: 1. This was a left-over film, released on the Mutual Program, and made before Thanhouser was affiliated with the Pathé Exchange, Inc. 2. An erroneous release date of Friday, October 2, 1916 was given in Reel Life, September 23, 1916.

ARTICLE, The Moving Picture World, October 7, 1916:

"There is an entirely delightful and whimsically humorous turn to the Thanhouser two-part drama, Arabella's Prince, release of October 6. Arabella, an old maid of uncertain years, elevates the grouchy old sea dog, who is her next-door neighbor, in the position of fairy prince in her own mind. The story deals with the awakening of the old man's consciousness to Arabella's existence by the introduction of that subtle wonder worker, jealousy, into his daily life."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, October 14, 1916:

"Arabella has dwelt alone in optimistic hopefulness that her neighbor, the grouchy, woman-hating sea salt, whom she has raised to the exalted character of 'Prince,' will someday take notice of her and stop in to have tea with her and her cat. At length, despairing, she writes a pretty little note about her plight, signs it 'The Princess' and sends it floating in a bottle down the stream toward the place where her hero is fishing. He scorns it, but Clavering Jones, Jr., aged ten, finds it instead, on the banks of a neighboring town. He writes the Princess and asks if he may come and play. The village gossips get hold of it. The sea salt forsakes his ways, discovers unnoticed charms in the neglected Arabella. She, however, does not care what he thinks now. The day arrives, and with it Clavering Jones. Both he and the Princess are a little disappointed in the disparagement [sic] in their years. But they managed to have a lot of fun playing marbles and eating cakes. Meanwhile the villagers discover that Clavering Jones is a married man. Headed by the irate salt they approach Arabella's door, bent on routing the scoundrel. The sight that greets their eyes makes them feel foolish. But Arabella gets her Prince."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, October 7, 1916:

"A two-reel story picturing the way in which an old maid finally wins the man of her choice, who happens to be an old salt living next door. She writes a fervid poem and sends it adrift in a bottle. The old salt finds it but throws it back to sea. A small boy, reading fairy stories, finds it and writes the old maid a letter. She invites him to call, with the whole town watching the course of events. The old salt leads the rescue party, thinking she has fallen into the clutches of a married man. This contains some good character work and tells a rather slow but amusing story."

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