Volume II: Filmography

LITTLE OLD NEW YORK

June 13, 1911 (Tuesday)

Length: 1,000 feet

Character: Drama

Cast: Edward Genung (country boy), Marguerite Snow (the stenographer)

Location: Some scenes were filmed in New York City

ADVERTISEMENT, The Moving Picture World, June 10, 1911:

"It is the story of the pitfalls that await the country boy in the big city. There are shoals of them, he shouldn't forget it. This reel will make him remember. But aside from the moral value of the film, it carries an interest value that will be appreciated by those who aren't country boys. In point of interest of story, many think it the best Thanhouser release of the month. And the city scenes are even better than those in our City of Her Dreams of last year."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, June 10, 1911:

"A country boy, spoiled and pampered by his mother, a widow, decides that it is time for him to make a name for himself in the great city. He has no doubt as to his ability, for he has been told all his life how wonderful he is. But he does not dare to tell his mother of his determination, fearing that she will still keep him tied to her apron strings. So he cautiously steals out at night to show the world what a wonderful man he is. The mother intercepts him, however, but when she hears his determination, she does not try to restrain him. She, too, knows that glory awaits her son, and is only sorry that he has decided to leave her. But she gives him money and good advice, and he starts out rejoicing.

"There are youngsters of this kind coming into the city every day. As a famous confidence man once said, 'there is one born every minute.' The boy, soon after his arrival in New York, fell into the clutches of a confidence man, who induced him to 'invest' in stocks on margin. Needless to say, he was wiped out so quickly that it made his head swim. And, realizing that he was not only a failure, but a miserable one at that, the youngster decided to end his troubles in the river. Fortunately for him, the broker had a stenographer, a gum-chewing, sophisticated damsel, who felt sorry for the boy she recognized as a boob. She saves him from death, restored him his money by a clever ruse. And he was very grateful. He asked her to go to the country with him and make her home with his mother. If she had, there might have been a marriage someday, for gratitude is akin to love. But the girl decided that little Old New York was good enough for her, and sent the boy back to his doting mother which is where he really belonged."

REVIEW, The Billboard, June 17, 1911: This review is reprinted in the narrative section of the present work.

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, June 18, 1911:

"This film should have a splendid run outside the metropolis, while it proves decidedly entertaining to the citizen of New York. Many views are taken in Manhattan, views from tall buildings showing panoramic pictures of the great city below the spectator, a view in Wall Street, showing the Sub-Treasury building and the statue of George Washington, views in Riverside Drive and of General Grant's tomb, together with other interesting pictures of historic and characteristic interest. And all of these are brought into legitimate play with the story, which makes it all the more entertaining. It starts off with a country boy reading a sensational paper about the big town and of his mother's discovering his desire to go forth and make his fortune. She sympathizes with her boy's ambition and helps him start. He arrives in town, meets the usual confidence man, who shows him about town, at last taking him to his office, from which a fine view of the city is obtained. Then he proceeds to fleece him.

"The crook's stenographer feels sorry for the boy and follows him from the office, discovering him on a park bench lamenting his loss. She returns to the office, makes the usual substitution of paper for money in the wallet in which her employer had placed the stolen sum, returns the real money to the boy, while the other discovers his loss at the bank. The boy begs her to return home with him, and the last we see of her she is standing on the Thirty-third Street elevated station looking up Broadway, with the remark about 'little old New York being good enough for her.' It is one of the best pictures of the week."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, June 24, 1911:

"There is a true story here of a country boy's visit to New York with $150 in his pocket, and the story is made pleasant by a romantic white lie. It is good to see such pictures of the metropolis as a background of the story. One feels that this is the only way to show pictures of a city or place of interest. The play's as good as the Rollo books used to be. The country boy was very unconvincing and plainly an actor's idea of such a young man. This film should be very welcome."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, August 26, 1911. Review from an column titled "Croak No. 1," by Tadpole, an otherwise unidentified writer who saw a dozen films and commented on them, including this one:

"Methinks that if the filmmaker had called this subject A Bird's-Eye and Other Views of New York and had done the job as well as he could have done it, it would have been truly educational. There are two ideas in this film, if we forget the dollar aspect of all films - these two are: (one), showing views of New York; and (two), trying to sell you some laughs. Of the first, the pictures are fair - not really good; of the second, the means used is the old, threadbare stunt of having a simpleton walk through the streets of a city followed by crowds of other simpletons - that's all."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, June 21, 1911:

"This is a very praiseworthy picture in that it gives a very complete idea of New York City in conducting a green country boy through various adventures. The business district, including Wall street and the Stock Exchange, is shown together with a bird's eye view on all sides of this district. The North River and the bridges are also shown. There is a trip up Fifth Avenue, and a view of Grant's Tomb. The country boy comes to the city and is buncoed out of his mother's savings, but by the quick wit of the confidence man's stenographer his money is returned, and he is sent back home. The titles might have indicated the localities passed through more explicitly. There were evidently two ways of getting to where he lived; he arrived by ferry and went home by train."

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